CCCAA MVB State Championship broadcast

The broadcast from Saturday's men's volleyball California Community College Athletic Association championship match. Check it out...

CCCAA Semi-Final #2 Broadcast

Check out the CCCAA Men's Volleyball State Champion Semi-Finals broadcast from Thursday, April 22 featuring play-by-play with yours truly. This video is the 2nd semi-final between Long Beach City College and Orange Coast College.



Calling the championship match tonight between Orange Coast and Moorpark Colleges.

NCAA MVB Final Four Preview

The NCAA Men's Volleyball Final Four selections are in, so now it's out to Columbus, Ohio for the championships next weekend. IPFW, Penn State, UC Irvine and Pepperdine will have a chance to take home the title.

Don't worry, I won't take this time to rant about why the MPSF deserves a third spot in the final four. I'm just making my picks and going over the match ups.

Semifinal #1
(1) Pepperdine vs. (4) Indiana Purdue - Ft. Wayne
Thursday, May 3 5 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Pepperdine went more than three months without a loss. I wonder if Head Coach Marv Dunphy even remembers what it's like to lose. He got a harsh reminder of it in the MPSF championship game when UCI downed the Waves in a five-game thriller. Pepperdine still picked up the top seed, as they should. They'll face the MIVA champion IPFW Mastadons, who beat Final Four host Ohio State convincingly in the the conference final (30-22, 30-27, 30-26).

Mastadons setter Colin Lundeen ran an efficient offense to win the MIVA, as the team hit .344 against the Buckeyes. IPFW has kep the pressure on their opponents all season long, outhitting their opposition .306 to .197 on the season. To keep all opponents to such a low hitting percentage tells me two things: 1. They have an aggressive offense that keeps their opponents off-balance; and 2. They don't play any quality opponents in the MIVA. Call it west-coast bias if you want, but I'd still be suiting up and taking the court if I had gone to an MIVA school instead of USC.

IPFW took care of most of their opponents (14 of 22) in 3-game sweeps this season. Watching their match versus Ohio State last night, the Buckeyes couldn't seem to phase them. C.J. Macias gets the majority of the sets for this offense, and he's averaged 4.68 kpg on the season. Josh Stewart is a threat to block a few balls (1.52 bpg).

The Mastadons have Final Four experience - they faced eventual-champion UCLA in the semis last year - as they prepare for their 10th Final Four this season. This is a complete team that has dominated their opponents all season long, and I'm giving them absolutely no chance whatsoever to win this match. I don't think they can win one game versus Pepperdine. They'll be lucky to break the 20-point barrier in all three games.

Pepperdine is the Queen Mary and IPFW is the S.S. Minnow.

Outside hitter Paul Carroll will bring the thunder from down under to Columbus. He's averaging 5.57 kpg, and is the first option for setter Jonathan Winder (1147 assists this year). Winder has plenty of options though, as Greg Gaudino (2.09 kpg), J.D. Schleppenbach (2.74 kpg) and Jon Grobe (2.41 kpg) all have had big games this season. In the middle, big man Tom Hulse is often confused with an eclipse; he's capable of blocking the sun.

The undertow will grab hold of the Mastadons and pull them out to sea, allowing Dunphy and Co. to advance to the finals.

No Joshin' pick: Pepperdine d. IPFW, 3-0

Semifinal #2
(2) UC Irvine vs. (3) Penn State
Thursday, May 3 7 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

The Anteaters started the season 9-0 before being derailed by Pepperdine on their home court in a sweep, launching the Waves' 23-match win streak. They're a complete team. They don't have any gaps in their line up. Jayson Jablonsky can mash the Molten from anywhere on the court, and libero Brent Asuka just doesn't let the ball drop. Add in a healthy dose of Matt Webber and the efficient hitting of Aaron Harrell (.439 hitting %).

On the season, the Anteaters as a team hit .352 while holding opponents to .224. That's a big gap. Their block isn't as impressive as Pepperdine, but they can scrap for every single point. That scrappiness is why you can never count them out of a match, especially after coming back from the dead to defeat Pepperdine for the MPSF championship in Malibu this weekend.

I need to disclose a bias before I get into the other side of the net. Penn State outside hitter Alex Gutor and I played high school volleyball together and is a good friend of mine. His Nittany Lions have made the final four every year he's been there, and this - his senior year - is his last shot at a national title. We were the only two on our high school team to ever play DI volleyball, and I didn't last beyond a year and a half. I would love to see him bring home an NCAA title, and from a fan's perspective, that's the team I'm rooting for this Final Four.

