FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's volleyball team is set to host the 2020 AVCA Men's Volleyball Showcase on Jan. 10-11 at the Recreation Athletic Complex (RAC). The Patriots will host No. 7 Stanford, No. 12 USC and EIVA conference foe NJIT for a two-day tournament.
The tournament opens with a match between No. 7 Stanford and NJIT at 5 p.m. on Friday, followed by the Patriots' first tournament match against No. 12 USC at 7 p.m. inside the RAC.
On the second and final day of the tournament, NJIT goes up against the Trojans at 5 p.m., followed by the Patriots taking on No. 7 Stanford at 7 p.m. to close out the event.
All of the Patriots' games will be streamed on ESPN+.
EMERGING MASON STANDOUTS
Redshirt junior
Jack Reese was named EIVA's Defensive Player of the Week on Jan. 6. This was Reese's fourth career EIVA DPOTW selection, as he earned the award twice in 2019 and once in 2018.
The middle blocker earned a match-high six blocks against No. 2 UCLA last Saturday. Reese's six blocks tied the Bruins team total in the season opener.
Sophomore
Trevor Kennan earned the Off the Block National Libero of the Week award, given to the libero who had the best performance in NCAA Division I-II men's volleyball during the week. This award is voted on by the Off the Block staff on a weekly basis.
Kennan, who looks to be having a large role in head coach
Jay Hosack's defense, earned a match-high 11 digs against the Bruins in three sets played.
LAST TIME OUT
The Patriots fell to No. 2 UCLA (2-0, 0-0) in straight sets (22-25, 28-30, 23-25) in their season opener.
Senior
Hayden Wagner led Mason with 10 kills, to go along with three digs and a service ace for 13.5 points on the night.
Redshirt junior
Luis Velez led the Patriots in assists (18), coupled with four digs.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
No. 7 Stanford: 2-1, 0-0 MPSF
Stanford is ranked seventh in the Preseason AVCA poll heading into the weekend and are led by Annapolis, Md. native Jaylen Jasper. The 2019 AVCA All-America honorable mention currently leads the Cardinal in points per set (5.31) and kills per set (4.38).
The Cardinal began the season with two straight set victories over Menlo and UC Santa Cruz, however they hit an early season speedbump against fellow EIVA program St. Francis (Pa.). The Red Flash upended the No. 7 overall team in five sets (25-15, 25-19, 19-25, 23-25, 11-15) on Wednesday, giving Stanford their first loss of the season.
Stanford leads the all-time head-to-head record against the Patriots 2-0.
No. 12 Southern California: 1-0, 0-0 MPSF
USC is ranked twelfth in the Preseason AVCA poll, playing in only one match this season. The lone match featured defending EIVA Conference champion Princeton, where the Trojans defeated the Tigers in five sets (25-22, 18-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-10).
The Trojans have a history in Fairfax. Not only does USC hold an overall record of 8-0 over the Patriots, but the Trojans also won their 1990 NCAA National Championship here in Fairfax, Va.
The Trojans are led by junior Kyle Gear and sophomore Brandon Browning. Gear leads USC in points per set (3.30) and service aces (4). He is also second on the team in kills (10), only behind Browning who has a team-leading 15 kills and 3.00 kills per set.
NJIT: 0-0, 0-0 EIVA
EIVA Conference opponent NJIT will begin its 2020 season in the AVCA Men's Showcase. The Highlanders were picked to finish fifth in the EIVA Preseason Poll, right behind the Patriots. NJIT was the only other program, beside first-place Princeton, to receive a first-place vote in the poll (1).
The Highlanders are led by junior Alvaro Gimeno and freshman Julian Meissner. Gimeno, a two-time first team all-EIVA honoree, ranked in the top five in kills per set (3.31) and total kills (285) in the EIVA last season. He ranked second in service aces per set (0.44), a mark which ranked Gimeno thirteenth in the nation.
Meissner, a Berlin, Germany native, is a four-time Most Valuable Player of the Match for Bundesliga in the first league. The 6-foot-7 opposite was selected Best Opposite at the 8 Nations Tournament in 2017.
