Complete PDF Notes
Upcoming in Gray Wolves Volleyball: After posting a 4-1 start to the 2016 season, including a victory in the Mideast Conference opener, Lourdes returns to league play this week.  The Gray Wolves travel to Cincinnati on Wednesday evening to face Cincinnati Christian before taking nine days off from competition.

Head Coach Greg Reitz: In his fifth season both on the Lourdes bench, and overall coaching men's volleyball, Greg Reitz has a 72-38 (.655) record at the helm of the Gray Wolves.  He was named to the MAMVIC East Coach of the Year in 2012 and the Great Lakes Conference Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2015.  Reitz is the only head coach in Lourdes program's history.

Series Notes: Lourdes is 4-0 all-time against Cincinnati Christian in a series that dates back to Jan. 17, 2014.  The Gray Wolves have swept all four meetings against the Eagles, including a pair last season.  Lourdes holds a 2-0 advantage in matches played in Cincinnati.

Wrapping Up Last Week: Lourdes opened the season on Wednesday evening with a 25-11, 25-17, 25-9 sweep at Lawrence Tech.  Zachary Hawkins led Lourdes with 10 kills.  The two schools met again on Friday in the first match of the Lourdes Invitational, with the Gray Wolves notching a 25-17, 25-23, 25-14 win.  Brendan Brown hit .769 with 10 kills in the triumph.  Lourdes fell Friday night to ninth-ranked Clarke 25-18, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20.  Garrett Jones led Lourdes with 12 kills while CJ Rilveria recorded 23 digs.  On Saturday afternoon, the Gray Wolves downed 10th-ranked Robert Morris (Ill.) 25-15, 25-18, 25-18 behind 13 kills from Hawkins.  Lourdes closed the weekend with a 25-16, 15-25, 25-18, 26-24 win.  Hawkins and Eric Ubior each had 13 kills and 11 digs.

Scouting Cincinnati Christian: The Eagles opened the season with a five-set loss to Robert Morris (Ill.) at home last Thursday evening.  Logan Webber and Lance Wiles led Cincinnati Christian with 12 kills while Shaun Kanoho tallied 14 digs.  Michael Hiroskey handed out 35 assists.

Rilveria Earns Libero of the Week Honors: CJ Rilveria was named the NAIA Men's Volleyball Libero of the Week for the second time in his career.  The junior averaged 3.82 digs per set over the five matches, amassing 65 total digs.  His digs per set average currently ranks second in the nation.  Rilveria also earned the honor on Feb. 10, 2014 during his freshman season.

Duo Earn All-Tournament Team Accolades: Zachary Hawkins and Eric Ubior both were named to the Lourdes Invitational All-Tournament Team for their play last weekend.   Hawkins averaged 2.43 kills per set, 1.93 digs per set, and hit .208 over the four matches.  Ubior led the Gray Wolves tallying 3.08 kills per set, added 2.08 digs per set, and hit .344, playing in all but one stanza.

A Solid Block: Ryan Maune registered 18 blocks in the opening week of the season, including six of the solo variety.  His 1.06 blocks per set average ranks fifth nationally heading into the second week of the season.

Among the Nation's Leaders: As a team, Lourdes ranks in the top-five statistically in four different categories.  The Gray Wolves are second among all NAIA programs tallying 12.71 digs per set and 12.82 kills per set.  In addition, Lourdes ranks fourth hitting .276 as a team while also handing out 11.94 assists per set.

Nearly Halfway Done at Home: Having played four matches at home last week, the Gray Wolves are 40% of the way through their 10-match home schedule.  Lourdes will play three straight contests on the road before returning Feb. 10 for the team's next three-match homestand.

A Solid Hitting Night: Brendan Brown tallied 10 kills on 13 swings for Lourdes in Friday's match against Lawrence Tech.  In just his second collegiate match, the redshirt-freshman did not commit an error en route to a .769 hitting percentage for the afternoon.

Double-Doubles: The Gray Wolves had four different players register double-doubles during the Lourdes Invitational.  Ryan Ferkel handed out 36 assists and tallied 11 digs in the victory over Robert Morris (Ill.) on Saturday morning.  That same evening, Zachary Hawkins and Eric Ubior recorded 13 kills and 11 digs against Siena Heights while Garrett Jones added 12 kills and 11 digs versus the Saints.

A Clean Set: Lourdes did not commit an attack error as a team in the opening set against Siena Heights on Saturday.  The Gray Wolves hit .467 with 14 kills on just 30 swings.

The Mideast Conference: NAIA has reshuffled its conferences yet again heading into 2016. The Gray Wolves will play a double round-robin slate against Cincinnati Christian, Lawrence Tech, and Siena Heights in the quest for a league crown.  NAIA men's volleyball has moved from four conferences to five conferences in 2016.

This and That: Garrett Jones surpassed 400 kills last week, and  is the team's active leader with 424 ... CJ Rilveria surpassed 350 career digs and now has 358 in his three years at Lourdes ... Ryan Ferkel is the team's active assist leader with 555 after tallying 162 last week.