April 9, 2010
FAIRFAX, Va. -
George Mason will host the annual Uvaldo Acosta "UV" Memorial Match on Saturday, April 10 at 4 p.m. against Juniata College at the RAC. The Patriots will also play Princeton the following day at 3 p.m. in a match rescheduled from earlier in the season.
Both matches are crucial in the EIVA Tait Division standings. Penn State has wrapped up the first seed in the EIVA Championship Tournament with a perfect 9-0 record in conference matches. Behind the Nittany Lions, there are five teams jockeying for four spots in the tournament. With Wednesday's five-set win over Saint Francis (Pa.), the Patriots vaulted into third place in the division standings with a realistic chance of possibly earning the second seed in the conference standings and a bye to the semifinals of the EIVA Championships.
Mason (6-16, 3-4 EIVA Tait Division) plays the second-place team in the division, Princeton, on Sunday. The Tigers have a 10-8 overall record and 4-4 record in conference matches. Mason's other weekend opponent, Juniata, is in last place in the division with an 8-12 overall record and 2-6 record against conference opponents with a match scheduled for Friday evening against Princeton.
On Saturday afternoon, George Mason will honor the memory of one of the greatest players in the history of the program, Uvaldo Acosta. Acosta, whose retired number eight jersey hangs permanently in the RAC Gym, made his mark on George Mason University as both a collegiate athlete and a coach. Acosta passed away at the age of 32 in a tragic swimming accident on a team trip to Hawaii during the 1998 season while serving as the head coach of the George Mason men's volleyball team.
Individual tickets to men's volleyball matches cost $5 for adults and $2 for youth, senior citizens and George Mason University faculty and staff. All full-time enrolled students at George Mason University will be admitted free with a valid Mason student ID. Tickets will be available for purchase at the entrance to the RAC Gym one hour prior to the start of the match.
