Number of the Day

30 - Hawaii is a storied program in the volleyball world. And yet, they are still finding ways to raise their own standards. This season saw the Rainbow Warriors start their season the earliest in program history, January 2nd. With their victory in the NCAA Championship, they also set a program record for most wins in a season with 30. The most important number for Hawaii was 3, because that was the number of sets they needed to win yesterday to add to their trophy collection. Congratulations to the Rainbow Warriors on a successful season!

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Yesterday’s Championship Scores

#2 Hawai’i (61%) def. UC Irvine (39%)
3-1 (15-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-20)

Flowers for the Anteaters

It is never easy to lose, but I hope UC Irvine can hold their heads high. This team was something special. Freshman phenom Andrej Jokanovic (OH) was as good as advertised. It was not shocking to anyone when he received the AVCA Newcomer of the Year award. Then you add in an AVCA 1st Team All-American season from Libero Shane Aitken to lead one of the best passing teams in the country. This passing was directly connected to the rise of middles Trevor Clark and Micah Goss. Ooh yeah, let’s not forget the Redshirt Freshman setter Cameron Kosty who was forced to step into a larger role than originally planned due to injury. The lone Senior starting for Irvine down the stretch was none other than William D’Arcy, standing at a healthy 6’10”.

David Kniffin knows how to coach a team. He also knows that is takes effort to build a program into something truly special. He continues to put in that effort and it shows. Teams across the country should be terrified of what is happening in Irvine. D’Arcy is the only starting senior on this team. Trevor Clark and Andon Kiriakou are the only other upperclassman in the Anteater rotation.

After seeing the environment that UC Irvine is developing at their home matches first hand, I am confident in this program. Getting fan buy-in is hard. But getting students excited to be at a match, teaching chants for aces and blocks, and bussing fans to these major tournaments is exactly what it takes. Job well done to the entire staff at UC Irvine that has worked this season to create excitement for men’s volleyball. I know they aren’t done yet and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these Anteaters.

How Hawaii Won

The first set was all UC Irvine. The Anteaters out-blocked the Rainbow Warriors 7-1. This is just the first set! Hawaii was only able to hit .167 in the opening frame. They only scored 15 points in the set, which was the least the Rainbow Warriors had scored in any set all season. But one set does not define a match.

For the next three sets, Hawaii would not hit below .450! They finished the match hitting .410. This was their highest hitting percentage since the last time they played UC Irvine in early April. This was also the15th time this season that Hawaii hit about .400. This has been an efficient offense all season.

Kristian Titriyski led all players with 16 kills. The two outsides for Hawaii added in 15 kills (Adrien Roure) and 12 kills (Louis Sakanoko). Sakanoko would go on to be named the Most Outstanding Player. In addition to his dozen kills, he added 3 aces. Those three aces all came in a row and in Set 4. It was exactly the performance that Hawaii needed out of their 1st Team All-American outside.

Tread Rosenthal, the other Hawaii AVCA 1st Team All-American, came in nursing an injury but it didn’t seem like it slowed him down. With 44 assists and a team co-lead in blocks, Rosenthal was a constant impact on the match. With UC Irvine having such strong middles, the question for this match was going to be how could Hawaii use their middles. Rosenthal set his middles 17 times and they produced 12 kills. The question of the middles was answered with resounding strength.

In the end, Hawaii overpowered UC Irvine in sets 2, 3, and 4 to win the 2026 NCAA Championship. This was a team that looked in control and was the better team last night. This was the fourth time in school history that they have won the NCAA Championship match and the third time that the NCAA has acknowledged that win.

What’s Next

The starting lineup for these two teams included 1 total graduating senior. Yes, just 1. The future for both of these programs are incredibly bright. It isn’t crazy to think that they could both be in this same position next year.

There is a major asterisk on this though. Although there was only 1 senior, the landscape of college volleyball is rapidly changing. I think we are going to see more and more one-and-done players go play professionally. I also think we will see more players that have not completed their 4 years at a college turn pro.

The math has two major parts: money and age. Getting more money sooner is something just about everyone wants. I get it. Then there is the age component. These players only have so many jumps and swings in their body. Turning pro sooner gives them a chance to work towards the biggest stages in volleyball (Summer Olympics, anyone?) with the limited time they have in the sport. Everyone retires eventually, and these young men are getting the opportunity to begin their professional careers as they continue to grow and excel.

I won’t be surprised if players on both sides of the net end up starting their professional careers early. Whether that is next year or in future years. Regardless of what these two teams look like exactly come next season, they are setup well for a strong 2027 and beyond.

The 2026 season is complete.

The 2027 season starts today.

Number of the Day

1,005 - The growth of Men’s Volleyball has been a joy to witness these past few years. From adding dozens of teams to expanding the tournament to 12, the growth has been incredible. Today, the 1,005th match of the season will be played. This is the first time there has ever been over 1,000 matches in a season for men’s volleyball. Growth!

Another exciting consequence to growth is the tournament expansion. This year we had a record 5 at-large bids. This gave us an opportunity to get 2 at-large teams in the finals. In the very recent past, one or both of these teams would have been left out of the tournament all together. This is what growing the game looks like! The sport is better because of this growth and we all get to celebrate.

