ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's volleyball team battles Nazareth College on Tuesday, February 7, in non-conference action at the Kidera Gymnasium in Rochester, New York. The bout is slated to start at 7:00 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
The Soaring Eagles competed in a quartet of matches over the weekend, as they took part in both a tri-match at Mount St. Joseph and the 2018 Power Weekend, hosted by Wittenberg University. EC began the busy slate on Friday with an upset victory over No. 5 Dominican (Ill.), 3-2.
Jeremy Best '19 had a fantastic performance in the tilt with a career-high 62 assists. In the nightcap, Elmira fell in straight sets to No. 12 Mount St. Joseph. On Saturday, the Soaring Eagles again opened the day with a victory, this time knocking off Penn State Altoona, 3-0. This match showcased
Matthew Buffum '18, who posted match highs in both kills (14) and hitting percentage (.480). The Soaring Eagles closed out the trip to Ohio with a straight-set setback against Marian (Wis.).
EYES ON THE POLLS
With a 7-4 record on the season and an impressive victory over the fifth-ranked Stars, Elmira has started to garner attention from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). In the latest AVCA Division III Top-15 Poll, Elmira garnered 10 votes. It marked the first time since the 2017 preseason poll that the Soaring Eagles received votes from the AVCA. Elmira has not cracked the top-15 since the 2016 campaign, when it ended the season 12th in the final standings. Â
SERIES HISTORY
The all-series between Elmira and Nazareth has consisted of 14 matches. Heading into today's bout, the Golden Flyers own a 12-2 advantage over the Soaring Eagles. EC last topped Naz in the 2015 campaign, when the Purple and Gold defeated the then-ranked No. 6 Golden Flyers in five sets in Speidel Gymnasium. A victory on Wednesday would mark the first time that the Soaring Eagles have won in the series in Rochester.
SCOUTING NAZARETH
The Golden Flyers, who have been ranked as high as 13th by the AVCA this season, are 6-3 overall and are currently just outside of the top-15. Two of Naz's three losses came against nationally-ranked Mount St. Joseph (3-1) and Juniata (3-0), while the third setback was versus Elms (3-1), who is receiving votes. Most recently, the Golden Flyers defeated SUNY Poly in five sets and D'Youville in three on Saturday. Naz ranks in the middle of the pack on many of the United Volleyball Conference (UVC) leaderboards. Their strongest trait is hitting percentage, as the Golden Flyers' .264 attacking clip ranks fifth in the 10-team league. Leading this efficient offense is senior setter Jake Kemp, who is third in the league and 12th in the country in assists per set (9.67). Junior outside hitter Zachary Gillard has been the main beneficiary of Kemp's passing, as he leads the team with 98 kills on the season. The Oswego, New York, native also paces Nazareth with 10 service aces. Defensively, the duo of Sean Dillon and Sam Bittker have been the team's best blockers, as they are first and second on the Golden Flyers with 21 and 19 blocks, respectively.
UP NEXT
Following today's road trip, the Soaring Eagles return home to Speidel Gymnasium to kick off UVC play on Sunday, February 11. The Elmira College Tri-Match begins with a league bout against Bard College at 11:00 a.m., before the Soaring Eagles challenge Misericordia University at 4:00 p.m.
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