
Returning starters Micah Ma'a (13), Daenan Gyimah (16) and Dylan Missry (12) in action against defending champion Long Beach State.
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
MVB Ranked No. 2; Set to Battle Tough Schedule
December 06, 2018 | Men's Volleyball
The UCLA men's volleyball team was ranked second in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I-II Top-15 Poll released on Thursday. The Bruins advanced to the national championship match last season while posting a 26-8 record for the year. All-America setter Micah Ma'a and All-America middle blocker Daenan Gyimah headline the list of returning players for the Bruins who will begin the 2019 season (schedule listed below) on January 2 in Pauley Pavilion, presented by Wescom against Princeton.
2019 AVCA Pre-Season Men's Volleyball Poll (Dec. 6)
Rank School-(Pts---2018 record---2018 finish )
1. Long Beach State-(240---28-1---1)
2. UCLA-(216---26-8---2)
3. Hawai'i-(203---19-8---5)
4. UC Irvine-(190---21-10---6)
5. BYU-(166---22-7---3)
6. Pepperdine-(156---15-8---8)
7. Lewis-(143---19-11---10)
8. Ohio State-(137---25-6---4)
9. Loyola-Chicago-(118---23-7---7)
10. UC Santa Barbara-(80---11-13---12)
11. CSUN-(64---16-11---9)
12. Concordia-(39---16-15---13)
13. Stanford-(33---6-20---nr)
14. Grand Canyon-(29---18-11---14)
14. Purdue-Fort Wayne-(29---18-11---15)
Also receiving votes: Ball St.-19, Penn St.-18, George Mason-13, Princeton-13, USC-5, Barton-2
2019 UCLA Men's Volleyball Schedule Notes
In addition to the always tough Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) contests, the 2019 UCLA men's volleyball slate features non-conference matches against four Big West Conference squads, including a pair of matches against defending national champion Long Beach State, five battles with teams from the Midwestern Collegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA), including recent back-to-back national champions Ohio State (2016, 2017) and Loyola-Chicago (2014, 2015) and a pair of contests versus Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) teams, featuring a season-opening clash against Princeton, EIVA runner-up last season, on January 2 in Pauley Pavilion, presented by Wescom.
The non-conference home schedule is highlighted by a match against top-ranked Long Beach State on January 19. The Bruins will also welcome UC San Diego on January 5 and No. 10-ranked UC Santa Barbara on January 16. UCLA opens the MPSF conference season with a February 7 match at home against No. 13 Stanford. Defending MPSF champion BYU (No. 5) comes to Los Angeles on February 9. Matches with Pepperdine (No. 6), Concordia, Irivne (No. 12), Grand Canyon (No. 14) and USC round out the list of league opposition.
The Bruins will travel to meet four members of the MIVA with dates on Jan. 11 and 12 at McKendree and Lindenwood, in addition to Jan. 31 and Feb. 2 battles to be held at Loyola-Chicago (No. 9) and Lewis (No. 7), respectively. Loyola and Ohio State (No. 8) tied for first-place last season in the MIVA while Lewis finished in fourth place. UCLA squares off with Ohio State and Penn State (EIVA) on Mar. 8-9 in the annual Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Men's Volleyball Challenge which will be held this year at USC's Galen Center.
The MPSF post-season begins on Apr. 13 with quarterfinal matches. The league semifinals and finals will be played on Apr. 18 and 20. Long Beach State hosts to this year's NCAA semifinals and finals on May 2 and 4.
Note – all rankings are from this year's pre-season American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll
UCLA Men's Volleyball 2019 Schedule
Jan. 2 – Princeton (Pauley) – 7 p.m.
Jan. 5 – UC San Diego (Wooden Center) – 7 p.m.
Jan. 9 – at CSUN – 7 p.m.
Jan. 11 – at McKendree – 5 p.m.
Jan. 12 – at Lindenwood – 5 p.m.
Jan. 16 – UC Santa Barbara (Pauley) – 7 p.m.
Jan. 19 – Long Beach State (Pauley) – 7 p.m.
Jan. 25 – at UC San Diego – 7 p.m.
Jan. 31 – at Loyola-Chicago – 5 p.m.
Feb. 2 – at Lewis – 5 p.m.
Feb. 7 – Stanford (Pauley) – 7 p.m.
Feb. 9 – BYU (Wooden Center) – 7 p.m.
Feb. 13 – at UC Santa Barbara – 7 p.m.
Feb. 16 – at Long Beach State – 7 p.m.
Feb. 20 – at Concordia – 7 p.m.
Feb. 24 – USC (Pauley) – 5 p.m.
Feb. 27 – Pepperdine (Pauley) – 7 p.m.
Mar. 1 – at Grand Canyon – 5 p.m.
Mar. 8 – vs. Ohio State (at USC's Galen Center) – 5 p.m.
Mar. 9 – vs. Penn State (at USC's Galen Center) – 5 p.m.
Mar. 14 – at BYU – 6 p.m.
Mar. 16 – at Stanford – 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 27 – at Pepperdine – 7 p.m.
Mar. 31 – Grand Canyon (Pauley) – 7 p.m.
Apr. 4 – Concordia (Pauley) – TBD
Apr. 6 – at USC – 7 p.m.
