POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 7, 2017) – The Vassar College men's volleyball team will be coming into Saturday's Senior Day doubleheader riding an impressive 12-game winning streak, second longest in program history.  If the Brewers are victorious this weekend, they will overcome the 2008 powerhouse team record of 13 games, which was snapped in the final round of the national championship by No. 1 Springfield College.
 
Game Details
Opponent: vs. No. 10 Hunter College (24-5)
Site:  Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Kenyon Hall
Date: April 7, 2017
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Live Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
Opponent: vs. Alvernia University (10-17)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Kenyon Hall
Date: April 7. 2017
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Live Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
Last Time Out: Vassar has propelled their way to the No. 2 ranking in the country after posting huge wins over UVC opponents Penn State Behrend and Bard College in straight sets. With these key wins, Vassar has become the host of the UVC Tournament on April 14-16.  Standout performances came from Christian Lizana (12 kills, 2 blocks), Yoni Auerbach (9 kills, 1 block), and Matthew Knigge (7 kills, 2 blocks).
 
A Look at the Brewers (24-6, 8-0 UVC)
 

• As No. 2 in the country, the Brewers prove to be formidable all over the court, led by standout seniors Quinn Rutledge, Trey Cimorelli, and Christian Lizana.
• The Brewers, as a team, lead the UVC in service aces (237). Junior Zachariah Lee is an integral part in this of this ranking, as he holds the No. 1 spot in the individual category (.68/game) and No. 8 nationally.
• Junior Matthew Knigge has proved himself unstoppable on offense and defense this season; this past week, he won UVC Player of the Week and Sports Imports/AVCA Division III Men's Player of the Week after averaging 3.00 K/S and .86 B/S versus No. 2 New Paltz. Knigge holds the No. 1 national ranking in B/S (1.38), thus propelling Vassar to lead the country in that category as well (2.67).
• Cimorelli, as libero, contributes an average of 2.49 digs per set, an average that brings him to No. 20 in the nation and tops the charts of the UVC.
• The Brewers' 12-game winning streak is third in the country, behind Springfield College (24) and Carthage (19).  Concordantly, the Brewers also have the third hardest schedule in all of Division III men's volleyball, just falling shy of Cal Lutheran and NYU.

 
A Look at the Hawks (24-5, 8-0 CUNYAC)

• No. 12 Hunter College will arrive in Poughkeepsie on a two game winning streak after an impressive past weekend.  Within two days, the Hawks took down CUNYAC rival Baruch College and No. 7 NYU, only giving up one set.
• Senior Steven Tarquinio led the Hawks to two wins this past week. In the Baruch game, Tarquinio tallied a game-high 11 kills, 9 blocks, and no errors. For his efforts, Tarquinio earned Player of the Week.  Tarquinio has been consistent for the Hawks all season, averaging 2.44 K/S and .98 B/S.
• Junior libero Joseph Muir has similarly been key for the Hawks, as he won his ninth Libero of the Week honor this past week.  Muir averages an impressive 3.18 digs per set and .72 assists per set.
• Senior Ben Crusinberry has had a cruisin' final season as a force to be reckoned with on the attack.  He averages 3.39 K/S. His fellow senior Brandon Kohler leads the CUNYAC in hitting percentage (.48) and comes in at No. 4 in B/S (.69).
• Hunter leads the CUNYAC in nearly every team category, including hitting percentage, assists, kills, and blocks.

 
A Look at the Crusaders (10-17, 1-12 CVC)

• The Crusaders boast a young team this season, with nine freshmen and no seniors.  Despite this, the team has managed ten wins, most notably over CVC rival Cairn University.
• Freshman Colin Welteroth has been a leader in his inaugural season with the Crusaders, averaging a team high pts/s with 3.37.
• Ralph Lunati has been an important cog in both offensive and defensive lines, as he holds the highest K/S (2.52) as well as the second most digs/set (1.36).
• Alvernia average more total team attacks than their opponents, heavily relying on their crafty front line of freshmen.
• The Crusaders are looking to end their season on a high note, as the matchup against Vassar College will be their last of the season.

Up Next: The Brewers will now prepare to host the UVC Tournament this Thursday though Saturday, playing the winner of New Paltz and MIT on Friday at 2 p.m.