Ohio-State
In the only 2018 NCAA Championship Opening Round clash, the defending champions Ohio State Buckeyes (24-5, No.6) swept King University Tornado (23-6, non-seeded), who earned an automatic berth via Conference Carolinas, at home in Columbus, by a 3-0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-18). The Frenchman Nicolas Szerszen, the senior outside hitter, topped the Buckeyes with 18 points (4 aces). The freshman opposite Jake Hanes added 13 points. The senior outside hitter Jeff Sprayberry made 13 points for the Tornado.
Thus, Ohio State advanced to Round of 6 and will face UC Irvine Anteaters (21-9, No.5) at the UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California (May 1), in First Round.
As for the criterion for determining seven teams vying for the championship title, the winners of five conferences received an automatic qualification: Long Beach State 49ers (Big West Conference, 26-1, AVCA No.1), King University Tornado (Conference Carolinas, 23-6, non-seeded), Harvard Crimson (Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, 13-13, non-seeded), Ohio State Buckeyes (Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, 24-5, No.6) and BYU Cougars (Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, 22-6, No.2).
The remaining two teams earned at-large bids that were chosen without geographical restrictions: UC Irvine Anteaters (Big West, 21-9, No.5) and UCLA Bruins (Mountain Pacific, 24-7, No.3).
Round of 6 (hosted by the UCLA at Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles) lineup:
FIRST ROUND (May 1)
1) Ohio St. vs. UC Irvine
2) UCLA vs. Harvard
SEMIFINALS (May 3)
3) No.1 Long Beach St. vs. Winners of match 1
4) No.2 BYU vs. Winners of match 2
FINALS (May 5)
5) Winners of match 3 vs. Winners of match 4
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