Complete PDF Notes

Upcoming in Gray Wolves Volleyball: Lourdes begins its spring trip this weekend as the Gray Wolves travel to Davenport, Iowa to participate in Saint Ambrose's Fighting Bee Classic.  The Gray Wolves begin play on Friday night battling Hannibal-LaGrange before facing #1 Park.  Saturday Lourdes will face fourth-ranked Missouri Baptist as well as Emmanuel (Ga.).

Head Coach Greg Reitz: In his second season both on the Lourdes bench, and overall coaching men's volleyball, Greg Reitz has a 23-16 (.590) record at the helm of the Gray Wolves.  He was named to the MAMVIC East Coach of the Year in 2012.  Reitz is the only head coach in Lourdes program's history.

Series Notes: Lourdes is 2-0 against Hannibal-LaGrange, winning in five sets last year at the Saint Ambrose Fighting Bee Classic before downing the Trojans in four sets last week in Chicago.  The Gray Wolves are 0-1 all-time against Park, falling in four sets at last year's Fighting Bee Classic.  Lourdes has never met Missouri Baptist or Emmanuel (Ga.) on the volleyball court.

Wrapping Up Last Week: Lourdes posted a 3-1 record last week on its trip to Chicago.  The Gray Wolves opened the week with a MAMVIC East victory at Saint Xavier in four sets on Thursday before sweeping Robert Morris (Ill.) on Friday in conference action.  Saturday Lourdes posted a four-set victory over Hannibal-LaGrange before ending the week with a four-set loss to #8 Missouri Valley.  

Scouting Hannibal-LaGrange: The Trojans enter the week having won two of their last three matches after a four-set victory over Robert Morris (Ill.) on the road last Saturday.  The Trojans host Missouri Valley on Wednesday before facing Lourdes.  Jake Wollenberg leads the team with 146 kills and 85 digs while Kristen Clero has handed out 427 assists.  Tom Burke leads the team with 41 blocks.

Scouting Park: The Pirates remain unbeaten on the season but have been idle since a four-set win against Grand View on Feb. 20.   Zach Penolio leads the team with 102 kills while Rob Cordero has 289 assists.  Kalani Rose leads the team with 76 digs while Murilo Pereira has tallied a team-leading 25 blocks.  Park faces Warner earlier on Friday before playing Lourdes.

Scouting Missouri Baptist: The Spartans enter the weekend having won two straight matches following a sweep of Graceland on Feb. 22.  Missouri Baptist plays twice on Friday before facing Lourdes on Saturday.  Gustavo Cintron leads the Spartans with 103 kills while Robert Esser has handed out 316 assists.  Danny Gruszczyk has added 84 digs while Kevin Knight has a team-leading 27 blocks.

Scouting Emmanuel (Ga.): The Lions snapped a four-match losing skid on Feb. 23 with a five-set victory over Barton.  Emmanuel will play three times at the Fighting Bee Classic before facing Lourdes.  Ralph Ray leads the team with 176 kills while Meshach McKnight has recorded 570 assists.  Stephen Diaz has tallied a team-high 151 digs while Luke Fountain and Dennis Nelson has a team-best 31 blocks.

A Nice Stretch of Wins: Lourdes won four straight matches from Feb. 16-23, its second longest winning streak in program history.  The Gray Wolves set a school mark last year winning six consecutive contests from Feb. 18-26.

Facing #1: Lourdes will battle the nation's top-ranked team in Park on Friday evening, marking the fifth time in just two years that the Gray Wolves have face the number one team in the country.  Lourdes lost to Saint Ambrose twice to open up the program on Jan. 17, 2012, once in straight sets and the other in four sets.  The Gray Wolves also lost in four to #1 Park on March 2, 2012 and against to #1 Saint Ambrose in four sets on March 30, 2012.

Digging Them Up: Brad Miller has registered 154 digs for Lourdes thus far this season, leading all players in the country.  The sophomore is averaging 3.1 digs per set, a mark that ranks second among all NAIA players this season.

Killing Them: Nick DiMarco ranks second in the nation with 195 total kills this season.   The senior's 4.1 kills per set rank third in all of NAIA.

Dual Setters: Lourdes has had success with both Steve Barcus and Oliver Cizmazia setting for the team this season.  Barcus is averaging 10.4 assists per set while Cizmazia's average of 7.3 assists per set is deceiving.  Cizmazia has also seen action as an outside hitter, which has lowered his assist totals.

Captains Named: Senior Nick DiMarco and junior Trevor Lund have been named team captains for the 2013 season.  DiMarco led the Gray Wolves with 342 kills one season ago and will be a two-time team captain.  Lund will be in his first season at Lourdes after transferring in from Irvine Valley College.

This and That: Brad Miller and Frank Craig are the only Gray Wolves to appear in all 49 sets this season ... Lourdes is 0-5 already this season against nationally-ranked foes and will face two more this weekend .. the Gray Wolves have not lost to a team that was not ranked or a NCAA Division I opponent ... Nick DiMarco's 24 kills in the win over Hannibal-LaGrange were the most by a player this season at Lourdes in a match that did not go five sets.