FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's volleyball team is set to host a pair of EIVA matches this weekend with Sacred Heart and Harvard travelling to Fairfax. The Patriots most recently swept UPR-Mayaguez in a doubleheader this past weekend.
MEN'S VOLLEYBALL (7-9, 2-2) vs. Sacred Heart (10-8, 1-4)
When: Friday, March 27, 7 p.m.
Where: Fairfax, Va. (RAC)
Live stats: Click here Live video: Click here
The Patriots hold a 7-2 advantage in the all-time series record against Sacred Heart. Most recently, Mason split the series with the Pioneers last season, with both teams winning at home.
The Pioneers come into this match on a seven-match win streak after falling to EIVA opponents, Penn State and St. Francis (Pa.). The Pioneers lone conference win came against NJIT earlier this season.
Enzo Mackenzie leads Sacred Heart with a team-best 231 kills on the season, which ranks second in the EIVA. Mackenzie also ranks second in the conference with 0.53 aces per set. Meanwhile, Trent Thompson averages 1.91 digs per set, which is good for fifth in the conference.
MEN'S VOLLEYBALL (7-9, 2-2) vs. Harvard (9-8, 3-2)
When: Saturday, March 28, 3 p.m.
Where: Fairfax, Va. (RAC)
Live stats: Click here Live video: Click here
The Patriots hold a 9-3 lead in the all-time series against Harvard, including a victory at home last season for each team. Harvard comes into this match on a three-match losing streak after travelling to southern California to take on Long Beach State, CSUN, and Pepperdine.
Casey White leads the defense with 136 digs so far this season, and was recognized as the EIVA Defensive Player of the Week this past weekend. DJ White also is a force on defense for Harvard, averaging 2.07 digs per set.
DJ White and Branden Clemens pace the Harvard offense with 3.42 and 3.02 kills per set, respectively. Meanwhile, Caleb Zimmick ranks second in the EIVA with 1.16 blocks per set and a .382 hitting percentage.
George Mason Notes
Paco Velez has been impressive on offense and defense for the Patriots this season. Along with being named the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week (March 2), Velez has also earned EIVA Offensive Player of the Week (March 2) and Defensive Player of the Week (February 9) honors earlier this season. Velez leads the team in kills (155), digs (90), and aces (37). Velez ranks first nationally with 0.69 aces per set so far this season.
Freshman Brian Negron has also played a big part on offense for the Patriots, pacing the team with 509 assists. Negron is fifth in the EIVA and 17th nationally with an average of 9.43 assists per set. Jack Wilson and Radoslav Popov have been impressive on offense as well for Mason, ranking 11th (2.74) and 14th (2.53) in the conference in kills per set, respectively.
