MEN'S VOLLEYBALL vs. Lewis University
WHEN: Friday, January 26 | 8:00 p.m. EST
WHERE: Romeoville, Ill.
RECORDS: George Mason (3-3); Lewis University (4-2)
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vs. Loyola Chicago
WHEN: Saturday, January 27 | 6:00 p.m. EST
WHERE: Chicago, Ill.
RECORDS: George Mason (3-3); Chicago Loyola (3-5)
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Fairfax, Va. – George Mason will be traveling to Illinois to face No. 12 Lewis and No. 13 Loyola Chicago. The Patriots went up one spot in the rankings and are now No. 16 in the nation. This will be the fifth and sixth time this season that the Patriots will be facing opponents that are ranked higher nationally.
 
George Mason and Lewis University have faced each other 15 times since 2005 and Lewis has the upper hand winning 12 times from the 15 clashes. The Patriots were in a seven-game losing streak from 2012 to 2020 and the streak finally ended in 2023 when Mason swept Lewis at the Recreation and Athletic Complex in Fairfax, Va. Mason will be the visiting team this year traveling to Romeoville, Ill. The away record for Mason is currently 1-7, the one away win happening in 2006 where Mason took the game 3-0. George Mason will face Chicago Loyola the next day, January 27^th in hopes to end their Illinois trip with a win. Mason and Loyola Chicago have met 14 times since 2006 and during that time, Mason has only been able to achieve four wins. The last time both teams faced each other was in 2023 with Mason hosting the Ramblers and having a five-set thriller but losing the encounter 2-3.
 
Last weekend, Mason faced No.2 Long Beach and left the court with a 1-3 loss. The next day, the Patriots faced off against Sacred Heart University and won 3-0 which could be the start of a new winning streak.

PATRIOT POINTS:
-Senior opposite hitter Jack Bolz leads the Patriots with kills (72) and is ranked 7th in the EIVA conference recording 2.88 kills per set.
-Junior setter Troy McDonald leads in two different categories for the Patriots. Troy leads with 34 digs and is currently second in EIVA conference recording 2 digs per set. Currently leads in assists as well having 138 assists for Mason.
-Senior outside hitter Omar Hoyos also has 34 digs and he solely leads in the service aces category with 14.
-Redshirt sophomore Liam French has been another key piece for the Mason offense with 66 kills, 8 service aces, and averaging 3.46 points per set.
-Senior middle blocker Sam Peters has been key in defense collecting 26 total blocks and placing 3rd in the EIVA conference recording 1.04 blocks per set.
 
SCOUTING LEWIS UNIVERSITY
Lewis has been ranked No. 12 in the nation with an overall record of 4-2. They have lost to Penn State (2-3) and UCLA (1-3) and defeated Central State (3-0), Brigham Young University (3-2), Merrimack College (3-0), and Kentucky State (3-0). They are currently in a three-game winning streak and have not lost a game at home since facing UCLA. Leading the offense is junior outside hitter Max Roquet with 55 kills and Tyler Morgan with 177 assists. Redshirt senior opposite hitter Christian Prayer leads Lewis University in service aces with 16 and he is also second in kills (45) only behind Max Roquet. In defense, sophomore libero Nico Paula has 35 digs leading in that category for Lewis. Max Roquet reappears as the leader for blocks (14) and he is also second in digs (27) only behind Nico Paula. Sophomore libero Ryan Collins was also announced on Tuesday January 23^rd as the MIVA Defensive Player of the Week after achieving a team-high of 15 digs in both matches.
 
SCOUTING THE RAMBLERS
Loyola Chicago are currently 3-5 with wins against No.3 Hawai'i (3-2), Kentucky State (3-0), and Merrimack (3-0). The Ramblers were in a four-game losing streak falling to Stanford, UCLA, and BYU but have regrouped and will face LIU before meeting with GMU. Redshirt junior outside hitter Parker Van Buren leads the Ramblers in kills (77) and freshman setter Cole Schobel dished out 140 assists with sophomore setter Ryan McElligott right behind with 130 assists. Freshman outside hitter Jake Read leads in service aces with 13. In defense, redshirt junior libero Matt Oakley leads in digs with 39 and Cole Schobel also appears in the list in second with 28 digs. Junior middle blocker Nicodemus Meyer currently leads in blocks with 22 and Parker Van Buren underneath in 2^nd with 19 blocks.