Apr. 13 – MPSF Quarterfinals
Apr. 18 – MPSF Semifinals
Apr. 20 – MPSF Championship
Apr. 27 – NCAA Play-In Matches
Apr. 30 – NCAA Play-In Matches
May 2 – NCAA Semifinals (Long Beach, Calif.)
May 4 – NCAA Championship (Long Beach, Calif.)
Note – schedule is subject to change; all times are Pacific time
2019 AVCA Pre-Season Men's Volleyball Poll (Dec. 6)
Rank School-(Pts---2018 record---2018 finish )
1. Long Beach State-(240---28-1---1)
2. UCLA-(216---26-8---2)
3. Hawai'i-(203---19-8---5)
4. UC Irvine-(190---21-10---6)
5. BYU-(166---22-7---3)
6. Pepperdine-(156---15-8---8)
7. Lewis-(143---19-11---10)
8. Ohio State-(137---25-6---4)
9. Loyola-Chicago-(118---23-7---7)
10. UC Santa Barbara-(80---11-13---12)
11. CSUN-(64---16-11---9)
12. Concordia-(39---16-15---13)
13. Stanford-(33---6-20---nr)
14. Grand Canyon-(29---18-11---14)
14. Purdue-Fort Wayne-(29---18-11---15)
Also receiving votes: Ball St.-19, Penn St.-18, George Mason-13, Princeton-13, USC-5, Barton-2
2019 UCLA Men's Volleyball Schedule Notes
In addition to the always tough Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) contests, the 2019 UCLA men's volleyball slate features non-conference matches against four Big West Conference squads, including a pair of matches against defending national champion Long Beach State, five battles with teams from the Midwestern Collegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA), including recent back-to-back national champions Ohio State (2016, 2017) and Loyola-Chicago (2014, 2015) and a pair of contests versus Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) teams, featuring a season-opening clash against Princeton, EIVA runner-up last season, on January 2 in Pauley Pavilion, presented by Wescom.
The non-conference home schedule is highlighted by a match against top-ranked Long Beach State on January 19. The Bruins will also welcome UC San Diego on January 5 and No. 10-ranked UC Santa Barbara on January 16. UCLA opens the MPSF conference season with a February 7 match at home against No. 13 Stanford. Defending MPSF champion BYU (No. 5) comes to Los Angeles on February 9. Matches with Pepperdine (No. 6), Concordia, Irivne (No. 12), Grand Canyon (No. 14) and USC round out the list of league opposition.
The Bruins will travel to meet four members of the MIVA with dates on Jan. 11 and 12 at McKendree and Lindenwood, in addition to Jan. 31 and Feb. 2 battles to be held at Loyola-Chicago (No. 9) and Lewis (No. 7), respectively. Loyola and Ohio State (No. 8) tied for first-place last season in the MIVA while Lewis finished in fourth place. UCLA squares off with Ohio State and Penn State (EIVA) on Mar. 8-9 in the annual Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Men's Volleyball Challenge which will be held this year at USC's Galen Center.
The MPSF post-season begins on Apr. 13 with quarterfinal matches. The league semifinals and finals will be played on Apr. 18 and 20. Long Beach State hosts to this year's NCAA semifinals and finals on May 2 and 4.
Note – all rankings are from this year's pre-season American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll
UCLA Men's Volleyball 2019 Schedule
Jan. 2 – Princeton (Pauley) – 7 p.m.
Jan. 5 – UC San Diego (Wooden Center) – 7 p.m.
Jan. 9 – at CSUN – 7 p.m.
Jan. 11 – at McKendree – 5 p.m.
Jan. 12 – at Lindenwood – 5 p.m.
Jan. 16 – UC Santa Barbara (Pauley) – 7 p.m.
Jan. 19 – Long Beach State (Pauley) – 7 p.m.
Jan. 25 – at UC San Diego – 7 p.m.
Jan. 31 – at Loyola-Chicago – 5 p.m.
Feb. 2 – at Lewis – 5 p.m.
Feb. 7 – Stanford (Pauley) – 7 p.m.
Feb. 9 – BYU (Wooden Center) – 7 p.m.
Feb. 13 – at UC Santa Barbara – 7 p.m.
Feb. 16 – at Long Beach State – 7 p.m.
Feb. 20 – at Concordia – 7 p.m.
Feb. 24 – USC (Pauley) – 5 p.m.
Feb. 27 – Pepperdine (Pauley) – 7 p.m.
Mar. 1 – at Grand Canyon – 5 p.m.
Mar. 8 – vs. Ohio State (at USC's Galen Center) – 5 p.m.
Mar. 9 – vs. Penn State (at USC's Galen Center) – 5 p.m.
Mar. 14 – at BYU – 6 p.m.
Mar. 16 – at Stanford – 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 27 – at Pepperdine – 7 p.m.
Mar. 31 – Grand Canyon (Pauley) – 7 p.m.
Apr. 4 – Concordia (Pauley) – TBD
Apr. 6 – at USC – 7 p.m.
Apr. 13 – MPSF Quarterfinals
Apr. 18 – MPSF Semifinals
Apr. 20 – MPSF Championship
Apr. 27 – NCAA Play-In Matches
Apr. 30 – NCAA Play-In Matches
May 2 – NCAA Semifinals (Long Beach, Calif.)
May 4 – NCAA Championship (Long Beach, Calif.)
Note – schedule is subject to change; all times are Pacific time
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