Penn State is a difficult team to rate because they don't play any ranked opponents hardly ever. At least IPFW faced Ohio State in their conference final. The Nittany Lions dominated unranked Saint Francis (30-28, 30-16, 30-27) for their 19th EIVA championship.

PSU faced UCI back in March, when the Lions left Happy Valley for the OC. Both teams played very well, but Irvine pulled it out in four games. I was surprised by how much Penn State owned the blocking battle (17.0 to 10.0). Irvine's home court may have been a factor, but State didn't seem phased when they beat UC Santa Barbara at Santa Barbara just two days before.

Matt Anderson (4.37 kpg) and Alex Gutor (4.08 kpg) get the majority of the sets from Luke Murray. When it comes to blocking, the Lions take it to the Max. Twice. Max Holt and Max Lipsitz are averaging 1.17 and 1.04 bpg, respectively. However, the Lions only outhit their weak schedule .334 to .244 on the season. I would have thought they'd be able to have a more dominant offense while quenching the opposing attack a little better.

I want to pick Penn State to win this match. I really do. I want Gutor to get that championship. And I think this will be a much closer game than the one played in Irvine earlier this spring. But after Irvine knocked off Pepperdine in Malibu after trailing 0-2, the same team that ended their own nine-game win streak to start the season, I can't go against the Anteaters. Sorry, Alex, but four Final Fours is still pretty impressive. I'm proud of you, man.

No Joshin' pick: UC Irvine d. Penn State, 3-2

NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship
(1) Pepperdine vs. (2) UC Irvine
Saturday, May 5 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

This rematch of the MPSF championship match should draw some ratings for ESPN. This will be a closely contested match, just like yesterday's. Irvine has had a fantastic season. Four of their five loses on the season all occured against top tier teams in the toughest places to win (two to Pepperdine, one at UCLA, one at BYU). The fifth loss came at home to Pacific.

But Pepperdine will have revenge on their mind. If they are capable of getting up 2-0 on Irvine, they are capable of finishing the job without having to go to a fifth game. Marv Dunphy is a proven winner as a coach, and he'll bring home a sixth title to Malibu, and the Waves second in three years.

No Joshin' pick: Pepperdine d. UC Irvine, 3-1.

(See list of NCAA Men's Volleyball Champions)

MPSF VB: More Playoff Spots For (a conference that's) Vastly Better

The Moutain Pacific Sports Federation men's volleyball playoffs kick off this week when USC travels to Cal State Northridge. Over the next two weeks, the nation's power conference of men's collegiate volleyball will battle for two spots in the NCAA Final Four tournament in Ohio. The two other spots in the Final Four will go to the winners of the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. Sounds far, right?

Not even close.

The four best teams never make it to the Final Four in men's volleyball. Not ever. Never. Each year the winners of the MPSF, EIVA and MIVA get an automatic bid with one at-large team added in the mix. That one wild card is always the next best team in the MPSF (okay, technically the rules say it's to go to the next best team in the nation, but that team will still be found in the MPSF). It's the strongest conference in any sport in the entire country. Since men's volleyball became an NCAA sport in 1970, 37 national champions have been crowned; all but two came from the MPSF or its predecessor conferences.

(See results from 1970-2006 NCAA men's volleyball championships)

To give half of the Final Four to teams that have NO chance at a national championship is a disservice to the sport of volleyball. The NCAA should revise the format for qualifying for a shot at a national title in order to secure the most competitive match ups, not to make everyone happy.

The MPSF should have an opportunity for three teams to make the Final Four. The winner of the conference tournament will get the automatic bid. The MPSF tournament runner-up should be strongly considered for the second bid, and the best regular season team not to make the conference finals could earn the third berth.

The fourth spot in the national championship tournament would go to the winner of a play-in match between the champions of the EIVA and MIVA. These teams may never be labeled "wild cards" in the Final Four, but anyone who follows volleyball knows it's a great upset when the winner of one of these conferences advances past an MPSF team into the championship game.

A championship tournament play-in match between the winners of the EIVA and MIVA frees up space for another great volleyball program to compete for a national title.

This season Pepperdine is virtually guaranteed a spot in the NCAA tournament (they haven't lost since January). The "at-large bid" - which code for "second-best MPSF team" - will go to either BYU or UC Irvine, unless an MPSF bottom-feeder wins the conference tournament. If that's the case, one stellar program will be forced to watch the championships at home while two lesser-deserving programs play a farce of a match against a top west-coast program.

(Penn State, the best team in the EIVA went undefeated in their conference this season, but lost seven of eight non-conference matches, most to west-coast programs)

It's up to the NCAA. Do they want competitive volleyball, or do they want everyone to be happy? By trying to make everyone happy, they are in actuality ruffling the feathers of west coast volleyball.

