MEN'S VOLLEYBALL vs. Harvard
WHEN: Friday, April 3 (6 p.m.) and Saturday, April 4 (2 p.m.)
WHERE: The RAC | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (16-7, 4-2 EIVA); Harvard (6-13, 3-5 EIVA)
ALL-TIME SERIES: George Mason leads, 20-12; split the series last season in Cambridge, Mass. (won
March 28, 3-2, lost
March 29, 0-3)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
WATCH (ESPN+) APRIL 3: Click Here
WATCH (ESPN+) APRIL 4: Click Here
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's volleyball team will continue their homestand at the Recreation Athletic Complex (RAC) this weekend, this time returning to Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) play for a two game series against Harvard. This will be the Patriots' second of three consecutive weekend home series.
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, George Mason (16-7, 4-2 EIVA) continued their home winning streak to two whole months by beating Saint Francis in both of their games. The Patriots extended their home win streak to eight games, finished the month 8-1 (2-0 in conference) and have now won 10 of their last 11 games.
On Friday, the Patriots won their first five set game of the season behind another 20-kill performance by
Aidan Weltin, a career-tying 17-kill outing by
Robert Evangelista and an unwavering Patriot defense that consisted of key blocks and crucial point-saving digs.
The Patriots continued their strong weekend the next day and
beat the Red Flash, 3-1. Junior outside hitter
Jackson Herbert had a game-high three service aces, while senior middle blocker
Elijah Lazor, sophomore middle blocker
Alexander Lillie and Weltin were all tied with a game-high four blocks.
The Patriots closed out their non-conference portion of the regular season with a 12-5 record.
2026 Weekly Awards List
- Feb. 9: Aidan Weltin Named EIVA Offensive Player of the Week
- March 2: Georgi Zahariev Named EIVA Offensive Player of the Week & AVCA National Collegiate Men's Player of the Week
- March 9: Alexander Lillie Named EIVA Offensive Player of the Week
- March 16: Jackson Herbert Named EIVA Offensive Player of the Week
- March 23: Aidan Weltin Named EIVA Defensive Player of the Week
SCOUTING HARVARD
Harvard (6-13, 3-5 EIVA) were picked to finish tied for fifth in the
2026 EIVA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Crimson finished their non-conference schedule with a record of 3-8 but faced nationally ranked opponents, such as No. 6 UC Irvine, No. 11 CSUN, No. 17 USCB and No. 13 McKendree.
Harvard is coming to Fairfax after having just split their series against Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Connecticut. The Crimson lost their first game (March 27) 1-3 but won the following day (March 28) with a decisive 3-1 score.
Outside hitter Sawyer Nichols is the team's leader in kills with 184. The sophomore from Anacortes, Washington, is coming off a career-high 16 kill game against the Pioneers on March 27. His previous career high set last season was 14, which he has reached or passed six times this year. Nichols also leads the team in digs with 97.
Three other players are over the century mark in kills. Senior outside hitter Zach Berty has the second-most kills with 154, junior middle blocker Owen Woolbert has 144 and junior outside hitter Quinn Bishop has an even 100. Woolbert also leads in blocks with 61, while Bishop has a team-high 20 service aces.
Freshman setter Kai Gan leads the team in assists with 313. The Huntington Beach, California, native is coming off his best weekend of the season, having recorded a season-high 45 and 42 assists this past weekend at Sacred Heart.
STAT LEADERS
PATRIOTS (23 games played) | CRIMSON (19 games played)
HISTORY WITH THE CRIMSON
The Patriots have a 20-12 series lead over Harvard, dating back to 2009. Since 2023, the Patriots have faced off against the Crimson seven times and have won six.
Last season, George Mason split the season series in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their first game on
March 28 went the distance, with the Green & Gold winning 3-2. Harvard won the following day on
March 29, however, with a 3-0 sweep.
UP NEXT
George Mason will close out their homestand at the RAC next week and host their final home series of the season with a two game series against Princeton. The Patriots' first game against the Tigers will be Friday, April 10, at 6 p.m., followed by Saturday, April 11, with a 5 p.m. first serve.
