The George Mason men's volleyball team begins an eight game stretch of matches away from the RAC as they travel to Ohio State, Ball State and IPFW this weekend.

MASON (1-1) at No. 10 OHIO STATE (3-3)

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
Where: St. John Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Admission: Free
Live Video: Click Here
Live Audio: Click Here
Live Stats: Click Here

The Patriots' road trip begins in Columbus, as Mason faces defending national champion Ohio State. The Buckeyes have won the previous five meetings dating back to the 2010 season. The last Mason win came in 2009, when the Patriots won both matches. OSU is in the midst of a seven match homestand, recently topping Sacred Heart (3-0) on Tuesday.

MASON at BALL STATE (2-1)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: Worthen Arena, Muncie, Ind.
Admission: Free
Live Video/Audio: Click Here
Live Stats: Click Here

The Patriots and Cardinals will meet for the second time in a week, after the Cardinals defeated Mason, 3-2, last Saturday at the RAC. Mason won the first set, but Ball State responded by winning the second and third sets. The Patriots pulled the match even with a victory in the fourth set, but fell in a closely-contested fifth set by a score of 15-13. This season, Ball State is led by Jamion Hartley, who is averaging 2.92 kills/set. Graham McIlvaine is averaging 8.77 assists/set, while Tommy Rouse has a team-high 26 digs and McIlvaine and Matt Leske have a team-high 14 blocks apiece.

MASON at IPFW (2-2)

When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: Hilliard Gates Sports Center, Ft. Wayne, Ind.
Admission: Free
Live Stats: Click Here

Another recent opponent, IPFW and Mason square off for the second time in a week. The Patriots opened their 2012 campaign with a 3-2 decision over the Mastodons last Friday. Mason dropped the first set before winning the second and third sets. IPFW claimed the fourth set, but Mason rallied to win the fifth set. Ivan Matos leads the Mastodons with an average of 3.32 kills/set, while Jonathon Rivera averages 9.56 assists/set. Defensively, J.W. Kieckhefer leads the team with 36 digs, and Matos tops the blocking totals with 12.