Feb. 27, 2004

It has taken nearly half the season, but the Patriots are finally starting to look like the team that was expected to be a force in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Tait Division.

While the Patriots are still looking for their first win of the season, there was a victory of a different sort earlier this week when all of George Mason's hitters finally found their way into the lineup at the same time.

After missing the first 10 games of the season, junior Shaun Powell returned to action, providing an emotional spark in the Patriots' 3-2 loss to Juniata. Also returning to the lineup was middle blocker sophomore Matt Steinfurth, who had missed half of the first 10 games with an injury. Junior Dave Egan also returned to his setter's role after missing time with an injury as well.

While those players work to regain their edge, junior Felix Campos has quickly established himself as one of the nation's top hitters. He is currently third in the country in kills per game with 5.11 (NCAA Division I and II). He is one of just five players averaging five or more kills per game. He is also sixth in the nation in points per game, with 5.65.

He's not the only Patriot to find his way into the national rankings as junior Graham Smithson is seventh in the nation in blocks per game. He is averaging 1.42 blocks per game. Tonight's opponent already owns a win over the Patriots this year as Springfield College, the No. 2 Division III team in the nation and the defending Division III champion, defeated the Patriots, 30-16, 30-28, 29-31, 30-25 on February 14. Powell missed that match and Steinfurth played sparingly. Both are expected in the lineup today.

The Patriots will have to look out for junior Brandon Mueller, who is averaging 5.76 kills per game, third in Division III. He is fourth in points per game with 6.41. Freshman setter Robert Soris is eighth in the nation in assists. As a team Springfield is hitting .270 and the Pride have lost three straight matches.