The 10th ranked Hobart volleyball team will play its first home match of the season at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17, when the Statesmen take on Bard in a nonconference match in Bristol Gymnasium. It will be the first of three this weekend for Hobart.

Hobart Weekend Schedule
Friday, Jan. 17

• Hobart vs. Bard- 2 p.m.
• Bard vs. Eastern Mennonite- 4 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 18

• Hobart vs. Eastern Mennonite- 11 a.m.
• Hobart vs. Eastern Mennonite- 1 p.m.

Fans who can't make it to Bristol Gymnasium this weekend can follow all the action with HWS All-Access video and Live Stats.
 
ABOUT THE STATESMEN

• Hobart is ranked No. 10 in the AVCA national poll and No. 8 in the FrogJump Volleyball weekly rankings.
• The Statesmen enter the weekend with a 4-0 record after defeating SUNY Poly, Buffalo State, No. 19 Lasell, and No. 14 Misericordia at the SUNY Poly Invitational last weekend.
• Graduate student Andrew Kim was named the UVC Player of the Week after a dominating weekend that saw him break the NCAA DIII record for career kills. He now sits at 1,538 career kills between his time at Hobart and Vassar.
• Sophomore setter Zack Farren tallied his 1,000th career assist against the Lasers, marking the first player in program history to reach the milestone.
• Kim paces Hobart, averaging a nation's-best 5.36 kills per set and 6.46 points per set. Sophomore Noah DeLong follows with 1.64 kills per set, while first-year Alain Malcolm chips in 1.29 kills per set and 2.14 points per set.
• Farren and graduate student Benjamin Lincoln lead the Statesmen from the setter position and average 5.00 and 3.29 assists per set, respectively. Farren ranks fourth in the conference in that category.
• Defensively, sophomore libero Gavin Meador leads Hobart with 2.29 digs per set, which ranks second in the conference.
• Malcolm leads the UVC and ranks third in the nation in blocking, averaging 1.29 per set. First-year Josh Reilly has chipped in 0.85 blocks per set, which ranks third in the conference and 26th nationally. Sophomore Aiden Kemora ranks fifth in the conference in blocking, averaging 0.67 per set.
• The Statesmen have tallied 22 service aces this season and are led by Kim with 12. Sophomore Daniel Sappia has chipped in three aces this season, while Malcolm and Reilly have added two each.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS

• Friday's matchup with Hobart will be the season opener for Bard.
• The Raptors are coming off a 9-19 record in 2024 that saw them post a 1-6 record in the NEVC.
• Bard returns two of its three top producers from last season. Kincade Avery and Lincoln Grisso averaged 2.54 and 2.00 kills per set, respectively. The duo combined for 36 service aces and 66 blocks last season.
• The Raptors also return starting setter Georgi Chikolov who averaged 7.28 assists per set a year ago.
• Last season, Hobart defeated Bard 3-1 in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, on Feb. 23. Kim led the Statesmen with 21 kills and four digs, while DeLong chipped in 16 kills and 11 digs for his first career double-double. Farren tallied a match-high 49 assists in the win.

ABOUT THE ROYALS

• Friday's match against Bard will be Eastern Mennonite's season opener.
• The Royals are coming off an 18-13 record in 2024 that saw them lose 3-0 in the CVC semifinals to No. 1 Southern Virginia.
• Eastern Mennonite lost its top four producers from last season but returns Andre Mills and Jose Melendez who average 1.41 and 0.89 kills per set, respectively. The duo combined for 80 blocks and 19 service aces in 2024.
• The Royals also lost starting setter Tyler Oaks to graduation and will look to two first-years to run the offense. Ricardo Fernandez Perez and Diego Morales Torres are the two setters on this year's roster for Eastern Mennonite.
• Last season, Hobart defeated Eastern Mennonite 3-1 in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, on March 16. Sappia led the Statesmen with 10 kills, three digs and two service aces, while DeLong chipped in seven kills and six blocks. Farren tallied a match-high 39 assists in the win.