Feb. 14, 2009

Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Fueled by Volleyball Hall of Fame/Morgan Classic Tournament MVP Will Ehrman's 14 kill, 13 dig performance, the thirteenth-ranked UC San Diego Tritons took a three-game victory over No. 11 George Mason to capture the tournament title on Saturday evening at Blake Arena in Springfield, Mass. UCSD won the match by game scores of 30-18, 30-21 and 30-15. Saint Francis University (Pa.) downed tournament host Springfield College, 3-1, in the consolation match, winning by scores of 30-17, 30-25, 28-30 and 30-19.

The Tritons offense excelled in the championship match as they hit .469 as a team, paced by Ehrman's outstanding individual performance. His 14 kills came at a .481 hitting clip, while he tacked on a match-high 13 digs and two aces. Teammate Jason Spangler notched 13 kills, hitting .524, while Frank Fritsch added 10 kills. Adrian Guthals recorded eight kills and six blocks out of the middle for UCSD, while Phil Bannan handed out 42 assists in directing the Triton offense. Eric Leserman also chipped in with eight digs on the defensive side of the ball.

For the Patriots, senior opposite hitter Kyle Gramit finished with 16 kills to lead the George Mason attack. No other Patriot finished with more than three kills in the match as the George Mason offense struggled to find its rhythm, hitting .064 for the match. Sophomore libero Eric Lucas tallied a team-best seven digs, while junior outside hitter Luke Maloney tacked on two aces off the bench.

In the tournament's consolation match, Jordan Varee set the pace with 22 kills and a .400 hitting percentage to lead his Saint Francis University (Pa.) squad to a 3-1 victory over host Springfield College. With the win, Saint Francis (Pa.) is now 7-4, while Springfield College, the top-ranked team in the nation in Division III, is now 5-6.

Gramit and junior outside hitter Ben Nichols were both named to the Volleyball Hall of Fame/Morgan Classic All-Tournament Team for their performance during the two-day tournament. Freshman middle blocker Lance Rogers was the winner of the tournament's spike contest competition.

George Mason returns to action on Thursday, Feb. 19 with a 7:30 p.m. match against the Juniata College Eagles at the Field House. The Patriots enter the match with a 5-2 overall record following tonight's loss.

All-Tournament Team
AJ Nally - Springfield College
Jordan Varee - St. Francis
Ben Nichols - George Mason
Kyle Gramit - George Mason
Eric Leserman - UC San Diego
Phil Bannan - UC San Diego
Will Ehrman - UC San Diego (MVP)

Sportsmanship Award
Nick Rivett - St. Francis
Serving Contest Winner
Erik Sierks - UC San Diego
Spike Contest Winner
Lance Rogers - George Mason