MEN'S VOLLEYBALL vs. Princeton
WHEN: Friday, April 10 (6 p.m.) and Saturday, April 11 (5 p.m.)
WHERE: The RAC | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (18-7, 6-2 EIVA); Princeton (5-12, 1-7 EIVA)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Series is tied 21-21; Princeton swept the series last season in Princeton, N.J. (
April 4 and
April 5) as well as beat George Mason in the EIVA Tournament Semifinal (
April 24)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
WATCH (ESPN+) APRIL 10: Click Here
WATCH (ESPN+) APRIL 11: Click Here
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's volleyball team will finish their homestand at the Recreation Athletic Complex (RAC) this weekend with a two-game series with Princeton. Friday's game will be the team's Pride Game, and Saturday's game will be Senior Day, where the team will recognize
Liam French,
Georgi Zahariev,
Hayden Karpinski and
Elijah Lazor for their time wearing the Green & Gold.
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, George Mason (18-7, 6-2 EIVA) continued their winning ways and notched their fourth consecutive weekend sweep, beating Harvard on Alumni Weekend. The Patriots extended their current win streak to eight games (which includes five straight EIVA wins), their home win streak to 10 games and have now won 12 of their last 13 games.
On Friday, the Patriots beat the Crimson in straight sets. Sophomore middle blocker
Alexander Lillie had a game-high 12 kills. Junior outside hitter
Robert Evangelista had the second-most on the team with nine.
The Patriots continued their strong weekend
the next day and beat the Crimson in straight sets again. Opposite hitter
Jackson Herbert added to his service ace total for the weekend, having notched a game-high three this afternoon. The junior, who also had a game-high eight digs, was one of two Patriots to have a series-high five aces over the weekend, the other being senior setter
Georgi Zahariev.
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 PRINCETON
Princeton (5-12, 1-7 EIVA) were picked to finish fourth in the
2026 EIVA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Tigers finished their non-conference schedule with a record of 4-5, but they struggled facing Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) opponents this year. They are 1-7 in EIVA play, with their only win coming from a split weekend against Charleston (WVa.) on March 28.
Princeton's highlight victory of the season came on March 10, when they beat No. 12 UC San Diego in five sets in La Jolla, California.
The Tigers are coming to Fairfax after hosting Sacred Heart and losing both games in Princeton, New Jersey. They lost their first game (April 3) in five sets and later lost 3-1 won the following day (April 4).
Pin hitter Owen Mellon is the team's leader in kills with 201. The senior from Oakville, Ontario, had a career-high 25 kills in their five-set win over Dominican (N.Y.) on Feb. 28. Over the past weekend, he put up eight and 18 kill games against the Pioneers.
Andrew Werner, the Tigers' other senior pin hitter, has the team's second-most kills with 166. The Phoenix, Arizona, native also leads the team in service aces with 18 and also tied his career-high in single game aces with three in their win over UC San Diego on March 10.
Junior setter Nolan Kelly leads the team in assists with 509. The El Segundo, California, product, who also leads the team in digs with 122, recorded a career best 52 assist game in their loss to Southern California on Jan. 16.
On defense, junior middle blocker Tristan Whitfield leads the team in blocks with 60. The 2024 EIVA Freshman of the Year hit a season-high five blocks in his latest game against Sacred Heart on April 4.
STAT LEADERS
PATRIOTS (25 games played) | TIGERS (17 games played)
HISTORY WITH THE TIGERS
Dating back to
Feb. 26, 2005, the Patriots and Tigers are deadlocked at an even 21-21. Since 2022, the Tigers have had the upper hand, having won seven of the last nine meetings.
Last season, George Mason lost both regular season games in Princeton, New Jersey, as well as the postseason matchup. The Patriots lost the first game on
April 4 3-1; the Tigers then took following day on
April 5 with a 3-0 sweep. Finally, the Patriots' 2025 season came to an end in the EIVA Tournament semifinals on
April 24 with a 3-1 score.
The last time George Mason beat Princeton was on
April 30, 2024, in Fairfax in a game that went the distance, 3-2.
UP NEXT
George Mason will close out the regular season next week with a two game series against No. Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania. The Patriots' first game against the Nittany Lions will be Friday, April 17, at 6 p.m., followed by Saturday, April 18, with a 3 p.m. first serve.
