Elmira College (19-7, 2-4 UVC) vs. Keuka College (14-9, 9-6 NEAC)
Thursday, March 24, 2016 | 6:00 P.M. | Speidel Gymnasium – Elmira, NY
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles

Elmira, NY -- The ninth-ranked Elmira College men's volleyball team returns to Speidel Gymnasium to host Keuka College in a non-conference match on Thursday at 6:00 p.m., where the Soaring Eagles will honor its graduating members of the Class of 2016.

Last Time Out
Elmira earned a pair of five-set wins in its last outing over the weekend, edging Medaille College and Cal Lutheran at Kidera Gymnasium in Rochester, NY. The wins for the Soaring Eagles snapped a season-long three-match winless streak. Erik Griffin '16 paced the Elmira offense with 42 kills, including a 25-kill effort against the Mavericks.

Welcome to the Club
Entering last weekend's matches against Medaille and Cal Lutheran, senior outside hitter Mike Ellison '16 needed just three kills to reach the 1,000-kill plateau. The Victor, NY, native instead produced 27 kills in the two matches, bringing his career total to 1,024. Ellison became the third player in EC's six-year history to reach 1,000 kills, joining former teammate Ryan Gelenitis '14 and Griffin.

One Kill Away
Fourth-year talent Erik Griffin '16 sits on 1,440 career kills, which places the Victor, NY, native in a two-way tie for first place in program history with former teammate Gelenitis. With one more kill, Griffin will move into sole possession of first place in EC history.

Class of 2016
The Elmira College graduating members of the Class of 2016 have a lot to be proud of looking back on their four-year careers. As a collective group, this class has amassed 82 wins, just three shy of becoming the winningest class in program history. This class has qualified for three consecutive UVC postseason tournaments and has helped the Soaring Eagles end the past two seasons ranked in the Top-15 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Poll.

Scouting Keuka
With a 14-9 overall record, the Keuka College Wolfpack is closing in on completing its fourth season as a collegiate program. The team's 14 wins are the second-most in program history and just three shy of tying last season's record-setting total of 16. Keuka is 6-4 in its last 10 matches, with five of those victories coming in NEAC play, placing the Wolfpack in sole possession of fourth place in their conference standings. Connor Hinman paces the Keuka attack with a 3.67 kills per set average, which ranks second in the NEAC and 10th in NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball. Defensively, Cooper Lyon leads the pack with 3.20 digs per set, a mark that is tops in the NEAC and fifth in the country.

First Meeting
Tonight's meeting between the Soaring Eagles and the Wolfpack is the first time the two teams will play in their respective history. For the Soaring Eagles, Keuka will be the fourth team EC will meet for the first time this year.

Looking Ahead
Elmira returns to action on Saturday, March 26th, when the Soaring Eagles conclude UVC play with a pair of matches against nationally-ranked opponents in Poughkeepsie, NY. The Soaring Eagles begin play on Saturday against 10th-ranked Vassar College at 11:00 a.m., before wrapping-up with a 2:00 p.m. bout with top-ranked SUNY New Paltz.