Making the call one last time

It's not a major sport in this country outside of any beaches, but I've always been a big volleyball guy. I started playing when I was 12. I did used to be on the team at USC. Ever since I got cut, I've kept close ties with the program as their broadcaster.

Over the last three years I've been calling games for USC men's volleyball, I always tried to make sure I kept as much bias out of the broadcast as possible. Granted these broadcasts streamed online at usctrojans.com, so it shouldn't come as a great shock to anyone listening that there would be some slant toward USC. But I never felt like a part of the team. I wasn't part of the team.

Somehow that feeling changed last night during my final regular season broadcast for USC men's volleyball.

'SC took on Northridge in a battle to host the MPSF Tournament Play-In match. USC had to win 3-0 or have a favorable point differential in a 3-1 victory to host the first match of the post season. I along with color commentator Brooke Bentley detailed not only the playoff picture but also a look at the seniors who were playing their final game in front of the Trojan fans. While going over the accomplishments of the team's seniors, I couldn't help but think about this being my own "senior night" as the team's broadcaster.

Calling these volleyball matches has been the one thing I've truly enjoyed at USC. I don't get paid for it. I don't care that I don't get paid for it. I love the game, and I respect this program. The hardest part of broadcasting for 'SC men's volleyball over the last three year was the fact that once the regular season ended, that was it. The postseason, heh, that wasn't happening. To give you an idea of how bad the team was in 2003 when I got to 'SC, I was on the team! That's a problem.

Last night, even though USC lost to CSUN in four games, assuring the play-in match will be held at the Matadome, the Trojans secured a post-season berth thanks to BYU defeating Pacific this weekend. At the end of a bittersweet night, USC's seniors were sent off in style: into the post season for their first and final time.

As for that tall guy on the sidelines wearing cowboy boots and a headset, well, I'll be at that match Wednesday. My mic will be on, my notes will be ready, and I'll clear my throat, crack my knuckles and hit the air waves one final time. I'll miss being the self-proclaimed "voice of volleyball" but getting to call just one postseason game for this team is reward enough for the last three years of work. The one thing that I've come to realize is that I may not be a part of the team, but I'm a part of USC volleyball, and I'm proud to say that.

USC plays Cal State Northride Wednesday, April 18 at the Matadome in Northridge. First serve is scheduled for 7pm. You can listen to the broadcast of the match streaming live online at usctrojans.com/allaccess.

Taking a broom to the Bruins

If you know anything about collegiate men's volleyball, you know just how great UCLA is. Even though I'm a student at Southern California, as a volleyball fan I have to respect all that they've done.

When a school has won more national champions (19) than all other schools combined (18), that's impressive. Name me another sport in which one school has dominated like the Bruins? Here's a hint: there isn't anything that compares to this.

That's why last night's sweep of UCLA by the Men of Troy is a big deal. The Trojans dismantled the defending national champions (seriously, UCLA wins it all way too often. There should be a YMCA-style mercy rule excluding them from the championship just to give other schools a chance).

30-19, 31-29, 33-31. The biggest victory for USC volleyball since they last made the playoffs in 2001.

UCLA never led in game one, and barely held it in game two (a 1-0 lead that the Trojans quickly overcame). The Bruins had a strong third game, but USC fought off several Bruin game-points. To do that against a team that with the talent of UCLA shows just how much character and poise this Trojan team has gained.

It wasn't long ago that a USC men's volleyball team in the same situation might have crumbled under the pressure. Actually, those USC teams of past years may not have even been close enough to have the pressure on them. This team did, and they responded with the most clutch performance in recent history.

Freshman Hunter Current had several key blocks down the stretch in game three, and the Trojans hit a mind-boggling .533 for night. That's their TEAM HITTING PERCENTAGE. To put that in perspective for non-volleyball people, what would you think if your favorite baseball team (college or pro) had a team batting average of .533. Either the opposing pitcher lobbed everything over the plate, or that the hitters simply couldn't miss.

There's no pitcher in volleyball. And against UCLA, the Trojan hitters simply couldn't miss. In 92 hitting attempts, the Trojans committed four errors. Four! Had I not been there, I would have thought there was a typo on the stat sheet.

After the game, outside hitter Matt Anderson - who hit an flying .737 on the evening and matched his career high with 14 kills, including the match-winner - said he couldn't find the words to describe how great this win truly was. He wanted to "soak it all in" and enjoy the moment.

