First Friday Frenzy
9 matches. 11 ranked teams. 1 Friday to rule them all.
I'm going to keep the commentary light today. We have a jam-packed schedule for this first Friday in January. With nine matches lined up featuring 11 ranked teams and six of the nine conferences, there is something for almost everyone.
Looking at the VBelo projections, we have two matches today that could be close. (But also, the season is early and the model is still learning about these teams.) Ball State looks to continue its quick start at BYU. Even though the Cougars are at home, Ball State still has a 43% chance of winning today. These are the types of matches where the fans and the model learn so much!
We also have a toss-up between CSUN and NJIT at the Asics Invitational. After looking at the significant digits, NJIT has the imperceptible edge at 50.4%. Both of these matchups have the potential to be competitive matches. And it is still the first week in January.
Lastly, I am working on getting some interactive dashboards up and running with the data I have on hand. Even though the season is early, I put together a quick look into the overall records of the teams. Feel free to revisit this page if you want to look up numbers. (There is also a link on the main landing page of the VBelo Report at the top: 2024 Standings.) More to come!
Match Recaps
Non-conference
UC Santa Barbara (74%) def. NJIT (26%)
3-1 (27-25, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19)
UC San Diego (38%) def. George Mason (62%)
3-1 (27-25, 23-25, 25-21, 25-20)
Penn State (97%) def. Central State (3%)
3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-19)
Grand Canyon (80%) def. CSU Northridge (20%)
3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 27-25)
UCLA (100%) def. Fort Valley State (0%)
3-0 (25-18, 25-12, 25-17)
UCLA (100%) def. Morehouse (0%)
3-0 (25-9, 25-15, 25-6)
Match Projections
Asics Invitational
Grand Canyon (71%) vs UC San Diego (29%)
George Mason (36%) vs UC Santa Barbara (64%)
CSU Northridge (50%) vs NJIT (50%)
Other Non-conference
Ball State (43%) vs BYU (57%)
Loyola Chicago (9%) vs Hawai'i (91%)
Central State (18%) vs Lewis (82%)
Morehouse (1%) vs Pepperdine (99%)
Fort Valley State (6%) vs Southern California (94%)
Thomas More (9%) vs Purdue Fort Wayne (91%)
Is there a way to watch men's volleyball games?