FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's volleyball team is set to travel to Sacred Heart and Harvard this weekend for a pair of EIVA matches.  Most recently, the Patriots swept Grand Canyon this past weekend.  The two matches will be the last EIVA road matches for the Patriots in the regular season. 

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL (11-11, 4-4) vs. Harvard (11-11, 5-5)
When: Friday, April 17, 7 p.m.
Where: Cambridge, MA
Live stats: Click here    Live video: Click here

The Patriots hold a 9-4 lead in the all-time series against Harvard, including a victory at home last season for each team.  The Patriots fell in the first matchup with Harvard this season in four sets in Fairfax.  The Crimson come into this match on an EIVA three-match losing streak, falling to NJIT, Penn State, and St. Francis (Pa.).

Casey White leads the defense with 186 digs so far this season. DJ White also is a force on defense for Harvard, averaging 2.06 digs per set and was just named EIVA Defensive Player of the Week this past weekend.

DJ White and Branden Clemens pace the Harvard offense with 3.24 and 3.07 kills per set, respectively.  Meanwhile, Caleb Zimmick leads the EIVA with 1.16 blocks per set and ranks fifth with a .355 hitting percentage.

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL (11-11, 4-4) vs. Sacred Heart (12-11, 3-7)
When: Saturday, April 18, 4 p.m.
Where: Fairfield, CT
Live stats: Click here    Live video: Click here

The Patriots hold an 8-2 advantage in the all-time series record against Sacred Heart.  Earlier this season, Mason won an extremely close match in five sets against the Pioneers. 

After sweeping NJIT and Princeton, Sacred Heart has lost two consecutive EIVA matches to Saint Francis (Pa.) and Penn State.

Enzo Mackenzie leads Sacred Heart with a team-best 305 kills on the season, which ranks second in the EIVA.  Mackenzie also ranks third in the conference with 0.48 aces per set.  Meanwhile, Eduardo Zardo leads the team with 140 digs on the season.

Notes

The Patriots come into this weekend after defeating Grand Canyon twice in non-conference play last week.  After the two convincing wins, the Patriots are receiving votes in the AVCA top 15 poll.

These two matches are crucial for EIVA tournament implications for all of the teams.  Currently, the Patriots sit in the fourth spot with a 4-4 record with Harvard's 5-5 record one spot ahead.

After these two matches, the Patriots host Princeton and their regular-season finale against NJIT next weekend.