Jan. 25, 2005

For the first time in nearly 10 years, the George Mason men's volleyball team finds itself ranked among the nation's top teams. The Patriots entered the USA Today/AVCA Top 15 this week at No. 15 after an unbeaten road trip through Indiana, which included a win over then-14th-ranked Ball State.

The Patriots last were ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association's (AVCA) poll in 1995, when they spent the entire season ranked and ended the year at No. 12, their highest ranking of that season. The highest Mason has ever been ranked was second, a position it found itself in on April 14, 1987.

The Patriots are off to a 3-0 start this season. They defeated St. Francis (Pa.) in their home opener, knocked off IPFW in five on the road, and defeated Ball State in Muncie, Ind. in three. The Patriots have been led this year by Shaun Powell, who had a school-record 39 kills against IPFW. That's the most kills by anyone in the nation in 2005.

The Patriots knocked Ball State out of the rankings. The Cardinals were ranked 14th but have lost three straight, dropping matches to Lewis (then 15th, now 14th), Penn State (then 7th, now 6th) and Mason.

Mason returns to action on Saturday, when it opens Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) action at Springfield (Mass.) College. That match is scheduled for 3 p.m.