Fairfax, Va. – After 17 years at the helm, Fred Chao stepped down as head coach in 2016, passing the reins to Jay Hosack.
Hosack made an immediate impact, leading the Patriots to their first EIVA Championship title since 1988. This victory secured Mason an automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The team swept Harvard in the championship opener before defeating St. Francis (Pa.) 3-1 to claim the title. Mason then faced Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament, ultimately falling 3-1 and finishing the season ranked No. 11 in the AVCA national poll.
Hosack was named the 2016 Bob Sweeney EIVA Coach of the Year, mentoring six Patriots to All-EIVA honors. Dom Edgley and Johnny Gomez earned First-Team All-EIVA recognition, while Christian Malias and Radoslav Popov made the Second Team. Edgley, Popov, and Sam Kollar also received EIVA All-Academic honors.
2018 was another milestone year, with Hosack earning EIVA Coach of the Year honors. That year, Brian Negron was named EIVA Player of the Year. Negron ranks second in program history with 3,684 assists, averaging 9.77 assists per set. He later became the first Patriot to represent Puerto Rico on the international stage.
Hayden Wagner was another standout, earning All-American honors three times (2018, 2019, and 2021). He became the first Patriot to receive three All-American nods since Uvaldo Acosta, with only Moyo Kasim earning the distinction in all four years.
The 2020s began with the COVID-19 pandemic cutting the 2020 season short. Post-pandemic, new talent emerged at the RAC, including Omar Hoyos. From 2021 onward, Hoyos made a significant impact, finishing his career with 1,129 kills (10th in program history), 132 aces (1st), and 272 digs (10th). A three-time All-EIVA honoree and an All-American Honorable Mention, Hoyos caught the attention of Club Voleibol Teruel in Spain, where he now plays professionally. He has also represented Puerto Rico in the Pan American Games and the FIVB World Championships.
Other recent Mason players to turn professional include Jack Bolz, who signed with Vitoria Sport Clube in Portugal, and Paul Wyszynski, who joined Czarni Radom in Poland.
Join us on April 18th and 19th to celebrate Alumni Weekend at the RAC as the Patriots take on the University of Charleston!
