FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason men's volleyball team finished the 2008 season on a tear, winning 11 of its final 13 matches on the way to a berth in the EIVA Championship Match against the top-ranked team in the nation and eventual national champion Penn State. Although the Patriots were unable to knock off the Nittany Lions to advance to the NCAA Division I Men's Volleyball Championships for the first time since the 1988 season, the team will attempt to carry its late season momentum into the 2009 campaign.

2008 EIVA Coach of the Year Fred Chao, who reached the 150-win plateau last season, will have the task of replacing three key senior starters in 2009. Outside hitters Hudson Bates and Mark Burik, and middle blocker R.J. Goubeaux all played their final matches for the Green and Gold last year. All three were major contributors during their time at Mason. During the rally-scoring era, Bates ranks second in school history in kills, fourth in digs, fifth in blocks and fourth in service aces. Burik is tied for sixth in service aces and eighth in digs, while Goubeaux ranks second in blocks.

With the trio of Bates, Burik and Goubeaux departed, this year's senior leadership will come in the form of Kyle Gramit, a Second-Team AVCA All-America selection last season at the opposite hitter position. Gramit led the team in kills, kills per game, points, points per game and digs last season. The Naperville, Ill. native could see time at both the opposite spot and the outside hitter spot this upcoming season. Gramit is experienced at both positions, having played the outside hitter position his first two seasons before moving to the opposite slot for his junior season.

"I'd like to see Kyle be our go-to hitter like he was for us last year in the opposite slot," Chao said. "But, there is something to be said about him being able to have two possible contacts in a rally. He is one of our most stable passers so we are going to need him to do that."

If Gramit makes the move to the left side, that could open up the right side for junior Ben Nichols. Nichols played sparingly last year, appearing in three matches after transferring to the team from Long Beach State, but has shown immense potential in fall practice. -more- Page 2, Men's Volleyball Opens Season on Thursday against NYU

"We hope Ben develops as an opposite for us if Gramit's going to be passing," Chao said. "Physically, he's capable of winning points for us; he just needs to do it more consistently."

If Nichols takes over at the opposite hitter position for Gramit, the other outside spot will be manned by either Joe Norton, a native of Eden, N.Y. who redshirted last season as a freshman, or junior Luke Maloney, who saw time in all 28 of the Patriots' matches last season. Maloney, a Second-Team EIVA All-East selection at libero, filled in at the outside hitter position last season while Burik was unavailable due to injury.

Freshman Andrew Dentler is expected to step into one of the outside hitter spots immediately. Dentler was a Second-Team High School All-America selection following his senior season at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

"Andrew will become a very good player," Chao said. "He is physically gifted; he just needs to tweak some mechanics and learn how to pass and hit at this level. We are expecting him to carry a big load during his entire career here."

Both Brandon McLaughlin and Erik Lanham return as middle blockers. In 23 matches played, McLaughlin was a force in the middle, finishing fifth in the nation and second in the EIVA in blocks per game with an average of 1.38. The Huntington Beach, Calif. native hit .406 during the season, the highest hitting percentage on the team and the seventh-highest single-season total in school history during the rally-scoring era. Lanham saw action in 21 matches and 45 games for the Patriots, finishing the season with 70 total blocks, for an average of 1.56 per game.

Joining the two veterans in the middle will be a pair of freshman. Shaun Sibley, from Natick High School in Natick, Mass., is an intimidating presence to opposing offenses at 6 ft. 9 in. tall. Sibley played opposite hitter in high school so he is still adjusting to his new position.

"Shaun is coming along very well," Chao said. "He is going to need to get some experience but he already has a physical presence in the middle."

Another freshman middle blocker is Lance Rogers, who is also an imposing figure near the net at 6 ft. 7 in. Rogers, a native of Old Bridge, N.J., has already impressed Chao this year in training with his unique skill set.

"Lance could be on the court quickly," Chao said. "He's the highest jumper on our team and he's a pretty good blocker."

The setting duties will once again be handled by junior Ryan Kwiatkowski, a Second-Team EIVA All-East selection in 2008, who ranked 13th in the nation and fifth in the EIVA with an average of 11.58 assists per game. Sophomore Brandon Joyner will once again be an option for Chao off the bench at the setter position. Joyner appeared in 13 matches last season, recording an average of 9.28 assists per game. Sophomore Daniel Marushka was the team's top server off the bench last season, finishing the year with seven service aces. Taylor Jones, a freshman from Clover Hill High School in Midlothian, Va., rounds out the roster at the setter position. -more- Page 3, Men's Volleyball Opens Season on Thursday against NYU

Eric Lucas returns for his sophomore season at libero. As a freshman, Lucas saw time in 22 matches, totaling 107 digs and a 1.70 digs per game average, tops on the team. When he's not playing outside hitter, Maloney is also available at the libero position.

Four newcomers and one returning student-athlete round out the team's roster. Outside hitter Zach Calloway comes to Fairfax from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, N.C., opposite hitter Alex Baraniewski joins the team from Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest, Ill., outside hitter Michael Koebel comes from Monacan High School in Richmond, Va., and Dave Reilly transfers to the team from Saint Francis (Pa.). After playing two seasons for the Red Flash, Reilly will not be eligible to compete during the 2009 men's volleyball season due to the NCAA's intraconference transfer policy. Returning for his junior season will be opposite hitter Colton Naill, who saw action in 16 matches last season. Naill recorded 1.77 kills per game and 2.27 points per game.

George Mason will begin its 2009 men's volleyball schedule with a home match at the Field House on Thursday, Jan. 15 against New York University. Along with a tough EIVA Tait Division schedule featuring defending national champion Penn State, the Patriots face a tough slate of nonconference opponents including Ball State, IPFW, Lewis, Loyola (Ill.), Ohio State, Pepperdine and UC Santa Barbara.

The EIVA Championship Tournament begins on Saturday, April 25 with quarterfinal matches and wraps up on Saturday, May 2 with the championship match at the home of the conference's top-seeded team. The NCAA Division I Men's Volleyball Championships will be held on May 7-9 at Smith Fieldhouse on the campus of BYU in Provo, Utah.

Season tickets for all 12 home matches are now available through the Mason Athletic Ticket Office for $25. Fans that purchase season tickets will receive a free Mason Volleyball t-shirt, while supplies last. To order your tickets, call 703-993-3270 or click here.