By: Jennifer Jones
Director of Sports Information
jonesj@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
Photo: JD Cavrich
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – No. 3 Juniata College men's volleyball is gearing up for the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) Tournament and will have a little harder road to the championship. Six teams compete for the league title. As the reigning champion, Juniata (24-4, 9-1 CVC) will have the biggest target on its back. And because they are the #2 seed out of the East division, they will need to win three matches to defend their title and earn an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament.
The Eagles take on Dominican University Saturday, April 12 at 12:30 p.m. in the quarterfinal round. The winner will face west division top seed No. 4 Carthage in the semifinals at 4 p.m.
Dominican Details
The 2014 season marks the Dominican University men's volleyball team's first year in existence. Located in River Forest, Ill., they went 13-13 overall this season, 5-5 against conference opponents. The Stars' roster is comprised solely of freshmen from Illinois. They are riding a three-match win streak that includes the win over Mt. St. Joseph's that helped secured a playoff berth in their inaugural season in the CVC. The offense, which averages 11.63 kills per set, is being run by Alex Coyne. He has over 800 assists on the year and ranks top 15 nationally in assists per set. Outside hitter Zachery Sinn currently leads the team in kills with 267 and Brooks Nevrly is the digs leader at 256.
Third Time Around
Juniata is 2-1 all-time in the tournament. This is their first year as a #2 seed. After losing to UC Santa Cruz in the 2012 semifinals, the Eagles went through Carthage and UC Santa Cruz to earn the 2013 title.
On Top of the World
The Eagles spent four consecutive weeks on top of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national poll. It marked Juniata's longest run ranked No. 1 since the 2010 season. They have been ranked top three all season long. In fact, the Eagles have been among the top 10 teams in the country consistently since 1996.
Gone Streaking
Juniata has won nine of its last 10 matches and 14 of its last 16. They were on a season-long eight-match win streak before it was snapped at home on April 5 by No. 15 Stevenson in a 3-1 decision.
Team Effort
The Eagles are top 10 nationally in five of the seven team statistical categories including second in blocks per set and win-loss percentage. They also lead the CVC in both categories and are league leaders in aces per set and hitting percentage.
Eagles in the National Rankings
Four Eagles are ranked nationally for individual categories with two earning top 10 spots. Junior Joe Bortak (Jeannette, Pa./Penn Trafford) leads the CVC and is fourth nationally in hitting percentage. Sophomore Chad Albert (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) is eighth nationally in blocks per set and sits third in the league. Senior Alex McColgin (Buffalo, N.Y./Hamburg) has etched his name on five different lists including top 50 in hitting percentage and points per set.
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