#19 MEN'S VOLLEYBALL vs. Catawba College
WHEN: Saturday, January 10 (5 p.m.)
WHERE: The RAC | Fairfax, Va.
2025 RECORDS: #19 George Mason (16-13, 6-6 EIVA); Catawba College (13-12, 1-2 IVA)
ALL-TIME SERIES: First-ever meeting
LIVE STATS: Click Here
WATCH (ESPN+): Click Here
FAIRFAX, Va. – The No. 19 George Mason Men's Volleyball team will begin their 2026 campaign this Saturday, January 10, when they host Catawba College at the Recreation Athletic Complex (RAC) at 5 p.m. in Fairfax. This will be the Patriots' first-ever meeting with the Indians and the first time since 2023 the Patriots will start the season with a home opener.
Head coach
Jay Hosack, who is entering his 11
th season at the helm and recently signed a
three-year contract extension with George Mason, said he is looking forward to get the new season underway.
"We are excited to get the 2026 season underway!" said Coach Hosack. "Our guys have worked hard in the preseason, and we are stoked to start the march towards an EIVA title run!"
George Mason ended their 2025 season with a 16-13 overall record and a EIVA Conference record of 6-6. After
sweeping Charleston (WV) in the first round of the EIVA tournament, the Patriots' season came to a close when they
lost 3-1 to top-seeded Princeton in the semifinals.
In the offseason, Coach Hosack
signed Patriot alum Sam Greenslade ('20) as an assistant coach and added freshmen
Brady Ruth of Orlando, Fla., and
Alex Venes of Plainfield, Ill.
George Mason is also highly ranked in both conference and national preseason polls. The Patriots are ranked No. 19 in the
American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Collegiate MVB Preseason Poll, and they are ranked third in the
Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Preseason Coaches Poll.
Redshirt senior outside hitter Liam French and sophomore middle blocker Alexander Lillie were also selected to the 2026 EIVA Players to Watch list. Last season, French played 72 sets from 24 matches and scored 233 points with 191 kills. The Virginia Beach, Va., native also had 29 service aces, the second-most on the team, as well as a .242 hitting percentage, 57 digs and 22 blocks. French recorded a season-high of four service aces against Charleston (WV) on April 23rd.
Lillie's freshman campaign was a decorated one, as he was named a three-time EIVA Defensive Player of the Week and was also selected to the EIVA First-Team. The Ronkonkoma, N.Y., product appeared in 82 sets across 24 matches and recorded 30 solo blocks, which was the second-most in the country. In total, his 94 blocks with 1.132 blocks per set was good for ninth-best in the country as well.
The team this season comprise of the following:
SENIORS (4)
JUNIORS (6)
SOPHOMORES (6)
FRESHMEN (2)
SCOUTING CATAWBA COLLEGE
Catawba College will begin their second-ever men's volleyball season this Saturday in Fairfax. Last season, the Indians finished their inaugural season with an overall record of 13-12 and an Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (IVA) Conference record of 1-2. They entered the IVA Tournament as the four-seed and fell to No. 5 Rockhurst in the first round of the tournament, 3-1, in St. Louis, Mo.
HISTORY WITH THE INDIANS
This will be George Mason's first-ever meeting with Catawba College.
UP NEXT
After the home opener, the Patriots will travel to Columbus, Ohio, for two matches. They will face host No. 14 Ohio State on Jan. 15, followed by a meeting with No. 3 Long Beach State the next day (Jan. 16). The Patriots will then return home to host Merrimack on Jan. 24
th at 6 p.m. at the RAC.
