Links for Tuesday’s NCAA men’s matches

Lewis Athletics photo
  • NCAA Men’s Volleyball Tournament
  • At Columbus, Ohio
  • All times HST
  • Live stream on Big Ten Network Plus (free)

Tuesday

No. 5 Pepperdine (13-6) vs, No. 3 UC Santa Barbara (15-4), 11 a.m.

All but one of the 20 players selected to the AVCA All-American teams announced Monday are among the six remaining teams in this week’s NCAA Tournament.

Four will be on the Gauchos’ side of the court in first-teamers Casey McGarry, a setter, and opposite Randy DeWeese, and second-teamers Roy McFarland, an outside hitter, and middle Keenan Sanders. Two on the Waves’ side in second-teamers Spencer Wickens, an outside hitter, and middle Austin Wilmot. Pepperdine also has the AVCA Newcomer of the Year, freshman setter Bryce Dvorak, which also was announced Monday.

This is UC Santa Barbara’s eighth NCAA appearance, first since 2011. Pepperdine is in its 17th tournament, winning national titles in 1978, 1985, 1986, 1992 and 2005.

No. 7 Penn State (22-3) vs. No. 4 Lewis (20-2), 2 p.m.

This is the ninth NCAA appearance for Lewis, which won the 2003 national title (later vacated for NCAA violation). The Flyers are 2-7 all-time in the tournament, their last appearance in 2019 at The Pyramid. Lewis defeated USC then lost to Hawai’i in the semifinals.

Penn State won Monday’s play-in match. sweeping Belmont Abbey, 25-22, 25-13, 25-19. It’s the Nittany Lions’ 32nd NCAA appearance and first win since defeating Hawai’i in 2015 in the opening round. The Warriors returned the favor in 2017 when knocking Penn State out in the opening round. The Nittany Lions won the national title in 1994 and 2008.

Lewis and Penn State have met 37 times previously with the Nittany Lions holding a 24-13 edge. The Flyers have won seven of the last 10 meetings. The two teams have met every season since Lewis started its program in 1994.

Lewis has won 12 straight, dropping just two sets, both in a 3-2 win at Loyola.

Flyers’ outside hitter Ryan Coenen, who returned after being granted an additional year of eligibility because of the COVID-shortened 2020 season, became the first five-time All-American in the history of the sport.