An off week for most teams in the Big West – including everyone from a league play perspective – ends with an abrupt halt as the action resumes this week. That is headlined by the top two in the league pairing up, along with the two teams tied in the middle, as some shuffling should occur in creating a clearer picture in the Big West table.
With new story-lines emerging and a new season of sorts in league play commencing, VolleyMob will be giving conference updates. Below is analysis as well as the weekly Big West table, awards, matches of the week and power rankings:
BIG WEST TABLE:
| TEAM | CONF. | OVERALL |
| #1 LBSU | 4-0 | 19-0 |
| #4 UC Irvine | 3-1 | 17-5 |
| #10 CSUN | 2-2 | 12-7 |
| #11 UCSB | 2-2 | 9-7 |
| #7 Hawaii | 1-3 | 13-6 |
| (RV) UCSD | 0-4 | 9-12 |
WEEKLY HONORS:
MATCHES OF THE WEEK:
- Mar. 28: #11 UCSB at #3 UCLA
- Mar. 30: #4 UC Irvine at #1 LBSU
- Mar. 30: #11 UCSB at #10 CSUN
- Mar. 31: #1 LBSU at #4 UC Irvine
- Mar. 31: #10 CSUN at #11 UCSB
VOLLEYMOB BIG WEST POWER RANKINGS:
- LBSU
- UC Irvine
- CSUN
- Hawaii
- UCSB
- UCSD
BATTLE AT THE TOP
- #1 LBSU vs. #4 UC Irvine
Long Beach has a pair of tests with both UC Irvine and Hawaii to come that represent their biggest hurdles to going unbeaten in the regular season. That first jump comes this week in a home-and-home with the Anteaters. For LBSU two more wins would secure their position once again, while a split might not even change anything as they’d still be leading the Big West and likely be ranked number one regardless. Meanwhile though a split for UC Irvine would represent a huge victory for their Big West contention and at-large chances. In Big West play, LBSU and UC Irvine have been the top two offenses, while the 49ers have been a much better serving team with the Anteaters the stronger blocking bunch. That means if UC Irvine can do well in serve receive, they will give themselves a legit chance.
MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE
- #10 CSUN vs. #11 UC Santa Barbara
The two teams in the middle of the Big West – CSUN and UCSB – also meet as a split would leave both tied at 3-3 while a sweep would push the other into the top two or three of the league. Both of these teams have been very solid from a blocking perspective in league matches, with CSUN owning the advantage in terms of hitting efficiency and aces per set. For UCSB, they own one of the top floor defenses in the conference. If they can make this a grind-it-out, ‘ugly’ match, then it favors the Gauchos. On the other hand if CSUN gets rolling on their serve or has a clean passing match, it should make things difficult for the opposition to win by wearing them down.
AVOIDING THE CELLAR
- #7 Hawaii vs. (RV) UC San Diego
If one team sweeps the other here, the losing team would drop into the cellar of the Big West all by themselves. That would serve as a big surprise for Hawaii, who just several weeks back looked like Long Beach State’s biggest challenger. In just league matches though, Hawaii’s defense has failed them – both in blocking and picking up shots. The serve and attack have been solid enough to avoid a 1-3 start, but the lack of play on the other side has worked against the Rainbow Warriors. However, UC San Diego hasn’t been one of the top offenses thus far in the Big West, so it’ll be an opportunity for both teams to take a step in the right direction in regards to a struggling unit.
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