(RV) Men's Volleyball vs. No. 14 Messiah NCAA Tournament Preview

SALEM, Va.—The (RV) Fontbonne University men’s volleyball team returns to the court tomorrow morning when they’ll face No. 14 Messiah in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Photo credit: Tony LaRocca
Photo credit: Tony LaRocca
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Team Stats

April 20, 2021

SALEM, Va.—The (RV) Fontbonne University men's volleyball team returns to the court tomorrow morning when they'll face No. 14 Messiah in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Fontbonne (19-2; 15-1 MCVL) vs. Messiah (16-2; 14-2 MAC)

When: April 21st, 2021

Location: Salem, Va.

Time: 11 a.m.

Live Video: HERE

Live Stats: HERE

 

A Look At Fontbonne

  • The Griffins secured its second MCVL Tournament Title back on April 9th and 10th when they defeated Trine in straight sets and Mount Union in four for the title.
  • On the year, the Griffins total 12.76 kills per set to go along with its .309 hitting percentage. They currently rank fifth nationally in kills per set and third with 822 kills.
  • Ryan Lively, who became the first player in program history to be named an NVA / AVCA All-American, leads with 307 kills and 4.65 kills per set, both of which are single season records at Fontbonne. He ranks third in kills and sixth in kills per set nationally.
  • Cameron Graves is second on the team with 171 kills and a .284 hitting percentage.
  • Braden Woolsey has 135 kills thus far and ranks second nationally with a .475 hitting percentage. At the net, Woolsey is tied for seventh with 63 blocks.
  • Setter Kyler van Rossum-O'Connell leads the nation averaging 11.25 assists per set and 765 total assists.
  • Defensively, the Griffins rank eighth in digs per set at 11.42.
  • Zach Rothstein, who's the all-time leader in total digs with 1319, ranks fifth nationally with 3.26 digs per set.

 

A Look At Messiah

  • The Falcons won the Middle Atlantic title after knocking off Alvernia in four sets and earning a reverse sweep win in the title game over Stevenson.
  • This is Messiah's first trip the National Tournament.
  • As a team, the Falcons average 12.60 kills per set and a .288 hitting percentage. They rank second nationally with 896 kills.
  • The Falcons saw the likes of Mason Nissley and Matt Knab named to the NVA / AVCA All-American First Team, while Nate Bowman picked up Second Team honors.
  • Nissley was named AVCA National Player of the Year. He currently leads the nation with 328 kills and averages 5.75 kills per set.
  • Bowman has 150 kills and a .382 hitting percentage to his name, while Ian Parzyszek ranks third on the team with 145 kills.
  • Setter Matt Knab averages 10.32 assist per set and leads at the service line with 31 aces.
  • Defensively, the Falcons average 9.80 digs per set led by Own Hanzelman with 191 digs.

 

Fans make sure to stay updated on fontbonnegriffins.com throughout the year for full updates on the men's volleyball team.

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