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Today’s Championship Match Projection

#2 Hawai’i (61%) vs UC Irvine (39%)

Players to Watch

Hawaii

• Tread Rosenthal (Setter) is dealing with a lower body injury from Saturday. His mobility and serving could be a major factor in how this match pans out.

• Justine Todd (Middle) had one of his best games of his career in the semifinals. UC Irvine loves to run the middle so Todd will likely see a lot of action tonight.

UC Irvine

• Trevor Clark (Middle) went from Junior College (San Diego Mesa College) to the NCAA National Collegiate Finals in just a year. Like Todd, Middle isn’t his natural position, but somehow that makes him all the more dangerous.

• Shane Aitken (Libero) was the only Libero named to the AVCA 1st Team All-American list. There is a reason for that. His passing is elite and that is why UCI can run the middle as much as they do. If Aitken continues his double-digit dig streak, that could spell trouble for Hawaii.

Path to the Championship

These two teams have had very different paths to the final match of the season. Here is a look at what it has looked like, according to the model.

Hawaii took a big loss (Loyola) early in the season and has been earning their elo points back over the season, with limited losses. The Rainbow Warriors are near their season high for VBelo, which is great for their chances. Beginning to end, Hawaii has been trending up and has been on almost everyone’s radar as a national championship contender.

Then you have UC Irvine. They started off hot with 11 straight wins. This was followed by a period of plateau with a slight downward trend due to some tough losses. That being said, the Anteaters are playing some of their best volleyball right now, and the numbers show that. From where they started the season, this is a much improved and incredibly dangerous team to overlook. For a decent part of the first half of the season, the model had UC Irvine above Hawaii. This is in direct contrast to the AVCA Coaches’ Poll that never had UCI above Hawaii all season.

In the end, these are two top programs in the country with incredible amounts of talent. It is going to come down to who plays the cleaner match. I fully expect to see high-level volleyball and a level of grit and determination that only the finals can bring out.

Number of the Day

3 - For the 3rd time in history, the Big West will be represented in both teams in the national championship. This is even more impressive since the Big West has only sponsored men’s volleyball since 2018. Monday’s championship will also end the long trend of teams winning back-to-back championships as Long Beach has been eliminated. It’s going to be a great match on Monday.

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Yesterday’s Postseason Scores

NCAA Semifinals

#2 Hawai’i (35%) def. #3 Long Beach (65%)
3-1 (25-15, 18-25, 25-21, 25-22)

Tread Rosenthal suffered a lower body injury in Set 3, but that didn’t stop the AVCA Player of the Year Finalist and 1st Team All-American from doing everything he could for his team. He finished with 36 assists, 2 kills, 2 aces, 5 digs, and 5 blocks. Speaking of blocks, Hawaii out-blocked Long Beach 14-6 to earn a trip to the National Championship match.

UC Irvine (51%) def. #4 Ball State (49%)
3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 27-25, 25-19)

UC Irvine hit .362 for the match while keeping Ball State to only .234. The Anteaters were carried on the broad shoulders of Trevor Clark. The middle finished with 14 kills (tying a career high from last week) and a hitting percentage of .722!

NCAA Championship

Monday, May 11th
7 pm ET / 4 pm PT / 1 pm HT
ESPN 2

Tell your family. Tell your friends. Tell strangers on the street. The more viewers the better it is for the sport.

Number of the Day

10 - The four teams competing in the semifinals have a combined 10 National Championship trophies. Long Beach and UC Irvine both have 4 while Hawaii has 2. Ball State has made the tournament 16 times in their long history, but have never made it to the championship match. With the 17th time be different for the Cardinals?

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Today’s Postseason Match Projections

NCAA Semifinals

#2 Hawai’i (35%) vs #3 Long Beach (65%)

#4 Ball State (49%) vs UC Irvine (51%)

Updated Bracket Projections

Number of the Day

6.96% - There is always a chance. That is one of the great things about volleyball, as an untimed sport. Also, everyone having a chance is at the core of VBelo. Saturday saw one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 season. With just a 6.96% chance of winning, UC Irvine handed UCLA their second loss of the season. This is the 7th biggest upset this season, according to the model. The match isn’t over until the final whistle (and maybe a challenge) and that is a beautiful thing.

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Yesterday’s Regional Finals Scores

#4 Ball State (63%) def. Pepperdine (37%)
3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 25-22, 19-25, 16-14)

World, meet Will Patterson. The Ball State middle went off for 12 kills on 18 swings and 0 errors in the thrilling win. He also added 11 blocks to get a huge double-double when everything is on the line.

UC Irvine (7%) def. #1 UCLA (93%)
3-2 (25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 19-25, 16-14)

What. A. Match. UC Irvine was backed into a corner. They were down 15-13 in set 5, but they weren’t out because of a successful challenge. Andreas Brink had a career high with 17 kills (.483) and what a time to go all out!

