ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Following a season-long six-match homestand, the Elmira College men's volleyball team is back on the road for a Wednesday, February 22nd, non-conference showdown with Ramapo College. Wednesday's contest is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT: Elmira suffered back-to-back conference losses in its last outing, falling to both second-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology and eighth-ranked Vassar College in straight sets last Saturday.
Ryan McDonough '18 led the Soaring Eagles with match-high kills in both contests, beginning with a 17-kill performance against the Ducks and an 11-kill outing in the nightcap versus the Brewers. McDonough was the only member of the Purple and Gold to produce double-digit kills in either match.
Jeremy Best '19 logged 55 assists in the two matches, 32 of which came against the second-ranked Ducks of Stevens.
ONE BLOCK AWAY: Matthew Buffum '18 is sitting on 165 career blocks (40bs, 125ba) heading into Wednesday's clash with Ramapo. His 165 rejections rank seventh in program history, and with one more block this week Buffum will move into a two-way tie with former Elmira standout Ryan Gelenitis '14 for sixth place in EC history.
SCOUTING RAMAPO: The Roadrunners opened the 2017 season with seven wins in their first eight matches, which included victories over then-No. 10 Stevenson and current No. 12 Lasell. However, since Ramapo's win over the Lasers on February 4th, the Roadrunners have come up empty in their last five matches to bring their 2017 record to 7-6. Of those five losses, two were against UVC teams, both of which were ranked eighth-or-better at the time. Justin Feigeles is the team's most lethal threat at the net with a team-best 164 kills (4.00 kps) on a .283 attack percentage. Feigeles has been just as impressive on the defensive side of the ball, as the junior outside hitter is second on the team in digs with 75, trailing only Terrence Cando who has 80 on the season.
SERIES HISTORY: Elmira holds a 3-1 lead in the all-time series against Ramapo and owns the most recent win in the series, one that occurred last season at Speidel Gymnasium. The Roadrunners' lone victory in the series took place on February 21, 2015, when Ramapo pulled off a five-set upset against the Purple and Gold in Rochester, New York.
LOOKING AHEAD: Elmira continues its non-conference schedule this weekend at the SUNY Poly Invitational in Utica, New York. The Soaring Eagles open action at the invite against Wilkes University on Friday, February 24, at 7:00 p.m.
