POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (February 10, 2015) – The Vassar College men's volleyball (6-4) team will look to bounce back from a four-set loss against Wentworth this past Saturday with a non-conference contest on Thursday. The Brewers will host Medgar Evers Thursday evening at 7 p.m. at Kenyon Hall. The Brewers will not be back in Kenyon Hall until March 7, just under a month between home affairs.
 
Game Details
Opponent: Medgar Evers (0-5, 0-2 CUNYAC)
Links:  (Medgar Evers Men's Volleyball Homepage) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Kenyon Hall
Date: February 12, 2015
Time: 7:00 pm
Twitter Coverage: (@VassarAthletics)(@VassarMensVB) (@MECCougars)
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
What To Look For
Vassar split their two matches this past Saturday, defeating New Jersey City in four sets before falling to Wentworth in four games. The Brewers showed progress this weekend though, as they were swept by Wentworth earlier in the season. Vassar will look to use this match against the Cougars to build momentum heading into this weekend, where the team has two huge matches to open conference play, including a rematch of the 3-2 thriller against NYU.
 
A Look at the Cougars (0-5, 0-2 CUNYAC)
Medgar Evers is off to a tough start this season. After losing in five sets to St. Joseph's College – Brooklyn, the Cougars have been swept in their next four matches, including three-set losses to Hunter and York in conference play. Though historically a decent program, Medgar Evers has struggled the past few years, with the team's last win coming on March 19, 2011.
 
The Cougars run most of their offense through junior middle hitter Jamal Chance. Chance leads the team with 45 kills on the season on 131 total swings, and also has recorded a team-high 12 aces and 12 total blocks. Freshman outside hitter Denzel Williams and sophomore setter Angel Seda have registered 19 and seven kills, respectively. Seda runs the offense, totaling 61 assists on the young season. On defense, Chance and junior outside hitter Adiel Ramos Munoz pace the team with 23 digs apiece.
 
Projected Starters: OH – Adiel Ramos Munoz, OH – Denzel Williams, OH – Brian Montgomery, MH – Jamal Chance, MH – Omasanjuwa Ofuya, S – Angel Seda
 
Against Medgar Evers All-Time
This is the first ever meeting between the Vassar Brewers and the Medgar Evers Cougars.
 
Leading Libero
Sophomore libero Trey Cimorelli (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) had a standout weekend for the Brewers, where he recorded a season-high 15 digs against New Jersey City, before collecting 13 digs against Wentworth. On the season, Cimorelli leads the team with 68 total digs.
 
Mighty Middle
Freshman middle hitter Matthew Knigge (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) continues to be a force at the net, recording 14 kills on a .545 hitting percentage against New Jersey City. Knigge currently leads the team with 81 total kills, and is third in the UVC hitting .399 on the season.
 
Going Outside
Sophomore outside hitter Christian Lizana (Dublin, PA/Pennridge) came up huge against Wentworth, posting a double-double with ten kills and ten digs, while adding a team-high five blocks. On the season, Lizana is fourth on the team with 47 total kills.
 
Taking Swings
Freshman outside hitter Jorge Rivera (San Juan, PR/Cupeyville) has become a large part of the offense for the Brewers, coming up with ten kills on just 17 swings, hitting .471 against New Jersey City.
 
Welcome Back!
Senior setter Colin White-Dzuro (Toronto, ON/Royal St. George), coming off a hand injury, saw his first action of the season against New Jersey City. White-Dzuro recorded 13 assists and four digs in two sets of play.
 
One-Hit Wonder
The Brewers are still leading the UVC in aces, averaging 1.86 per set. Freshman setter Zechariah Lee (Santa Clarita, CA/Saugus) is currently third in the UVC with 0.50 aces per set, while junior middle hitter Erik Halberg (Newark, DE/Salesianum) is sixth with 0.43 per set.
 
Triumphant In The Third
The Brewers have gone 7-3 in the third set this season, outscoring opponents in that game 252-213.
 
Up Next
Vassar College will hit the road this weekend for the first two matches of an eight-game road trip. The Brewers have their first of three UVC crossovers, going up against NYU on Sunday at 2 p.m. in a rematch from January 29, before facing host Elmira at 5 p.m.