And why not? The last time USC's men's volleyball team won in Westwood (2000), setter Jimmy Killian was an eighth grader. Heck, the MPSF still used side-out scoring! It's been a while.

As if that wasn't impressive enough, the Trojans swept the Bruins for the first time since 1991 (15-12, 15-10, 15-12), and swept them at Pauly Pavilion for the first time since the national championship season of 1988. Two players on USC's roster weren't even born then (Chris Roche and Troy Tokuhama).

The Trojans simply seemed to want it more. This game had the chance to be a cornerstone win for USC this season. For the Bruins, it was just another match on their quest for another national championship. Think USC football versus UCLA this December. Oh, now you understand. Good.

USC Head Coach Bill Ferguson outcoached the legendary Al Scates - who won his first national championship in 1970 before Ferguson was born. Credit former USC coach Turhan Douglas for helping to build this foundation. The Trojans have the talent to compete and beat anyone in the nation.

Anderson said that after the team's loss to top-ranked UC Irvine earlier in the week, some members of the Anteaters said no team had played them as tough as the Trojans. If that's the case, then this team has a legitimate chance at not only making the postseason, but doing some damage in it.

The Trojans suffered a setback against UC San Diego a week ago, but with the way they've responded, it's not a stretch for them to still be playing in May. The lsat few seasons, Pepperdine, UCLA, BYU and other west coast schools have been able to overlook parts of their schedule labeled "USC", but this year that won't be the wisest of decisions.

The MPSF has been put on notice. The Trojans are back.

Stuck in the middle

The (dirt) road to Omaha, Neb. for the women's volleyball Final Four just got a little bumpier.

Tonight at the Galen Center, the USC Women of Troy will face off against BYU in the second round of the NCAA women's volleyball tournament. The winner goes on to the regional semi-finals in Honolulu for a shot to advance to the Final Four.

I've watched the Women of Troy take the court numerous times this year, and I've seen them beat all sorts of opponents. The one thing I hadn't seen this season was what BYU pulled off last night in their first-round match.

After falling to UC Santa Barbara 30-27, 32-30 in the first two games, it seemed the Gauchos were on their way to the second round. And why not? After all, BYU hadn't come back from an 0-2 hole all season, and UCSB was undefeated after taking the first two games of a match.

And that's why they play the games.

BYU appeared possessed as the Cougars clawed back into the match with a slim three-point win in game three, followed by a convincing nine-point triumph in game four. When the deciding fifth game rolled around, BYU had the momentum and took the match.

That's why I'm worried about USC tonight. They had a - I don't want to say easy, so as not to deminish their opponent, but what other word is there? How about - middle-of-the-road Mississippi team in their first-round match. 'SC blew 'em away and by the end of the third game, head coach Mick Haley had emptied his bench onto the court.

All advantages point to USC:

• They are playing at their home facility, the Galen Center with their band in the stands.
• They have fresher legs, playing only three games last night compared to BYU's exhausting five-game match.
• They survived a much tougher schedule than BYU, playing the country's toughest women's volleyball conference, the Pac-10.

The Women of Troy need to keep the pressure on BYU tonight, because any let up would allow the Cougars an opportunity to get back into this match. Even if USC gets up 2-0, they have to keep fighting until the final point is awarded. BYU is 3-0 this season after winning a five-game match the night before. USC, however, hasn't lost to a non-conference opponent this year.

I wouldn't think USC would lose this match, but BYU has consistent middle hitting. As for the Women of Troy, their offense comes from the outside, which I think favors BYU. Sure, USC has superior hitters, but consider this:

In football, offenses work to establish the run. They do this in order to free up the passing game. By establishing a strong running game, linebackers and defensive backs tend to cheat up to stop the run, allowing quarterbacks to exploit the secondary for big plays.

The same holds true for volleyball. At the beginning of a match, it's crucial to establish the middle. By doing so, the opposing middle blockers must respect an attack out of the middle. They then cannot cheat toward the outside and get an early jump on blocking a higher, slower set. Now when the setter goes to an outside or backside hitter, the opposing block is less likely to be sealed up.

Out of the middle, USC has potential to dominate opponents. Bethany Johansen, Kelli Tennant and Katelyn Bishop are extremely talented middles. They just don't get the looks that they should. Arguably it doesn't matter with big-hitters Asia Kaczor and Diane Copenhagen on the outside hitting over the blockers waiting below.

Still if USC is going to go deep in this NCAA tournament, they'll need some production out of their middles. Last night they got it from Kelli Tennant who equalled her season-high 10 kills and hit at a .389 clip. If she and her fellow middles can keep that up, USC should enjoy a lengthy postseason.