#3 Long Beach (91%) def. Loyola Chicago (9%)
3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-19)

This match was won (and lost) on the service line. Long Beach finished with 8 aces to only 8 service errors. A 1:1 ratio! Loyola had only 1 ace to their 17 service errors. Skyler Varga also seems to be ready for the postseason. He finished with 14 kills and a .520 hitting percentage.

#2 Hawai’i (85%) def. Southern California (15%)
3-1 (25-22, 24-26, 25-23, 32-30)

This match set a record for single-match NCAA Tournament attendance record at 10,300. Adrien Roure gave the home fans a show with 13 kills (.458%), 6 digs, and 7 huge aces. Yes, 7 aces in the National Quarterfinals. Big time match, big time performance.

Next Match

Saturday, May 9th - NCAA Semifinals

Number of the Day

20 - The match of the day was absolutely UC Irvine and Penn State. The difference maker was the middles for UC Irvine. The Anteater Middle duo of Goss and Clark combined for 20 kills and just 2 errors. They hit .620 as a pair! They needed this type of performance to hold back Penn State and it was just enough. They also combined for 10 blocks against the best blocking team in the country. The Anteaters have to be feeling good (and tired) after this victory.

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Yesterday’s Regional Opening Round Scores

Pepperdine (93%) def. Fort Valley State (7%)
3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-17)

Cole Hartke started the postseason the same way he has been playing all season long: dominant. The AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist finished with 13 kills on 20 swings with 0 errors (.650%). The waves as a whole hit .541!

UC Irvine (55%) def. Penn State (45%)
3-2 (25-18, 27-29, 19-25, 25-17, 15-13)

The model thought this could be a battle and that is exactly what it was! One of the best passing teams in the country against one of the best blocking teams. In the end, UC Irvine found a way to win. The Anteaters never hit below .300 for a set and their middles were a huge part of this. It is so sad to see Pav leave, but going the distance in the NCAA tournament feels like a fitting send off.

Loyola Chicago (85%) def. Saint Francis (15%)
3-0 (30-28, 29-27, 25-20)

The Ramblers controlled the service line and the net all night. Loyola out-blocked SFU 9-2 and out-aced the Red Flash 8-2 in the tightly contested sweep.

Southern California (75%) def. Belmont Abbey (25%)
3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-21)

Belmont Abbey put up a strong fight, but ultimately it is the Trojans who will fight on. Dillon Klein led the Trojans with 11 kills. Zach Puentes (BAC) led all players with 12 kills in an impressive night.

Today’s Regional Finals Match Projections

Non-conference

Pepperdine (37%) vs Ball State (63%)

UC Irvine (7%) vs UCLA (93%)

Loyola Chicago (9%) vs Long Beach (91%)

Southern California (15%) vs Hawai’i (85%)

Number of the Day

4 - 4 regions. 4 winners. 4 home teams waiting in the wings. It all starts today as the NCAA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship kicks off. The twelve team bracket is exciting and right now every team wants to make it to the final site next weekend. With everything on the line, expect some great matches today across the country. All of these teams know what it takes to win and will put everything on the line.

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Today’s Postseason Match Projections

NCAA Regional Opening Round

Fort Valley State (7%) vs Pepperdine (93%)

Penn State (45%) vs UC Irvine (55%)

Loyola Chicago (85%) vs Saint Francis (15%)

Belmont Abbey (25%) vs Southern California (75%)

We have been waiting all season for this and this weekend we will begin the opening round of the 2026 NCAA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship. This twelve team tournament has great matchups that will be sure to deliver top tier volleyball. So let’s dive in!

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The Bracket

For the first time, we get to see double digit teams in the postseason! Here is how it works. The top four teams technically the only seeded teams. These four seeds will each host a regional opening round and a final match. (Going into Selection Sunday there was no guarantee that these seeds would also host.) The four teams that win the regionals will advance to the final site. This year the final site will be UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion.

Looking at how the bracket was setup, it would appear that one important factor was making sure teams in the same conference didn’t face one another right away. There were three conferences with more than one team represented. By separating them out, the committee deviated, slightly from RPI and KPI.

The end result is something that looks fairly balanced from a seeding standpoint. If conference matchups were a high priority, travel was not. There was a fair amount of concern about how much travel would play a part in the matchups. Would there be an East Coast region? Would they send teams to Hawaii to play? Will a neutral court be picked for some regions? In the end, I think the best choice was made. Travel is a factor and higher ranked teams, generally have get to travel less. And all of these teams know how to travel and compete in any gym. Home court is an advantage, but it is not a sure thing.

Round-by-Round Projections

I used the VBelo model and simulated the NCAA Conference tournament 50,000 times. Yes, 50,000! I upped the simulations because this is the big show and it deserves special treatment. Below are the results for how often each team progressed through the tournament.

Let's break this down by region.

Westwood Region

#1 UCLA has the unique distinction of not only being the #1 seed and hosting a region but they were already slated to be the final site this year. So the Bruins will not be travelling any more this season, and they love that. The Bruins are 29-1 this season which includes going 11-0 at home. According to the model, UCLA will win the Westwood Region 94% of the time. This team has been dominant all season. And when they haven’t been dominant, they have found a way to win.

