Mason (1-1) vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (2-1)
WHEN: Thursday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
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Mason (1-1) vs. Ball State (2-0)
WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Muncie, Ind. | Worthen Arena
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FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's volleyball team (1-1) travels to Indiana to face Purdue Fort Wayne (2-1) on Thursday, Jan. 20. The match is set for 7 p.m. inside Gates Sports Center.
Mason will then head over to Ball State on Friday, Jan. 21, for a 7 p.m. match inside Worthen Arena.
LAST TIME OUT
Mason is coming off of a weekend split against Barton College and Mount Olive in North Carolina. The Green & Gold defeated Barton last Friday in three sets (25-19, 25-13, 25-29), followed by a loss in five sets (25-23, 22-25, 25-17, 23-25,12-15) to Mount Olive on Saturday.
Redshirt sophomore
Jack Bolz led the Patriots on both the offensive and defensive ends. The opposite recorded 25 kills, three assists, three service aces, 14 digs, and five solo blocks over the first two matches. Bolz performance over the weekend landed him the EIVA Defensive Player of the Week honor, the first of his career.
On the offensive end, sophomore
Omar Hoyos is not far behind, tallying 24 kills, five assists, and four service aces in eight sets of action. The outside hitter also leads the team in digs, recording 17 over the weekend.
Freshmen
Brandon Leary,
Lucas Little,
Troy McDonald, and
Paul Russell made their first appearance for the Green & Gold.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
PURDUE FORT WAYNE (2-1)
The Mastodons finished their 2021 season with an overall record of 6-9. Purdue Fort Wayne ended last season's campaign in a five-set loss to McKendree during the first round of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) tournament.
The Mastodons are led by sophomore Troy Gooch. The libero earned the MIVA Defensive Player of the Week honors on Jan. 11, after recording 11 digs in a weekend split against King.
Junior Jon Diedtich leads the Mastodons on the offensive end. The outside hitter has recorded 41 kills and four service aces in nine sets played.
The Mastodons hold the advantage over the Patriots, leading the all-time series 2-1 since 2017.
BALL STATE (2-0)
The Cardinals finished their 2021 season with an overall record of 12-8. Ball State ended last season's campaign in a three-set loss to Lewis in the semifinal match of the MIVA tournament.
The Cardinals are led by junior Bryce Behrendt on the offensive end. The outside hitter has tallied 19 kills and four service aces in just six sets.
On the defensive end, the Cardinals are led by graduate student Colin Ensalaco. The libero recorded 13 digs and four assists in six sets of action.
The Patriots hold a slight advantage over the Cardinals, leading the all-time series 13-12 since 2004.
