LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis men's volleyball team returns home this weekend, welcoming No. 15 George Mason to town for a Friday/Saturday matchup at DeGol Arena.
The Red Flash will look to continue its momentum, bringing a four-match win streak into the weekend after a sweep of Charleston last weekend.
The Matchup: Saint Francis (5-14, 4-8) vs. No. 15 George Mason (11-5, 8-4)
Location: DeGol Arena (Loretto, Pa.)
Game 1: Friday, March 26 – 7:00 p.m.
Watch: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Game 2: Saturday, March 27, 5:00 p.m.
Watch: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS
George Mason comes into the weekend ranked 15th after stringing together a four-match win streak, with two coming against Charleston and two against Sacred Heart. Prior to the win streak, Mason lost the previous four, giving them a 4-4 record in their last eight matches. The Patriots sit in third place in the EIVA standings, trailing Penn State and NJIT.
George Mason's offense is led by Hayden Wagner, who leads the conference with 3.98 kills per set and is second in hitting percentage at .330. He also ranks second in aces per set at 0.44. Passing for Mason is Zach Talamoa, who leads the conference with 10.46 assists per set.
On defense, the Patriots' Brad Creamer sits third in the conference in blocks per set with 0.94 and fourth with 44 total blocks. Mason also has two players in the top-five in digs and digs per set.
SERIES HISTORY
George Mason leads, 39-17. The Patriots two wins earlier this season moved the series to 3-2 Mason in the last five matches.
FIRST TIME AROUND
Saint Francis played its fifth and sixth conference matches of the season against George Mason in Fairfax, with Mason picking up two sweeps while ranked 13th in the national poll.
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, the Red Flash took two from Charleston in West Virginia. On Friday, SFU won in five, setting a school-record with 17 service aces. The mark also tied the third-most aces in a five-set match in NCAA history. On Saturday, SFU took care of business with a 3-0 win to cap off the weekend.
RED FLASH WINNING STREAK
Saint Francis is currently riding its longest win streak of the year at four matches. During the streak, the Red Flash has had two matches with 50-plus kills and 10-plus aces, and will look for strong performances to knock off a ranked opponent and continue the streak.
EIVA RANKINGS
Saint Francis ranks third in the conference with 1.44 service aces per set and third with 1.8 blocks per set.
Individually, Michael Fisher ranks second with 3.59 kills per set, and Roman Szwabinsky ranks fourth with 8.29 assists per set. Defensively, Thomas Leahey is second with 0.95 blocks per set, and Joshua Blair ranks third with a 6-38-44 block line. Matthew Menosky is third in the conference with 98 digs.
RED FLASH STATISTICAL LEADERS
KILLS – Michael Fisher (3.59/set)
ASST – Roman Szwabinsky (8.29/set)
DIGS – Blake Liprando (1.63/set)
BLOCKS – Thomas Leahey (0.95/set)
SERVICE ACES – Peyton Blain (0.33/set)
UP NEXT
The Red Flash will stay home next weekend to continue a four-match homestand, welcoming the eleventh-ranked NJIT Highlanders to town. Matches are set for Friday, April 2 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 3 at 4:00 p.m., and will be streaming live on NEC Front Row.
Follow Saint Francis Men's Volleyball on Twitter and Instagram to get up-to-date information and a behind-the-scenes look at the Red Flash.
To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit francis.edu.