UC Irvine is a great underdog pick in this region. Last season, the Anteaters were very likely the first team out when it came to the national tournament selection. You take Henno missing the tournament in his senior year in 2025. Then you add in a tough loss at home in the Big West semifinals this year. You get a recipe for a revenge tour. This team is a little beat up so hopefully they were able to use this week to rest. The start of their tour will not be easy though.

Penn State is the lone representative out of the EIVA. Although they have the lowest odds to make it out of the region (2.47%), you cannot count out the Nittany Lions. The story all season has been the retirement of Men’s Volleyball coaching legend Mark Pavlik after 32 years at the helm. A good story can only get you so far, but the nation’s #1 blocking team and the nation’s #1 blocker (Owen Rose) will get you a lot farther.

Mānoa Region

#2 Hawaii didn’t need the Big West Tournament title to get the second seed in the national tournament. Getting to host a region was a major win for this team as they now have a 90% chance of making it out of this region. The ceiling on this team is sky high with loads of nation team experiences. Of Hawaii’s five losses, 3 came at home. It will be interesting to see how much the home crowd will help propel the Rainbow Warriors. Don’t be surprised when their match sells out and we get 10,000 fans at an NCAA Men’s Volleyball postseason match.

USC has about a 10% chance of making it out of this region on top. To do that, they would have to face Hawaii. Interestingly, USC and Hawaii were supposed to play earlier this season at the NIL Tournament that fell apart. It looks like we may get to see this matchup of excellent teams after all. The Trojans will go as far as Dillon Klein is about to carry them. He is one of the best hitters in the country and can turn the tide, even in the Stan Sherriff Center.

Belmont Abbey has the unenviable position of being the team to travel the farthest for the regionals. At over 4,600 miles of travel, the Crusaders want to make the most of this trip. Yes, it will be an uphill battle, but this Conference Carolinas powerhouse can’t be underestimated. You don’t put together a 20-5 season without offensive consistency and the nation’s second best opponent hitting percentage (.187).

Long Beach Region

#3 Long Beach may be the three seed, but the model has them as the second most likely to win the national tournament. After upsetting Hawaii in the Big West Finals, the volleyball world is now very familiar with Polish Freshman Wojciech Gajek and his cannon of an arm. This may be his first season as head coach for Nick MacRae, but he is a veteran when it comes to coaching this team already. It’s no surprise that they get out of their region almost 93% of the time in the model.

Loyola is one of the most interesting teams in the tournament, in my opinion. After the early season shocking win at Hawaii, all eyes were on the Ramblers as a favorite in the MIVA. The team battled with several injuries, including Aleksandar Sosa who was on the National Player of the Year watchlist. With Sosa back in action after almost 2 months off, this team is looking like the dangerous threat we thought they would be. Getting past Long Beach will be a challenge, but this is a team that can pull off an incredible win in hostile territory.

Saint Francis might have the best story in the tournament. The landscape for college athletics is challenging. SFU made the difficult decision to reclassify from D-I to D-III starting next year. The team knew this for over a year so it wasn’t a surprise that they had a little extra fire in them. After winning the NEC Championship for the first time in program history, the Red Flash want to play Cinderella and keep dancing. They are in a very tough region, but if anyone can prepare a team for this type of adversity, it is Mike Rumbaugh.

Muncie Region

Note: Technically, the matches will not be in Muncie, the home of Ball State. Due to a scheduling conflict with Worthen Arena, the matches will be played at the Riverview Health Arena at Innovation Mile in Noblesville, IN.

#4 Ball State is a force to be reckoned with. At 25-4, the Cardinals put up an incredibly strong resume to earn the #4 seed in the National Tournament. This team is efficient. They lead the country in both kills per set (13.49) and hitting percentage (.387). In his first season as their head coach, Mike Iandolo won the MIVA Coach of the Year. When you combine a high powered offense with the classic MIVA defense, you get a recipe for success. This success has given them a 66% chance of making it out of the regional.

Pepperdine has the unique distinction of being the only team in the country to defeat UCLA this season. The Waves were 13-1 in one of the toughest conferences in the nation. If they would have been able to win the MPSF Tournament, there is a decent chance they would have been hosting a region. Pepperdine swings hard, whether that is from the pins or the service line. They are dangerous and are likely out to avenge their loss to USC in the MPSF Tournament. The model like Pepperdine making it out of this region 33% of the time.

Fort Valley State has the tallest task in the bracket. First they face the only team to beat the unanimous #1 team in the country. Then they would have a date when the best offense in the country. If they make it out of the region, they are rewarded with facing UCLA in the final four. In 50,000 tournament simulations the Wildcats never came out on top. Don’t let these numbers fool you though. This team has seen the best teams in the country already this season so they know what it takes.

Number of the Day

12 - It happened! We officially know the 12 teams that will be competing in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. There will be more on the tournament this week (when I am not sleep deprived.) But for now, here is the wonderful bracket. (This might look familiar to some…)

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Yesterday’s Scores

GLVC

Missouri S&T (33%) def. Maryville (67%)
3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-18)

The Missouri S&T Miners were dominant in the first ever GLVC Championship match. They hit a blistering .420 in the sweep to avenge their regular season finale loss to Maryville. Congratulations to Missouri S&T!

