Volleydons Take on East Coast over Weekend

PRE-MATCH NOTES

FORT WAYNE, Ind - The IPFW men's volleyball squad faces off against Sacred Heart and NJIT in a battle against two east coast squads over the weekend, looking to remain unbeaten against the pair.

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS

Sacred Heart comes into the Friday evening game having fallen to the Grand Canyon Antelopes by a 3-1 score on January 12.

In the loss, Jason Kinney knocked down a match-high 18 kills, hitting .256 percent (18 kills, seven errors, 43 attempts). Brad Borsay and Enzo Mackenzie each had nine kills in the losing effort. Benjamin Thomas dished out 39 assists, while Borsay added three service aces.

Travis Vonholt had a team-high three blocks in the loss, as the Pioneers had six total blocks, against 14.5 blocks for Grand Canyon.

SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS

NJIT also had their 2013 season spoiled by Grand Canyon, falling in four sets (25-21,25-22,23-25,25-21).

For the Highlanders, three players reached double-figure kills, led by Kajetan Borecki's 12 kills, as Chris Kaepernick and Doug Battersby each had 10. That trio combined for 32 of the team's 46 kills in the match.

Matthew Lui had 35 assists, while Battersby had two service aces, and a team-best six blocks. Overall, NJIT had 10 blocks, compared to 7.5 for the Antelopes. Brady Smith picked up 21 digs, while Herman Kantushov added 10.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

In his first week in an IPFW uniform, freshman Andy Sellan was named the MIVA Offensive Player of the Week.

Sellan led IPFW with 22 kills over the weekend as he hit at a .471 clip while only committing six errors on 34 total attacks. His best match came against Cardinal Stritch, where he recorded 12 kills on 16 attempts in just two sets of action. Sellan added three digs and three blocks against the Wolves.

The freshman jumped into the starting lineup for each match this weekend and responded with two service aces, five blocks, three digs, and one assist. He currently leads the team with 26.5 points.

ALL-TIME SERIES

2013 marks the first time that IPFW and Sacred Heart have faced off on the volleyball court.

The Mastodons and NJIT have faced nine times prior, with the Mastodons sweeping the contests. In all, IPFW has won 27 of 29 sets played in the series.

MIVA VOLLEYBALL

To follow all the action in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) visit the website at www.mivavolleyball.com. You can also find MIVA on Facebook at MIVAVolleyball and on Twitter @MIVAVolleyball.

2013 MIVA PRESEASON COACHES POLL

IPFW was picked sixth in the 2013 MIVA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Mastodons totaled 28 points, one behind Ball State for fifth, and seven from fourth-place Grand Canyon. Lewis was picked to finish first with 62 points and six first-place votes, while Loyola (54, one first place vote), and Ohio State (52, one first place vote) finished in a close race for second place. Conference newcomer Lindenwood (20) and Quincy (8) rounded out the eight teams in the conference.

2013 MIVA PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

IPFW junior Eddie Rivera was named to the Preseason All-League team. Rivera had 240 kills and a .230 attack percentage to go with 187 digs, most for a non-libero on the team, while adding 39 blocks and 26 aces.

TOUGH COMPETITION

Three MIVA teams appeared in the 2013 AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll. Lewis was picked fifth after finishing the 2012 season with a 26-7 record. Joining the Flyers on the poll was Loyola and Ohio State. Loyola was 19-12 last year, Ohio State was 21-9.

AVCA HALL OF FAME

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced that IPFW head men's volleyball coach Arnie Ball has been selected as a member of the 10th class of the AVCA Hall of Fame.

The AVCA annual recognizes individuals who have reached the pinnacle of their profession and the sport, with the AVCA Hall of Fame. This, the 10th annual AVCA Hall of Fame class features Bill Neville, Carol Ruso, and Rudy Suwara, in addition to Ball.

The four were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Dec. 13, 2012 at the Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon, held in conjunction with the 2012 AVCA Annual Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

MARCH MADNESS

The IPFW men's volleyball team faces off against half of the teams in last season's NCAA Final Four, highlighted by a March 9 match in the Gates Center that starts back up the heated Penn State / IPFW rivalry.

COVERING THE MASTODONS

Please contact the office for working credentials and to reserve workspace at the Gates Sports Center. All interview and photo requests must be coordinated through the IPFW Athletic Media Services office.

HOME SWEET HOME

The 'Dons close the year by hosting six of the last eight matches. On Thursday, March 21 the squad hosts in-state rival Ball State, before playing host to Ohio State two days later. Pfeiffer and Limestone each make a trip to Fort Wayne on March 29 and 30, respectively, before IPFW takes its final road trip to face Lindenwood on April 5 and Quincy on April 6. The team returns home to host Loyola on April 10, before hosting Lewis - last season's MIVA Tournament Champion - on April 13.

~ Feel the Rumble ~

Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics

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