WHEN: Feb. 28-29 | Friday (7 p.m. ET); Saturday (7 p.m. ET)
WHERE: University Park, Pa. (Penn State Univ.) | Loretto, Pa. (Saint Francis (Pa.))
OPPONENTS: No. 9 PENN STATE (9-6, 5-0 EIVA); SAINT FRANCIS (Pa.) (4-10, 1-4 EIVA)
LIVE STATS: Game 1 | Game 2
FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason men's volleyball team (8-6, 3-2 EIVA) will travel to Pennsylvania to compete against No. 9 Penn State on Friday and Saint Francis (Pa.) on Saturday. Both matches are slated for a 7 p.m. start time.
The Patriots currently rank fourth in the EIVA behind Harvard (9-4, 3-2 EIVA), No. 13 Princeton (7-5, 5-1 EIVA) and No. 9 Penn State (9-6, 5-0 EIVA).
LAST TIME OUT
Mason is coming off a weekend split in Fairfax. The Green & Gold defeated NJIT last Friday in four sets (26-28, 25-21, 25-17, 27-25), followed by a loss to No. 13 Princeton in four sets (21-25, 26-28, 25-23, 23-25) as well.
Senior Sam Greenslade led the Patriots with 28 total kills over the weekend along with 18 digs, three service aces and three solo blocks. Greenslade recorded a season high 15 kills in the victory over NJIT on Friday.
The Patriots currently rank second in the EIVA in total kills (602) and fourth in kills per set (11.8). On the defensive side, Mason ranks first in total blocks (117) and second in total digs (484).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
No. 9 PENN STATE (9-6, 5-0 EIVA)
The Nittany Lions are coming off of a five-match winning streak (all EIVA matches) where three of the victories were in straight-set fashion.
Penn State's offense currently leads the conference in total kills (705) and service aces (105), while ranking second in the EIVA in hitting percentage (.296).
The Nittany Lions currently hold a 107-17 series lead over the Patriots despite Mason winning three of the last five against Penn State. The last time these two programs played was in the 2019 EIVA Semifinal, where Penn State defeated Mason in a thrilling five set match on April 18, 2019.
SAINT FRANCIS (Pa.) (4-10, 1-4 EIVA)
Saint Francis currently ranks seventh in the EIVA, despite earning 40 more kills than their opposition on the year (568-528) and ranking second in the conference in service aces (81).
The Red Flash is led by redshirt senior Michael Fisher. Fisher's 186 kills and 3.86 kills per set rank the Mechanicsburg, Pa. native second in the conference in both categories.
The Patriots are looking for some revenge on the Red Flash as Saint Francis swept Mason last season. The latest meeting between the two schools came on April 5, 2019, where Saint Francis defeated Mason in straight sets.
MEN'S VOLLEYBALL INSIDE EAGLEBANK ARENA
The two opponents the Patriots face this weekend will join the Green & Gold inside EagleBank Arena later this season. Mason hosts Saint Francis at EBA on April 16, followed by a senior night date with Penn State on April 18.
