WHEN: January 18, 2019 and January 19, 2019
WHERE: St. John Arena (Columbus, Ohio) and Wehrle Innovation Center (Charleston, W.Va.)
OPPONENTS: Ohio State – Friday at 7 p.m.; University of Charleston – Saturday at 6 p.m.
LIVE STATS: Ohio State |
Charleston
LIVE STREAM: Ohio State |
Charleston
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's volleyball team is on the road for a pair of matches this weekend. On Friday, the Patriots will face No. 11 Ohio State at 7 p.m. at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Mason will then travel to Charleston, W.Va. on Saturday for its conference opener against the University of Charleston at 6 p.m. at Wehrle Innovation Center. Saturday's match will mark the first EIVA matchup for the league this season.
HAYDEN HONORED
Junior
Hayden Wagner is the EIVA's Offensive Player of the Week after averaging 6.35 points per set and 5.57 kills per set along with 1.71 digs per set and 0.86 blocks per set against Erskine (Jan. 11) and No. 2 UC Irvine (Jan. 12). He also tabbed a season-high 23 kills to lead all hitters on Saturday.
RECEIVING VOTES
For the third week in a row, the Patriots are receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Poll. Mason tabbed 11 votes to rank just outside the top-15.
LAST TIME OUT
Mason went 1-1 at the 2019 Uvaldo Acosta Invitational to improve to 3-1 on the season. The Patriots earned their second sweep of the season over Erskine (Jan. 11). The following night, Mason dropped a heavily contested match in four sets to the now No. 2 team in the country, UC Irvine.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
No. 11 Ohio State: 2-2, 0-0 MIVA
Ohio State, ranked No. 11 in the AVCA poll, fell to .500 on the season after two losses against top-15 teams last weekend. The Buckeyes were swept by No. 4 BYU (Jan. 11) and lost in four sets to No. 9 Stanford (Jan. 12).
The Buckeyes are led by redshirt sophomore Jake Hanes. The opposite hitter leads the country in kills per set (6.00) and points per set (6.71).
OSU holds a slim advantage in the all-times series record, 32-25. Last season, Ohio State swept Mason on Feb. 3 in Fairfax, Va. The Patriots will look for its first win over the Buckeyes since March 20, 2009.
University of Charleston (W.Va.): 2-2, 0-0 EIVA
The Golden Eagles finished seventh in the EIVA Preseason Coaches' Poll with 17 points. Sophomore outside hitter Max Senica and senior outside hitter Brandon Greenway were named Charleston's EIVA Preseason Players to Watch. So far this season, Senica and Greenway rank second and third on the team in kills per set. Senica also leads the team in digs per set (1.80).
Mason holds a 7-0 all-time record against the Golden Eagles, dating back to 2015. The Patriots swept Charleston in both matchups last season.