Today’s Match Projections

We get some time off before the opening round of the regionals for the NCAA Tournament on May 1st. I will have a tournament projection soon but don’t freak out when you don’t get a daily email.

Number of the Day

7 - We now know the 7 automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Tournament.

• Ball State (MIVA)

• Belmont Abbey (Conference Carolinas)

• Fort Valley State (SIAC)

• Long Beach State (Big West)

• Penn State (EIVA)

• Saint Francis (NEC)

• UCLA (MPSF)

Today at 4pm ET / 1pm PT / 10am HT, the NCAA will air their selection show on NCAA.com to announce the bracket, including the 5 at-large bids, the top four seeds who get regional byes, and the much anticipated location of these regionals.

NCAA.com

Give the show a watch and tell a friend or two to get ready for some great volleyball.

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Quick Bracketology

As I write this (about 12 hours for the Selection Show), I think we know a great deal about the teams who will be appearing in the largest National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball tournament with 12 teams. Let’s start with the at-larges.

At-Large Bids

• Hawaii - This is about as no-brainer as it gets. They excel at every metric. The Rainbow Warriors are in.

• Pepperdine - I’m not sure what one step behind no-brainer is, but that is where Pepperdine is. Even though they didn’t reach the MPSF finals, their incredible resume speaks for itself. Not to mention they are the only team in the country to defeat UCLA in the regular season.

• Loyola - They look good with the metrics. They are a top 6 team in both RPI and KPI with a solid resume of wins. The question mark for them was the health of their personnel, but with Sosa back in the mix, this question is gone and the Ramblers will be dancing.

• UC Irvine - This is where it starts to get interesting. The Anteaters have a lot going in their favor. They have top 10 RPI, KPI, and strength of schedule.

• USC - The final spot comes down to two programs: USC and Lindenwood. Lindenwood has the edge with RPI, KPI, and strength of schedule. USC has the edge when it comes to their record when facing teams in consideration for the NCAA tournament and RPI top 10 teams. Ultimately, I think the strength of the MPSF will help carry them to a 3rd team in the tournament.

The Regions

Now the fun part. This is where we get heavily into speculation. In spite of the geographical limitations and finances I think the committee will end up having the top four teams host regions. I think it will set a nice precedent that earning a top seed gets an extra reward. That being said, I will completely believe it if this is not the case. I am sure the committee knows that they will set the tone for future regional decisions and will not take that lightly.

Technically, only the top teams are seeded. Instead of trying to figure out how the committee will shape the regions, I wanted to put them into a standard 12-team format to see what it could look like. Big emphasis on could. So here we go!

This split keeps all of the conference matchups from happening until the final site. It does not take travel into consideration, which may end up playing a role. Honestly, if the bracket turned out like this, I would be okay with it. For the first year with 12 teams, this sure looks fun!

With this bracket being new, I am excited to see what we learn. What do you think the bracket will look like?

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Yesterday’s Scores

🏆🎟️Big West🎟️🏆

#2 Long Beach (63%) def. #1 Hawai’i (37%)
3-2 (20-25, 27-25, 22-25, 30-28, 15-11)

I had the pleasure of being at the Big West Tournament this week. Here is the Long Beach Championship press conference as well as a link to all of the press conferences, in case you want to hear from the players and coaches themselves.

2026 Big West Tournament

🏆ECC Championship🏆

#1 Roberts Wesleyan (75%) def. #2 St. Thomas Aquinas (25%)
3-1 (24-26, 25-18, 25-14, 25-21)

🏆🎟️EIVA🎟️🏆

#1 Penn State (93%) def. #6 Princeton (7%)
3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-18)

🏆🎟️MIVA🎟️🏆

#1 Ball State (76%) def. #2 Loyola Chicago (24%)
3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-20)

🏆🎟️MPSF🎟️🏆

#1 UCLA (85%) def. #3 Southern California (15%)
3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 28-26, 26-24)

🏆🎟️NEC🎟️🏆

#1 Saint Francis (83%) def. #2 Fairleigh Dickinson (17%)
3-1 (25-17, 20-25, 25-23, 25-20)

GLVC Semifinals

#1 Maryville (88%) def. #4 Roosevelt (12%)
3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-21)

#3 Missouri S&T (51%) def. #2 Rockhurst (49%)
3-2 (25-21, 20-25, 25-21, 17-25, 15-13)

Today’s Match Projections

🏆GLVC Championship🏆

#3 Missouri S&T (33%) vs #1 Maryville (67%)

This first year conference tournament is ready to welcome the world to postseason GLVC volleyball. If you are worried that a new conference in not worth watching, think again! The GLVC has been playing great volleyball all season and this tournament should be electric!

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The Bracket

Another straight forward 4-team bracket hosted at the #1 seed. If it’s not broken don’t fix it! One of the interesting things about this particular tournament is when it is being played. With the semifinals being played today, there will be a match on Selection Sunday.

