GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY VS. No. 5 OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: RAC Gym (1,550)
RECORDS: Mason (3-5), Ohio State (6-2)
SERIES RECORD: Ohio State leads 32-26.
LAST MEETING: OSU def. Mason 3-0 [22-25, 22-25, 21-25] on Jan. 10, 2017 (Columbus, Ohio)

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PROMOTION: All students with valid Mason I.D. in attendance will receive a free Chick-Fil-A sandwich as a part of this week's Mason Athletics Game of the Week. The promotion occurs while supplies last.

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FAIRFAX, Va. - After its recent victory over No. 14 Ball State last Sunday, George Mason men's volleyball returns to action Saturday night at 7 p.m. to take on the defending two-time National Champions Ohio State Buckeyes. This year's matchup is the first time Ohio State has traveled to Fairfax since the 2015 season. The two programs have squared off every year at least once dating back to the 2006 season, including the 2016 season when they saw each other in the NCAA Tournament.

This season the Patriots are 1-0 when they only have one match over the weekend, with their win in that criteria coming against Mount Olive back on Jan. 19. After Saturday, the Patriots' next match won't be until Friday, Feb. 9 vs. Barton College.

PATRIOT POINTS

• Senior Brian Negron checks in 12 assists shy of reaching 3,000 for his career, a mark that would make him the fourth player in program history across all eras to reach the milestone. The all-time career record Negron is chasing is held by Kriss Eglits, who tallied 3,857 between 1996-99. 

• The Patriots are coming off a 3-1 win against No. 14 Ball State for their first win over a top-15 team this season. RS-senior Christian Malias posted career highs in kills (18), total blocks (seven) and points (22.5). Malias also set a season high in digs with 10 and tied his season high with two solo blocks.

• Malias recorded his second career double-double (18 kills, 10 digs) vs. No. 14 Ball State, his first since Mar. 1, 2014 vs. Penn State (12 kills, 11 digs). Junior Kyle Barnes posted Mason's first double-double this season on Jan. 19 vs. Mount Olive (12 kills, 10 digs), which also marked his second double-double of his career. 2018 is the first year since 2016 that a Patriot recorded a double-double at least twice (Negron and Paco Velez each recorded two). 

• Sophomore Sam Greenslade played a major role in the Patriots' attack on Sunday, compiling 12 kills which tied his career high. The outside hitter has six career matches of 10 or more kills and the team is 5-1 when he eclipses the double-digit mark.

• The Green and Gold posted 15.0 team blocks against Ball State, their highest total since Apr. 18, 2015 vs. Sacred Heart. Sunday was the third time this season the Patriots have logged at least 10 total team blocks.

• The team's block party was led by Malias and RS-freshman Jack Reese, each of whom factored into seven blocks. While Malias' total (2 BS - 5 BA) set a career high, Reese's total (0 BS - 7 BA) was his second highest total this season.  

• Reese posted nine total blocks last weekend over seven sets (1.29 blocks per set) and earned himself EIVA Defensive Player of the Week. The recognition was Reese's first collegiate award and marked the second consecutive week a Patriot won Defensive Player of the Week (Johnny Gomez won it the previous week).

• Patriots at the top of the EIVA statistical leader board include Reese (1.24 blocks per set), Gomez (72 digs) and Hayden Wagner (3.39 kills per set). Close behind Wagner is Malias, who is second in the EIVA at 3.30 kills per set. 

• Malias has notched double-digit kills in four straight matches and has done it in five of his last six. His longest stretch of his career logging double-digit kills was six straight matches from 2/26/16-3/19/16 where he registered 3.50 kills per set in the process. The Orlando, Fla. native is also one of three players in the EIVA with five matches of double-digit kills this season. 

• Mason remains undefeated when having a lead at the conclusion of a set at any point in a match this season. (1-0 when leading 1-sets-to-0, 2-sets-to-0 and 2-0 when leading 2-sets-to-1).

• Patriots who crack the top-15 in NCAA individual statistical categories include Reese's 1.24 blocks per set (7th), Gomez's 2.57 digs per set (8th) and Malias' 4.17 points per set (13th).

• Awards/Honors Archive: Johnny Gomez - Preseason Off The Block/SpringBak Inc. Top Player from Florida; Hayden Wagner - EIVA Offensive Player of the Week (Jan. 22); Johnny Gomez - EIVA Defensive Player of the Week (Jan. 22); Jack Reese - EIVA Defensive Player of the Week (Jan. 29).

HISTORY VS. OHIO STATE
The Patriots are looking for their first win against the Buckeyes since the 2009 season. The Buckeyes' winning streak is currently the longest they've ever had against the Patriots, while Mason's 13 straight wins between 1983 and 1988 marks its longest winning streak against Ohio State. Arguably the top individual performance against Ohio State was Mike Mauro posting 40 kills in Mason's 3-2 win against the Buckeyes on Mar. 30, 1995, a total that is tied for the fourth highest total in a match in program history. Ohio State has been ranked in the top-five in the last two matchups, with Jan. 15, 2016 being the last time they were not.

A LOOK AT THE BUCKEYES (6-2, 0-0 MIVA)
As of Friday, Ohio State's attack currently sits at eighth in the nation in kills per set (12.48) and seventh in hit percentage (.321). Senior Nicolas Szerszen is a big reason for that with his MIVA leading 3.88 kills per set and a .414 hit percentage that's good for ninth in the nation. Additionally, the Buckeyes have been propelled by RS-freshman Jake Hanes who was named MIVA Offensive Player of the Week for his 6.42 points per set performance in wins over Saint Francis (Pa.) and Penn State. One of the biggest storylines to the 2018 season for the Scarlett and Gray was how would 34th year head coach Pete Hanson replace the production of All-Americans Christy Blough, Gabriel Domecus, Driss Guessous and Miles Johnson. Through seven matches Hanson has used Sanil Thomas as the team's primary setter who has produced at a 10.59 assist per set rate, good for third in the NCAA.