POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (February 17, 2014) – Vassar College returns home for a non-conference tussle with Hunter College Tuesday night in Kenyon Hall at 7 p.m., as the Brewers look to snap a four-match losing skid. VC is in the middle of a six-game stretch that has it playing five contests away from Poughkeepsie. VC is looking to rebound after falling twice in Boston, MA this past weekend to Endicott College (3-0) and Emerson College (3-1).

Vassar College (2-8)
(Vassar College Men's Volleyball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)

Game Details
Opponent: vs. Hunter College (3-5)         
Links: (Hunter Men's Volleyball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility:  Kenyon Hall (500)
Date: February 18, 2014
Time: 7 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Video) (Live Stats)

What To Look For
The Brewers have struggled lately to get out of the funk they're currently in, having dropped six of their last eight matches. Vassar has looked good at times, and has played pretty well at home in Kenyon Hall as well this year. The Brewers have taken three ranked teams to extra games this year, pushing then No. 4 New Paltz to five games. The strength of the team is its scrappiness and hustle, so if Vassar can make it hard on Hunter to score the ball it could go a long way towards a victory. Make sure to watch the matchup between the two squads' team leaders in kills, as Nino Hot from Hunter and Reno Kriz (Breinigsville, PA/Parkland) will square off.

A Look at the Hawks (3-5)
Hunter College has played just as difficult of a schedule as the Brewers have, opening the season with four straight matches against ranked opponents. At the Juniata Tournament, the Hawks lost all four, but earned a set in each of those matches, including taking a game against No. 3 Juniata College and then No. 1 Springfield College. The Hawks have rebounded nicely though from that weekend, pulling out wins in three of their last four, falling only to No. 9 Stevens Saturday in Hoboken, NJ. Hunter is currently third in the CUNY in hitting percentage, chalking up a .190 success rate, ranking second in kills with 10.62 per set. The Hawks have been susceptible to the block, as opposition has racked up over two blocks per set against.

The Hawks have been pretty balanced this year, with six players currently sitting with 20 or more kills. Nino Hot has a team-best 2.74 kills per set, which ranks sixth in the CUNY, while teammate Alexandru Barbulescu is ninth in attacking percentage with a .274 clip. Steven Tarquino has started all eight matches, supplementing the offense with 42 terminations, adding a team and CUNY-best 26 blocks to his ledger. Setter Stanley Martinez has handed out 217 assists, averaging 7.89 dimes per game, and libero Eric Lodde leads the team with 60 digs. Martinez also has a Hawk-leading 11 service aces, while Matthew Ng also has registered 48 kills and nine aces.

Projected Starting Lineups: MB - Alexandru Barbulescu, MB - Steven Tarquino, OH - Nino Hot, S - Stanley Martinez, RS - Justin Franks, OH - Matthew Ng, L - Eric Lodde.

Against Hunter All-Time
The series with the Hawks dates back to 1989, though the two squads have only played 11 times previously. Coming into Tuesday's match, the Brewers hold a 7-4 all-time record against Hunter. Vassar has won six of the last seven matches between the two teams, with HC's only win coming in 2012.

I'm Diggin' It
VC has been pretty solid in the back row this season, chalking up 10.24 digs per set, which ranks fourth in the league coming into the league.

Reno Bound
Sophomore right side Reno Kriz has done a really good job this year being the go-to option for Vassar, as he currently ranks ninth in the country in kills per set with 3.95.

Stepping Right In
Vassar freshman Trey Cimorelli (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) is 11^th in the nation in digs per set with 2.77, placing third in the UVC.

Running the Gauntlet
Looking at the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, the Brewers have played or are slated to play all but five of the Top 15 teams in the nation.

Snap That Streak
Vassar College is in the midst of its first four match losing skid since 2007, when the Brewers dropped five straight to end the season.

Up Next
Vassar will head back out on the road this weekend, traveling to The Sage Colleges Friday evening at 7 p.m. in Troy, NY to take on the Gators. The next day, Vassar will go back to Boston for the third consecutive weekend to take on Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 3 p.m. in a UVC match with the Engineers.