Maryville and Rockhurst tied as the regular season champions in this inaugural season of the GLVC. Maryville had the tie-breaker in sets won against Rockhurst and earned the #1 because of it.

Right behind them, Missouri S&T locked in the #3 seed and Roosevelt came in at #4. There was a battle for seedings that came down to the last day in the GLVC.

With eight teams in the conference, I am a little surprised we didn’t get a 6 or 8 team bracket. Hopefully this will be the case in years to come.

Round-by-Round Projections

I used the VBelo model and simulated the GLVC tournament 10,000 times. Below are the results for how often each team progressed through the tournament.

When you are the #1 seed and the home team, you are likely to win your tournament. That is just how the math works out. Maryville is the favorite here largely because of the home court advantage.

The VBelo Ratings for this tournament are wild. The top three teams are within 8 elo points of each other! This is practically a round error in terms of their difference. Missouri S&T and Rockhurst will have an absolute battle against each other.

Roosevelt may have the lowest odds of winning the tournament, but they could definitely make some noise. You can’t take anyone for granted in the GLVC!

Number of the Day

5 - The final 5 automatic tickets to the NCAA Tournament will be punched today. For some of these teams, this is the only way to get to the tournament. For others, they want to win, obviously, but they don’t need to win. After today, the NCAA Men’s Volleyball committee will meet to select the 5 at-large bids to the tournament. All these teams will join Fort Valley State and Belmont Abbey in the 12-team 2026 NCAA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Tournament. What an amazing and stressful day across the country.

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Yesterday’s Scores

Big West Semifinals

#1 Hawai’i (84%) def. #5 UC San Diego (16%)
3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 25-20, 25-13)

#2 Long Beach (58%) def. #3 UC Irvine (42%)
3-0 (29-27, 25-16, 25-18)

ECC Semifinals

#1 Roberts Wesleyan (98%) def. #4 American International (2%)
3-0 (25-19, 28-26, 25-9)

#2 St. Thomas Aquinas (78%) def. #3 Dominican (22%)
3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-20)

NEC Semifinals

#1 Saint Francis (82%) def. #4 Long Island (18%)
3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-19)

#2 Fairleigh Dickinson (42%) def. #3 UMES (58%)
3-1 (19-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-23)

Today’s Match Projections

🏆🎟️Big West Championship🎟️🏆

#1 Hawai’i (37%) vs #2 Long Beach (63%)

🏆ECC Championship🏆

#1 Roberts Wesleyan (75%) vs #2 St. Thomas Aquinas (25%)

🏆🎟️EIVA Championship🎟️🏆

#1 Penn State (93%) vs #6 Princeton (7%)

🏆🎟️MIVA Championship🎟️🏆

#1 Ball State (76%) vs #2 Loyola Chicago (24%)

🏆🎟️MPSF Championship🎟️🏆

#1 UCLA (85%) vs #3 Southern California (15%)

🏆🎟️NEC Championship🎟️🏆

#1 Saint Francis (83%) vs #2 Fairleigh Dickinson (17%)

GLVC Semifinals

#4 Roosevelt (12%) vs #1 Maryville (88%)

#3 Missouri S&T (51%) vs #2 Rockhurst (49%)

The NEC has been highly competitive this year and the tournament should be exactly the same. The battle for this ticket to the NCAA Tournament will be must-watch volleyball. Seriously, these teams know the stakes and will play like it.

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The Bracket

Two very clean 4-team brackets on the same day! This is great. The NEC is straight forward with their bracket and have it hosted at the #1 seed, Saint Francis this year.

This year, the NEC had a very complicated conference record situation where three teams tied for the final spot. In the end, Long Island got the spot with tie-breakers. I know it would extend the tidy tournament to another day, but it almost feels like this should be a 6-team format instead of four Maybe in the future.

Adding to the drama, after this season SFU will be transitioning to D-III. That means this will be the last chance for the Red Flash to make it to the big dance. Expect a little extra fight from them, in addition to their usual grit.

Round-by-Round Projections

I used the VBelo model and simulated the NEC tournament 10,000 times. Below are the results for how often each team progressed through the tournament.

Every team has at least a 9% chance of winning it all. That is impressive parity! Saint Francis, the #1 seed and host has the best odds. And they should. 2 out of 3 tournament simulations ended with the Red Flash going to the NCAA Tournament.

When you look at the next three teams, they are all within 52 elo points of each other. This is a very tight grouping and could lead to some close matches.

I am excited to see how this tournament plays out and who gets the coveted golden ticket.

The ECC may be the smallest conference in National Collegiate volleyball, but there is some good volleyball being played there. Before you know it, the ECC will have enough teams to put in a request for an auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament. Jump on the bandwagon before you miss it.

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The Bracket

There is something so great about a simple 4-team bracket. #1 vs #4 and #2 vs #3. It can be played relatively quickly (which helps save on costs) and in this case, every team makes the postseason. For the ECC, the #1 seed gets the honor of hosting and this year that is Roberts Wesleyan.

Round-by-Round Projections

I used the VBelo model and simulated the East Coast Conference tournament 10,000 times. Below are the results for how often each team progressed through the tournament.

