Elmira College (11-4, 0-2 UVC) at Penn State-Behrend (3-7, 1-1 UVC)
Wednesday, February 24, 2016 | 7:00 P.M. | Junker Center – Erie, PA
Live Coverage

Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College men's volleyball team will look to pick up its fourth consecutive win this Wednesday, February 24th, when the Soaring Eagles travel to take on the Lions on Penn State-Behrend. Today's contest is slated for 7:00 p.m. at Behrend's Junker Center in Erie, PA.
 
Cali Swag
Elmira, albeit a bit jet-lagged, returned from its California getaway with a perfect 3-0 record. The Soaring Eagles opened play in Thousand Oaks, CA, with a four-set win over Benedictine University at Mesa (AZ), which snapped a mini two-match losing streak. The following day, Elmira validated its national ranking with a dominant 3-0 sweep of seventh-ranked UC Santa Cruz, before closing out action with a thrilling five-set win over Cal Lutheran. EC's win against UC Santa Cruz was the program's first Top-10 win of the season, as well as Elmira's second win over a nationally-ranked team.
 
National Honors for Griffin
After missing Elmira's previous six matches, Erik Griffin '16 returned to the court for all three of EC's matches in California. His three-match totals were staggering to say the least. Griffin finished with 79 kills, which were 48 higher than the next closest Soaring Eagle. He averaged an astonishing 6.58 kills per set, which was nearly 2.0 higher than his season average, and finished with a .464 attack percentage on a 79k-21e-125ta stat line. Griffin also did his part on defense with a team-high 26 digs, while his six total blocks were tied for second on the team. As a result, Griffin was named the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week, the second such award of his collegiate career.
 
Program Record Holder
Griffin was not the only one to have an exceptional weekend in California, as senior setter Carlos Faccio '16 also showcased his array of talent, specifically his ability to orchestrate Elmira's offense. He finished with 160 assists in the three matches, averaging 13.3 helpers per set. Of his 160 assists, 68 were registered in EC's five-set win over Cal Lutheran. The 68 assists broke Elmira single-match record for most assists, which was previously set by former AVCA All-American Michael Vellutato '14 (63) during the 2013 campaign.
 
Scouting the Lions
Penn State-Behrend enters today's contest with 3-7 overall record and a 1-1 mark in UVC play. The Lions have struggled to string together victories, as each win this season has been sandwiched between three losses. However, all three of Behrend's wins have occurred at the Junker Cetner, as the Lions sport a 3-3 home record in 2016. One of those home wins, one came in the team's most recent contest in the form of a 3-0 sweep of Bard College. The Lions will look for their second straight conference win tonight against Elmira, and to do so, Behrend will need junior middle hitter Trenton Munk to be at his best. Munk leads the team in kills (119), kills per set (2.83), attack percentage (.425), and total blocks (39). He has seven 10-plus kill efforts this season, with the Lions going 3-4 in those matches.
 
All-Time Series
Elmira and Penn State-Behrend have faced each other four times in their respective histories. In those four meetings, Elmira has walked away triumphant in all four, claiming a pair of 3-1 and 3-0 victories. The 2015 season was the last time these two teams met, a match that saw Mike Ellison '16 produce a match-high 16 kills in a 3-0 sweep at Speidel Gymnasium.
 
Up Next
Following tonight's conference bout, Elmira returns to its home court this weekend for a two-day home invitational. The Soaring Eagle Invitational is set to begin on Friday, February 26th, when the Purple and Gold host Wells College in a 6:00 p.m. non-conference meeting.