In their inaugural season of NCAA competition, the Adrian Bulldogs have gone through their fair share of growing pains.  The Bulldogs, hailing from Adrian, Mich., are still in search of their first program win as they bring an 0-16 overall record and 0-10 mark in the MCVL into their matchup with Loras. Standout performers for Adrian in 2016 have been outside hitters Avery Johnson and Eduardo Aleman, whose 1.74 and 1.65 kills per set averages respectively rank first and second on the team.

The Olivet Comets, whom along with Adrian, are a first-year program out of Michigan, have had similar struggles in 2016.  The Comets posted their lone win of the season in a non-conference matchup versus the Bulldogs back on Jan. 23.  Olivet comes into this weekend with a 1-15 overall record and is  0-10 in the MCVL. For the Comets, Luke Dewitt leads the offensive attack posting 2.12 kills per set out of the middle. Defensively, Blake Burk anchors the back line with his 2.30 digs per set average, which leads Olivet.

For the Penn State-Behrend Lions, the 2016 campaign has been challenging.  The Lions have struggled to a 5-13 overall record and 1-4 mark in the very competitive UVC. Similar to the MCVL, the UVC has six teams ranked inside the AVCA's top 15 coaches poll. PSU-Behrend is led by Trenton Munk, whose 2.56 kill per set and .407 attacking percentage lead the team. Munk's success can partially be credited to setter Anthony Sprentz, has posted 8.03 assists per set in 2016.

The Penn State-Altoona Lions have been successful in 2016 and are currently riding a four-game win streak.  The Lions have posted an 11-7 overall record and 7-3 mark in the NEAC.  Matt Huey has paved the way offensively with his 3.81 kills per set average, which leads the conference.  Setter Billy Smith, whom was recently named freshman of the week, paces the PSU-Altoona offense and his 9.05 assists per set rank second in the NEAC.

COUNT ON COMBS

Sophomore Jimmy Combs broke out of a prolonged slump this past weekend, combining for 23 kills against Wittenberg and Ottawa (Kas.). Combs recorded team-highs in kills in both instances, while also leading the Duhawks in hitting percentage. Against Wittenberg, Combs recorded a season-high 13 kills, alongside seven block assists and one solo block. In 2016, Combs ranks third on the team in points per set at 2.25, while ranking fourth in kills at 89. Combs has seen success around the net defensively, ranking third in the MCVL with 1.04 blocks per set.

DUHAWKS GET SECOND MCVL WIN

The Duhawks recently won their second MCVL game of the 2016 campaign against Wittenberg in a five set thriller back on March 12. This win marked a program record for the team, as they only won one conference game in their inaugural season last year. The Duhawks still have four conference games to play, leaving them a real chance to improve on this record further. The Duhawks have improved to 7-12 on the season, winning four more game than in 2015 with seven games left to play.

BALANCED "O" LEADS TO SUCCESS

The 2016 campaign has been marked by improved play from the Loras men's volleyball team, which can be attributed to the balanced attack the Duhawks have put on display. For Loras, eight players head into the spring break trip averaging more than one kill per set led by freshman Greg Kinney, who averages 2.16 kills per set. Furthermore, Loras currently has three players with at least 100 kills on the year, including sophomore Dylan Ross and freshmen Greg Kinney and Ryan Galvan. As another testament to that balance, Loras currently has five players with over 100 points in Ross, Kinney, Galvan, sophomore Jimmy Combs and freshman Alfredo Lopez. 

PAIGE SHOWING PROMISE
Freshman Chris Paige got the nod from head coach Jeremy Thornburg to start at libero this past weekend, which paid off for the Duhawks. The Plainfield, Ill. native was a steady force in the back row for Loras, tallying 23 digs between three matches last weekend including a season-high 12 against Wittenburg.  Paige has registered 38 digs in 23 sets played during 2016, an average of 1.65 digs per set, which puts him third on the Loras team.