The interesting thing about the ECC is that the 4 teams are spread out fairly evenly. This means all of the matches have clear favorites. Of course postseason upsets can happen, but this conference seems particularly situated to be chalk.

Roberts Wesleyan is the clear favorite. That being said, STAC will put up a strong battle for the title. Dominican and AIC will have to pull off incredible upsets to win a trophy.

With all of the excitement for auto-bids to the NCAA Tournament, don’t forget to check out the ECC Tournament.

Number of the Day

3 - Lower seeds had quite the day yesterday! Of the 6 matches, 3 of them were won by lower seeds. #6 Princeton continued their Cinderella story by taking down #2 NJIT in five. Then #3 USC took down #2 Pepperdine in the MPSF semifinals in another five set barn-burner. To really make a point, #5 UCSD went ahead and swept #4 UCSB to open the Big West Tournament. That would be the only sweep of the day!

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Quick RPI Update

Here is what RPI looks like headed into the final two match days before Selection Sunday.

Yesterday’s Scores

EIVA Semifinals

Penn State (95%) def. Charleston (5%)
3-2 (20-25, 25-19, 25-16, 22-25, 15-8)

Princeton (27%) def. NJIT (73%)
3-2 (35-37, 25-16, 22-25, 25-19, 15-11)

MPSF Semifinals

Southern California (24%) def. Pepperdine (76%)
3-2 (21-25, 25-21, 25-20, 22-25, 16-14)

UCLA (82%) def. BYU (18%)
3-1 (20-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-18)

Big West Quarterfinals

UC San Diego (37%) def. UC Santa Barbara (63%)
3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-22)

UC Irvine (91%) def. CSUN (9%)
3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-16, 25-23)

Today’s Match Projections

Big West Semifinals

Hawai’i (84%) vs UC San Diego (16%)

Long Beach (58%) vs UC Irvine (42%)

ECC Semifinals

American International (2%) vs Roberts Wesleyan (98%)

Dominican (22%) vs St. Thomas Aquinas (78%)

NEC Semifinals

Long Island (18%) vs Saint Francis (82%)

Fairleigh Dickinson (42%) vs UMES (58%)

Six teams, all ranked. Every single one of them is dangerous in the postseason. All of them know that the best way to get to the National Tournament is to win the conference tournament. Expect some big time performances in Irvine.

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The Bracket

Another standard 6-team bracket hosted at a preselected host site. This year UC Irvine will host the festivities as the #3 seed. Quick side note, as I write this, I am sitting in the airport on my way to the Big West Tournament. So that’s fun!

Hawaii enters the Big West Tournament as the #1 seed after dropping only one match in conference play Rival Long Beach is right behind them at #2, earning the other bye.

This is a conference that is looking to get three teams to the NCAA Tournament so these next few days will be huge. UC Irvine should feel like every match matters, because it really does for them. At this point, a conference trophy would be nice for Hawaii and Long Beach, but they don’t need it like the Anteaters do.

Round-by-Round Projections

I used the VBelo model and simulated the Big West tournament 10,000 times. Below are the results for how often each team progressed through the tournament.

This is the most interesting conference projection so far. Neither the #1 seed nor the home team are the favorite. Also, no team has a majority of the chances to win the championship. There is a lot going on in this conference.

If you look closely, you will notice that Long Beach currently has the highest VBelo Rating. After defeating UCI last week, they just moved ahead of Hawaii. When you add in travel, Long Beach is coming into this tournament with a solid chance of winning it all.

Hawaii has the best chances to reach finals and a very good chance of winning it all. This is a situation where having the top seed is a big advantage in terms of the overall bracket path.

The UCSB vs UCSD match will be a great rematch from last week. Both of these teams have had incredible moments this year, but they have also struggled at times. The real question will be what team will show up today.

Who will rise to the top in the Big West? Will Long Beach lock in the auto-bid? Will Hawaii ride the #1 seed to victory? Can Irvine harness the power of the Bren? Who will pull off an upset? This is the Big West!

Number of the Day

1 - It is good to be a #1 seed. Really good. Right now, all of the top seeds are undefeated. It will be interesting to see how long that can last. Upsets are fun, but we have had a pretty chalky postseason so far. Yes, there have been a couple of upsets, including Princeton yesterday, but nothing that has impacted the National Tournament...yet.

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Yesterday’s Postseason Scores

MIVA Semifinals

#1 Ball State (84%) def. #4 McKendree (16%)
3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-21)

#2 Loyola Chicago (75%) def. #6 Lewis (25%)
3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-23)

EIVA Quarterfinals

#4 Charleston (65%) def. #5 Sacred Heart (35%)
3-2 (21-25, 25-18, 26-24, 23-25, 17-15)

#6 Princeton (19%) def. #3 George Mason (81%)
3-1 (23-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-16)

MPSF Quarterfinals

#2 Pepperdine (97%) def. #7 Jessup (3%)
3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-22)

#3 Southern California (94%) def. #6 Vanguard (6%)
3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-21)

#1 UCLA (100%) def. #8 Concordia (0%)
3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-19)

#5 BYU (82%) def. #4 Stanford (18%)
3-1 (25-18, 25-14, 25-23, 21-25)

Today’s Match Projections

EIVA Semifinals

Charleston (5%) vs Penn State (95%)

NJIT (73%) vs Princeton (27%)

MPSF Semifinals

Pepperdine (76%) vs Southern California (24%)

UCLA (82%) vs BYU (18%)

Big West Quarterfinals

UC Santa Barbara (63%) vs UC San Diego (37%)

CSUN (9%) vs UC Irvine (91%)

The MPSF has its eyes set on getting two of the five at-large bids to the National Tournament. This tournament will play a major factor in if that hope can become a reality.

