Jan. 29, 2003

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FAIRFAX, VA ... The George Mason University men's volleyball team looks to halt a three-match skid as they host No. 15 Loyola (IL) in their home opener on Thursday, January 30, at 7 p.m. in the John Linn Memorial Gym.

The Patriots bring a 1-4 overall record into Thursday's match, with all four losses at the hands of ranked opponents. George Mason is 1-2 versus the Ramblers all time, last meeting on April 2, 2000, in Chicago where the Patriots fell, 3-0 (15-9, 15-12, 15-3).

Leading the Patriot offense this season is sophomore Shaun Powell (Toronto, Canada/Francis Libermann) who has posted double-figure kills in all five matches this season to average a team-high 4.21 kills per game. Defensively George Mason is led by senior James Claney (Northbrook, IL/Glenbrook North) and freshman Matt Steinfurth (Portsmouth, VA/Woodrow Wilson), averaging a team-best 1.47 blocks per game to rank sixth in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA). Claney's 1.32 blocks per game is ninth in the conference.

Loyola enters the match with a 2-1 record, defeating NAIA schools Newman and Lindenwood in three games apiece earlier this month. Their lone loss came to another NAIA school, William Woods, on Jan. 25, 3-2 (23-30, 30-25, 30-24, 22-30, 15-12). The only common opponent the Patriots and Ramblers have faced this season is non-NCAA opponent Laval (Canada) University, which both teams upended, in five games for George Mason and in four for Loyola.

The Ramblers' top producers are seniors Shane Davis and Justin Schnor. Davis averages 13.36 assists per game, while Schnor adds 5.09 kills per game, hitting at .485.

George Mason returns to the road this weekend to open their EIVA schedule, facing New York University, ranked fourth in the AVCA Division III Coaches Top 15 Poll, on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 8 p.m. and Concordia on Sunday, Feb. 2, at 2 p.m.