By: Jennifer Jones
Director of Sports Information
jonesj@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The bracket is set and the teams are ready for the 2014 NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championship. Juniata College is the host for this year's tournament and the third ranked Eagles are looking forward to being home for at least one more match. Juniata (27-4) will face sixth seeded Kean University in the national quarterfinals on Friday, April 25 at 8 p.m.
Matchup Preview
This will be the second meeting between Kean and the third ranked Eagles this season. Juniata leads the all-time series 2-1 and swept the Cougars (3-0) when they met back on January 25. This is the first time the teams will meet in postseason play. Kean comes into the tournament ranked ninth nationally.
Second Times a Charm
The Eagles are making their second NCAA tournament appearance in two years. Last year, they fell 3-0 to Rivier in the national quarterfinals.
Gone Streaking
Juniata has won 12 of its last 13 matches and 17 of its last 19. They were on a season-long eight-match win streak before it was snapped on April 5 by then No. 15 Stevenson in a 3-1 decision. The Eagles have now won four straight.
Once ...twice...six times a winner
Juniata men's volleyball has won six national titles in its 23 year existence. Competing out of the EIVA, the Eagles vied for a shot at the Molten Division III Championship. They first took it home in 1998 and then won it from 2004-07 with head coach Pat Shawaryn on the '04 roster. Juniata's last Molten title came in 2009.
All-American Boys
Juniata tied for the most American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America selections in its 2014 class. Juniors Joe Bortak (Jeannette, Pa./Penn Trafford) and Paul Kuhn (York, Pa./Central York) were named first teamers, while redshirt junior Alex McColgin (Buffalo, N.Y./Hamburg) and sophomore Chad Albert (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) earned second team honors. Bortak is a three-time All-American. This was Kuhn's second All-America honor, and the first for McColgin and Albert.
Double Dipping
Juniata won its second consecutive Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) championship to earn a berth to the national tournament. With this year's championship taking place in Huntingdon, the win made sure the Eagles would get to play in their gym, in front of their fans at least one more time.
Honored to Be Here
The Eagles racked up the honors during this year. Kuhn, McColgin, and junior Mark Feiler (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) each earned CVC player of the week awards. Feiler and sophomore Matt Elias (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) also earned Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) player of the week and Kuhn was an AVCA national player of the week.
On Top of the World
The Eagles spent four consecutive weeks on top of the 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. In total, they spent five weeks in the top spot this season.
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 led the CVC in both categories and were league leaders in aces per set and hitting percentage.
Eagles in the National Rankings
Five Eagles are ranked nationally for individual categories with two earning top 10 spots. Bortak is second nationally in hitting percentage and Albert is ninth in blocks per set.
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