The Beginning of a Packed Weekend

Hopefully you can make it to a match (or several) in person. Otherwise, get those streaming services ready.

Penn State continued their early season success against Lees-McRae. | Penn State Athletics

Today and tomorrow, we get our first double-digit match days of the season. Over the next three days, 39 matches will be played all across the country. This is what we have been waiting for!

With dozens of matches on the horizon, I will keep the commentary brief. So, here are three matches that I am particularly interested in today.

1. Queens at Charleston - This will be our first look at Charleston this year. Last season, they exceeded most expectations by going 22-7. Their refreshed lineup could create some interesting matchups this season.

2. Fort Valley State at Talladega College - Talladega is a team I am interested in because this is their first year. Last year, they announced they would be joining the SIAC in 2024 but sadly, that does not appear to be the case. That being said, I am still interested to see what they look like and how they might factor into the SIAC in years to come. New teams are worth watching and cheering for.

3. JBJ Battle for the Boardwalk¹ - I love this event. The teams are a great mixture of programs that don't get nearly enough national attention. Then you add in a location that usually doesn't have volleyball (Atlantic City). The results: a great tournament that is growing the sport. We need more of this! It doesn't hurt that VBelo has some close matchups for today!

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Match Recaps

Non-conference

Ball State (84%) def. UC San Diego (16%)
3-0 (28-26, 25-13, 25-20)

Penn State (98%) def. Lees-McRae (2%)
3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-17)

American International (38%) def. Regis College (62%)
3-2 (18-25, 30-28, 21-25, 25-18, 15-11)

Southern California (75%) def. Harvard (25%)
3-1 (22-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-22)

Thomas More (90%) def. Kentucky State (10%)
3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-17)

UCLA (87%) def. Lewis (13%)
3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 28-26, 25-23)

BYU (52%) def. Loyola Chicago (48%)
3-2 (19-25, 26-24, 25-27, 25-22, 15-13)

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Match Projections

JBJ Battle for the Boardwalk

Belmont Abbey (69%) vs Fairleigh Dickinson (31%)

Belmont Abbey (86%) vs St. Thomas Aquinas (14%)

Barton (41%) vs Fairleigh Dickinson (59%)

Non-conference

Emmanuel (1%) vs Hawai'i (99%)

Harvard (36%) vs CSU Northridge (64%)

Long Island (10%) vs Long Beach (90%)

Stanford (60%) vs UC Santa Barbara (40%)

Edward Waters (44%) vs Erskine (56%)

King (58%) vs NJIT (42%)

Lees-McRae (73%) vs Saint Vincent (27%)

Fort Valley State (57%) vs Talladega College (43%)

Queens (37%) vs Charleston (63%)

Lindenwood (16%) vs Grand Canyon (84%)

Purdue Fort Wayne (71%) vs Sacred Heart (29%)

Dominican University (IL) (17%) vs Quincy (83%)

Springfield (8%) vs Concordia (92%)

1. I know I am cheating and picking a group of matches. But I don't want to pick just one and you can't make me.