FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's volleyball team is set to host #11 Ohio State on Saturday, March 7 for alumni weekend.  The Patriots are also hosting an alumni match vs. the current team on Friday at 7 p.m. in the RAC. 

Last weekend, the Patriots defeated EIVA opponents Princeton and NJIT on the road.  Paco Velez was named the Sports Imports/AVCA Player of the Week and the EIVA Offensive Player of the Week.  Meanwhile, Hunter Stevens was named the EIVA Defensive Player of the Week as well.

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL (5-8) at #11 Ohio State (12-4)
When: Saturday, March 7, 7 p.m.
Where: Fairfax, Va. (RAC)
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The Buckeyes are coming into this match after splitting a series at Grand Canyon.  Before Grand Canyon, Ohio State was swept by Ball State, who the Patriots defeated earlier this season.  Mason starts off a tough few matches for the Buckeyes, with Lewis, Loyola (Ill.), and Princeton coming up afterwards.

The Patriots trail the Buckeyes in the all-time series record 27-25.  Most recently, Ohio State won in four sets against the Green and Gold in Columbus.  Nicolas Szerszen leads the Buckeyes with 171 kills on the season so far.  Michael Henchy and Miles Johnson are not far behind with 148 kills each.  Meanwhile, Shawn Herron has totaled 51 blocks to lead the Ohio State defense.

Velez led the Patriots on offense with 17 kills in the last matchup with Ohio State.  Weston Barnes had a team-high 10 digs and freshman Brian Negron provided 41 assists against the Buckeyes earlier this season.

Alumni Match

The current men's volleyball team is set to take on the alumni on Friday night at 7 p.m.  The match will be the best of three and will be held at the RAC with free admission.  Come and see Mason's history compete against Mason's present.