George Mason University

George Mason Season Outlook

George Mason Season Outlook

The George Mason men’s volleyball team will begin the 2011 season the second weekend in January and for the Patriots, it can’t come soon enough. Despite making it to the EIVA Semifinals for the 10th consecutive year, 2010 resulted in a disappointing 8-19 campaign. This year, the Patriots are poised to make a splash in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.

Entering his 13^th season as head coach of the Patriots is Fred Chao, who brings 172 career wins into the season. Chao has led the Patriots to the EIVA title game three times, but since 1998, no team in the conference has gotten past Penn State. So, why is Chao so optimistic? Because he sees a lot of strengths on this year’s team.

“Our physicality and our depth across all positions and classes,” Chao said. “But, putting aside the cliché of chemistry, this year our practices are more focused on system cohesion and less on skill acquisition. I also think one of our strengths is our hunger. We had a tough year last year, and a lot of these guys were on the court for some bad losses. That’s carried over to this fall. We are very focused, very determined and we believe we can do it.”

Position-wise, the strength of this year’s squad will be its blockers. Shaun Sibley, who started 14 matches, is back, as is Piotr Dabrowksi, who started 11 as well. Both averaged more than a block per set last seasons. Charles Swingle, who was hurt last season, returns providing strong depth at the position.

“Sibley has turned into a dominant middle blocker,” Chao said. “He’s put in the work in every aspect of his game. He’s committed himself to becoming an elite level volleyball player. We should see a lot of his progress this season. Piotr saw some court time last year and has made himself more physical, and faster than he was. His best attribute is his blocking. He’s a very disciplined, well-structured blocker, he reads well, and is able to close the outsides.”

 Five players return at the outside hitter spot and there is experience at opposite hitter as well.  Eric Lucas started 20 matches last year and he averaged more than two kills per set. “Eric has a great deal of experience, having played as a libero his first 2 years,” Chao said. “He possesses a high level of ball control, and is also an explosive jumper.”

Joe Norton appeared in 23 matches with close to 1.5 kills per set. “Joe has continued to improve on his passing and attacking,” Chao said. “He has become more dynamic and can be effective for us.” Mark Jones appeared in 12 matches and Patrick Maloney was in nine. “Mark is a physically gifted athlete,” Chao said. “Even though he is still in the transition from being a setter to being an outside, he has it in him to be a big time weapon. Patrick has added a physical dimension to his typically controlled game. He is hitting higher and harder than ever, and can solidify a passing unit.”

Max McFarland, who played libero last year, and appeared in all 27 matches finishing second on the team in digs, is attempting to earn a spot at outside hitter as well. “On paper, Max is really too small to be an outside hitter. But his skill, determination and his competitive drive allows him to be,” Chao said. “We used him last year primarily as a libero. This year, we’re giving him the opportunity to train as an outside and he’s making the most of his opportunities.”

At opposite hitter, Michael Kvidahl returns after finishing second on the team in kills last year as a freshman. Also at opposite hitter are sophomore Robert Stoeckinger and freshman Jonathan Lutz.

“(Michael) played for us last year as a true freshman and showed he can handle the pressures of a match,” Chao said. “This year, he has practiced at a much higher level, so we expect him to be even better for us. He hits the ball well, he serves the ball extremely well, and his blocking is getting better.”

At setter, Mason has the luxury of two players with different skill sets both quite capable of leading the team. Redshirt senior Brandon Joyner and Javier Perez both bring a lot of experience to the position. Joyner started seven matches last year after suffering a broken thumb early in the season and appeared in 18 all together with 431 assists, second-most on the team. Perez had 810 assists, starting the other 20 matches.

“Brandon, like a lot of the guys on our team, is a very physical player,” Chao said. “He’s our most dominant blocker. With him on the court, our opponents have to reconsider what they’re doing offensively. He’s always been a very good defender, and he has added maturity to his setting.

“Javier is a very good setter. Every summer he gains more experience playing with the Puerto Rican Junior National Team. He’s capable of making some extremely difficult sets, he runs the offense very well, and is able to get the most out of the players around him. He keeps an energy and intensity despite the score of the game. He’s improved his blocking and can be effective from the service line.”

Finally, at libero, freshmen John Jepson and Dave Lucas will battle for the spot. “Dave has learned to pass at this level pretty quickly,” Chao said. “He understands what it takes for him to be a consistent passer. Jepson is a very quick athlete. So far, he’s learning to harness his speed and use it the right way. He and Dave both have learned to be more disciplined. The other five guys on the court with them are all good volleyball players, so they need to learn how to fit into the system.”

The season begins on January 8 with the first of three straight home matches as the Patriots host Toronto, then NJIT and Juniata the following weekend. After a mid-week trek to Ohio State, the Patriots return home to take on Springfield in their EIVA opener. Home matches follow against Sacred Heart, Ball State and IPFW. After playing seven of their first eight at home, Mason will play six straight on the road including four EIVA matches. The road trip ends with a Friday night match at Princeton followed by a Saturday Noon match at Rutgers-Newark.

The biggest home weekend of the season comes at the end of February as the Patriots host Rutgers-Newark on Friday, February 25, followed by Penn State the following night. The Patriots played exclusively non-conference matches in March but EIVA action heats up again in April, when Mason will play at Penn State on April 2 before finishing the season with three straight home matches, hosting Saint Frances, Princeton and Ohio State.

The EIVA Quarterfinals will be played on April 23 with the semifinals and finals the following Thursday and Saturday at the regular-season champion. Penn State hosts the NCAA Final Four, to which the EIVA Tournament winner advances automatically.

It’s a long season, but Chao expects it to be an exciting one.

“I expect we will be one of the top contenders in the EIVA,” Chao said. “Our goal is to play in the EIVA Finals and have a chance to go to the NCAAs this year. We have a strong chance. We have a real strong chance.”