POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (February 9^th, 2017) – The Vassar College men's volleyball has an action-packed upcoming weekend as they host four formidable teams in the Vassar College Invitational. During the International Volleyball Hall of Fame Morgan Classic, the Brewers defeated No. 6 NYU in three sets on Friday in the first round of play. Vassar would fall the next day to top-ranked Springfield College in three games in the title game of the Classic. The Brewers will now be looking to regain their momentum at home after an 11-match road trip.
 
2017 Vassar College Invitational Tournament Website
 
Game Details
Opponent: vs. Johnson & Wales University (4-6)
Links: (Johnson & Wales University Home Page)(Roster)(Schedule)(Statistics)
Opponent: vs. Stevenson University (7-5)
Links: (Stevenson University Home Page)(Roster)(Schedule)(Statistics)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Athletics and Fitness Center
Date: February 10, 2017
Time: 5 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Live Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)

Game Details
Opponent: vs. Ramapo College (7-2)
Links: (Ramapo College Home Page)(Roster)(Schedule)(Statistics)
Opponent: vs. College of Mt. St. Vincent (4-4)
Links: (College of Mt. St. Vincent Home Page)(Roster)(Schedule)(Statistics)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Athletics and Fitness Center
Date: February 11, 2017
Time: 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Live Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)

Last Time Out: The Brewers split a pair of matches last weekend, defeating No.6 NYU in three sets before losing in three to No. Springfield. Juniors Matthew Knigge and Zachariah Lee were named to the International Volleyball Hall of Fame Morgan Classic All-Tournament Team for their performances throughout the weekend.

A Look At The Brewers (6-5): 

• Despite their inconsistent season, the Brewers come into the week holding onto the No. 8 national ranking in the nation. VC is 2-3 against nationally-ranked teams.
• Vassar is currently ranked No. 4 in Division III men's volleyball in blocks per set with 2.45, behind No. 1 Wentworth and its 2.84 a game.
• Knigge is ranked No. 6 on the blocks per set listing among individuals, as he has posted 1.13 rejections a game. He leads the UVC in the category
• Senior Trey Cimorelli is 19^th in the country in digs per set with 2.73, and leads the UVC in the category. He is also 57 digs shy of 1,000 for his career.
• Junior Zechariah Lee enters the weekend with 123 career service aces, which is second on the all-time list behind the 143 from Evan Frederickson.
• Vassar is currently ranked No. 10 in the UVC in hitting percentage, and is 49^thnationally out of the 75 D-III teams.
• Junior Zechariah Lee is 29^th in the country in assists per set with 8.60 and is 6^th in the UVC.
• Vassar currently has an all-time record of 384-337 in program history, moving in on 400 wins.

 
A Look At The Johnson & Wales Wildcats (4-6): 

• The Wildcats will look to rebound after a 3-1 loss to Lasell college. Last weekend the team split their decisions, defeating Elmira College 3-2 after losing to Nazareth College 3-1.
• Senior Brendan Baker currently leads the team and conference in kills per set with 3.41.
• Sophomore Matt Lavasseur has been exceptional for the Wildcats defensively, leading the team in blocks per set with 0.83.
• Another defensive specialist, Sophomore Alex Seda ranks top among his teammates for digs per set with 2.31
• Senior Cameron Ponce tops the team with helpers, averaging 8.79 assists per set.
• This meeting will mark the first time the Brewers and Wildcats have met on the court.

A Look At The Stevenson Mustangs (7-5): 

• After going 1-2 last weekend, the Mustangs hoped to find their footing once more but to no avail after losing 3-2 against Eastern Mennonite University.
• Sophomore Landon Shorts leads Stevenson in kills per set with 3.25.
• Senior Nate Ellis has kept the team strong in the back with 8 blocks on 1.10 blocks per set.
• Defensively freshman Derek Tangorra has been dominant on the ground with 3.08 digs per set.
• Senior Kyle Johnson is Stevenson's leading set-up man, averaging 9.26 assists per set – placing him second in the conference and 19^th in the nation.
• Stevenson and Vassar have split their two matches over the course of the past five years. Stevenson won the first matchup, but Vassar got its revenge a year later with a 3-2 victory itself. Both matches went five sets.

A Look At The Ramapo Roadrunners (7-2): 

• The Roadrunners have won four of their last five games, including decisive 3-0 wins over #10 Stevenson University and Baruch College. #2 New Paltz dealt the Roadrunners their second loss of the season on Wednesday of this week.
• Nick Amos leads the team – and places fourth in the conference – with a .388 hitting percentage, while Justin Feigeles leads the team with 4.07 kills per set. Feigeles's mark is the second best in the conference and the seventh best in the nation.
• Mikhael Erushalimski has served as the conference's, and thus the team's, leading distributor this year. He has set up his teammates at a stellar clip of 9.48 assists per set.
• Terrence Cando – a sophomore from Jersey City, NJ – has been shoveling up attacks at a rate of 2.15 digs per set. This clip places him second in the conference and 53^rd in the nation.
• Jordan Elam has been sending opponents away from the net all season, posting a Mutombo-esque 1.19 blocks per set. Accordingly, Elam is first in the conference and third in the country in blocks per set.
• The Brewers are 16-6 in their 22 games against the Roadrunners since 1993. Despite this stellar record, the Brewers have lost three of their last four meetings with the Roadrunners.

A Look At the Dolphins (4-4)

• The Dolphins of Mount Saint Vincent are coming off a 3-1 win over Lehman College back on February 1, snapping a two-match losing skid.
• CMSV this year is 0-3 in true road matches, while winning all three of its home matches and going 1-1 in neutral site clashes.
• Tyler Cucullu is the top option offensively for the Dolphins, as he comes into the weekend with 3.33 kills per set, hitting .249 on the season.
• Scott Sawyer is posting 1.89 kills a game, while chalking up a team-best .275 hitting percentage on the year.
• Logan Dickover has dished out 8.25 assists per set this season, leading the squad. Dickover also registered nine aces, second-most among Dolphins players.
• Cucullu has a team-high 52 digs on the year, while Jordan Steiger leads the squad with 2.14 digs per set.  
• Vassar is 8-1 all-time against the Dolphins, knocking off CMSV last year in three sets on the road.

Up Next: The Brewers were off for seven days before jumping into United Volleyball Conference (UVC) at Elmira College, battling No. 3 Stevens Institute of Technology and Elmira Saturday, February 18 at 1:30 p.m.