The 15th-ranked Hobart volleyball team will be back in action this weekend for its regular season finale against Buffalo State. The nonconference matchup between the Statesmen and the Bengals is set for Saturday, April 6, at 1 p.m. in the Buffalo State Sports Arena.
Hobart (17-10, 3-4) is coming off a 3-0 conference sweep of Elmira last week to clinch a spot in the United Volleyball Conference postseason tournament for the first time in program history. First-year
Aiden Kemora was named the UVC Rookie of the Week after a strong performance against the Soaring Eagles. Kemora recorded seven kills (.429), four digs, two assists and one block in the win.
The Statesmen are ranked No. 15 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association's (AVCA) national poll, marking their eighth straight week in the top-20. Hobart also ranks top-25 in two other national polls, coming in at No. 15 in the Inside Hitter weekly rankings and No. 21 in the FrogJump Volleyball poll. Additionally, the Statesmen landed at No. 6 in the NCAA Division III Region II regional rankings.
Fans who cannot make it to Buffalo can follow all the action with live stats and video courtesy of
buffalostateathletics.com.
ABOUT THE STATESMEN
- Graduate student Andrew Kim leads the nation in kills per set (5.58) and points per set (6.31). First-year Daniel Sappia is sixth in the UVC with 3.46 kills per set.
- First-year setter Zack Farren runs Hobart's offense, averaging a league-leading 9.89 assists per set, which is 10th in the nation. He leads a Statesmen squad that is ranked second in the conference and fifth in the nation in assists per set (11.67).
- Hobart averages 12.39 kills per set as a team, which ranks second in the conference and eighth in the nation.
- Defensively, Hobart ranks among the conference's best. The Statesmen rank first in the UVC in digs per set (10.01) and are led by first-year libero Gavin Meador with 2.52 digs per set, which ranks third in the conference.
- Hobart ranks first in the UVC in opponent kills (9.79) and second in opponent assists (9.25).
- First-years Nate Magni (61) and Grayson Getz (46) have posed a threat at the net for the Statesmen and have combined for 107 blocks this season.
- Kim and Sappia both rank in the top-10 in the conference in aces per set and have combined for 76 this season. Kim ranks third with 0.52 per set while Sappia is in seventh with 0.36 per set.
ABOUT THE BENGALS
- Buffalo State (14-14) is coming off a 3-0 win over Ramapo on Saturday. The Bengals will take on Finger Lakes Community College in an exhibition match Saturday at 11 a.m., before taking on the Statesmen at 1 p.m.
- The Bengals are led by Chi Jackson, who averages 2.95 kills per set. Jake Woelfel chips in 2.88 kills per set for Buffalo State.
- Woelfel and Jackson share the team-lead with 3.58 points per set.
- Jackson Stang leads the Bengals offense from the setter position. He averages 9.18 assists per set, which ranks 28th in the nation.
- Stang also leads Buffalo State from the service line and has tallied 34 aces on the season. Gavin Wilczewski has chipped in 33 aces this season.
- Defensively, Alex Nuez leads the Bengals from the libero position. Nuez averages a team-leading 2.41 digs per set.
- Kaden Strong makes his presence known at the net and has recorded 78 blocks this season.
SERIES HISTORY
- Saturday's matchup will be the second meeting in program history between the Statesmen and the Bengals.
- Hobart holds a 1-0 edge in the series after defeating Buffalo State 3-0 in Geneva on March 1.
- Kim led the Statesmen with 15 kills (.344), six digs and three service aces, while Sappia chipped in 10 kills (.467), six digs and two aces in the win.
- Farren tallied 28 assists and seven digs in the sweep.