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The Bracket

The MPSF currently has a very straightforward 8-team bracket. I say currently, because the MPSF has used some very creative brackets in the past. The uniqueness for the MPSF comes with how the seeding works. With the expansion of the MPSF, teams do not end up playing every team in the conference. To adjust for this, a five person committee votes on the seeding.

UCLA, unsurprisingly, received the top spot. Zero surprise here. Pepperdine at #2 and USC at #3 were all in line with conference standings. In fact the only difference between the seedings and conference standings was Vanguard.

With ten teams currently in the MPSF, both Menlo and UC Merced missed out on the postseason. These teams will definitely look to regroup and make a splash in one of the top conferences in the nation next year.

Round-by-Round Projections

I used the VBelo model and simulated the MPSF tournament 10,000 times. Below are the results for how often each team progressed through the tournament.

UCLA enters the MPSF tournament as the favorite, but it won’t be a cake walk. If the regular season is any indication, it will come down to the Bruins and the Waves. Both of these teams want to make the NCAA Tournament, and I think they both will.

Being the host, BYU was able to rise to third most likely to win, but it is a long shot. USC will likely need to make the finals to have a strong resume for a potential at-large, but that is a tough road.

Given the range of VBelo for the MPSF, the bottom of the bracket will have a very hard time making a splash. Can it be done? Yes. Is it likely? It is not.

Will someone stop UCLA? Can Pepperdine defend last year’s trophy? Can BYU ride the home court advantage to the national tournament? Who can pull off an upset?

The story all season in the EIVA was the retirement of Coach Mark Pavlik of Penn State. After 27 regular season titles and 11 EIVA Coach of the Year awards, everyone respects Pav and they want to be the ones to send him into retirement.

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The Bracket

The EIVA has a straight forward tournament setup with 6 teams making the postseason. The top two teams receive a bye into the semifinals. Most importantly, the #1 seed gets to host the tournament.

Penn State is no stranger to being the top dog in the EIVA. In the past 32 seasons (the Pav Era), they have 25 EIVA Tournament titles. After going undefeated in conference play, they are in a great spot to do it again.

NJIT received the other bye with a 9-3 EIVA record. They were followed closely by George Mason at 3. The middle of this conference will be highly competitive and will produce some fun matches.

The team left out of the tournament this season as Harvard. In a brutal three-way tie for 5th, the Crimson were the odd men out this time. After losing the season series to Princeton to finish 2026, the Crimson will look to 2027 with hopes of making the EIVA tournament.

Round-by-Round Projections

I used the VBelo model and simulated the EIVA tournament 10,000 times. Below are the results for how often each team progressed through the tournament.

Penn State is the heavy favorite and that feels like an understatement. With an over 80% chance of winning, it will take an all-time performance from an opponent to deny Pav. It definitely helps to get a bye and play at home.

NJIT and GMU have a slim chance of winning, but it is an uphill climb. Speaking of uphill climb, Sacred Heart is in an interesting position. Even though they have a 36% chance of making it to the semifinals, since they have to go through Penn State before the finals, their odds are less than Princeton’s.

We have seen dramatic upsets in the EIVA before, but will it happen this year? Can anyone stop Pav’s Pulverizers? Can NJIT or GMU rise to the top? What drama does the EIVA have in store for us?

Number of the Day

5 - Last Saturday, the last men’s volleyball match was played in Firestone Fieldhouse, the storied home of the Pepperdine Waves. It was only fitting that the gym was packed with a modern era record of 2,870 fans. With legendary coach Marv Dunphy, Pepperdine won 5 national titles and in 2017 the court was dedicated to him. The Waves will move to a modern facility on campus, The Mountain, next season, but Firestone will forever be among the classic men’s volleyball venues.

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Yesterday’s Scores

Two off days in a row. That was weird.

Today’s Postseason Match Projections

MIVA Semifinals

#4 McKendree (16%) vs #1 Ball State (84%)

#6 Lewis (25%) vs #2 Loyola Chicago (75%)

EIVA Quarterfinals

#4 Charleston (65%) vs #5 Sacred Heart (35%)

#3 George Mason (81%) vs #6 Princeton (19%)

MPSF Quarterfinals

#7 Jessup (3%) vs #2 Pepperdine (97%)

#3 Southern California (94%) vs #6 Vanguard (6%)

#8 Concordia (0%) vs #1 UCLA (100%)

#4 Stanford (18%) vs #5 BYU (82%)