WHEN: Feb. 21-22 | Friday (7 p.m.); Saturday (7 p.m.)
WHERE: Fairfax, Va. | Recreation Athletic Complex (RAC)
SERIES RECORDS: Mason leads the all-time head-to-head record over NJIT 55-9. | Mason leads the all-time head-to-head record over Harvard 16-8.
COVERAGE: NJIT STREAM |
PRINCETON STREAM |
LIVE STATS
FAIRFAX, Va. - The fifteenth ranked George Mason men's volleyball team (7-5, 2-1) will meet NJIT on Friday, Feb. 21, and No. 11 Princeton on Saturday, Feb. 22, inside the Recreation Athletic Complex (RAC) with first serve set for 7 p.m. ET for both contests.
The Patriots continue on a current stretch of seven straight EIVA conference games, playing in their first two last weekend against Harvard.
The Green & Gold sit fourth in the EIVA with a 2-1 conference record. Mason currently leads the EIVA in total blocks (98), ranks fourth in points per set (15.1) and fifth in kills per set (11.56).
LAST TIME OUT
Mason split this past weekend against Harvard, defeating the Crimson in a thrilling five sets (22-25, 32-30, 25-23, 21-25, 15-7) on Friday, followed by a loss versus Harvard in four sets (21-25, 24-26, 25-16, 25-17) on Saturday.
Senior
Bryce Gatling earned a career best 16 kills on 24 attempts, while fellow senior
Sam Greenslade tallied double-digit digs (13) for the fourth time this season in the contest on Saturday.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
NJIT: 6-4, 0-2 EIVA
NJIT is lead by junior Alvaro Gimeno and freshman Julian Meissner. Gimeno, a two-time first team All-EIVA selection, leads the Highlanders in kills per set (3.20), kills (112), service aces (17) and points (138.5).
Freshman Meissner has tallied 2.79 kills per set, good for third on the squad in that stat.
The Patriots watched the Highlanders compete on their home court during the AVCA Men's Showcase earlier this season. In that road trip, NJIT went 1-1 over the weekend, losing to Stanford in four sets (25-21,16-25,14-25,14-25) followed by a victorious straight set effort versus Southern California (25-20,25-20,25-17).
Since the AVCA Showcase, the Highlanders went on a tear winning four matches in a row, winning 15 of the 16 sets in that stretch (four consecutive straight set victories).
That hot streak was ended by No. 11 Princeton when the Tigers defeated the Highlanders in straight sets on Feb. 7.
No. 11 Princeton: 6-5, 4-1 EIVA
The Tigers currently sit second in the EIVA, behind only Penn State (2-0 in conference play). The 2019 EIVA conference champions have the most conference wins thus far, sitting at four.
The Tigers are coming off of a five-set victory (25-19,24-26,17-25,33-31,15-10) at Saint Francis (Pa.). The two sets given up by the Tigers are the only sets lost by Princeton in EIVA play this season. Senior
George Huhmann led Princeton with 15 kills along with three service aces in the win last Saturday. Huhmann leads the Tigers this season with 3.12 kills per set, 131 kills and 21 service aces.
Princeton is seventh in the EIVA in kills per set (10.86) as a team and fifth in the conference in attacking percentage (0.256).
