Complete PDF Notes
Upcoming in Gray Wolves Volleyball:  After remaining eighth in the latest NAIA men's volleyball poll, Lourdes returns home for the first time in three weeks on Friday evening as the Gray Wolves entertain Saint Xavier at Tam-o-Shanter.  

Head Coach Greg Reitz: In his fifth season both on the Lourdes bench, and overall coaching men's volleyball, Greg Reitz has a 82-40 (.672) 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 12-0 all-time against Saint Xavier in a series that dates back to Jan. 20, 2012.  The Gray Wolves have defeated the Cougars in straight sets in three straight matches, including earlier this year in Chicago on Feb. 5.  Lourdes has won the only two previous meetings against Saint Xavier in matches that were played at Tam-o-Shanter.

Earlier This Season: Lourdes scored a 25-12, 26-24, 25-17 victory on the road at Saint Xavier on Feb. 5.  Ryan Maune tallied 11 kills and hit .500 while Garrett Jones tallied 10 kills.  CJ Rilveria had a team-high 11 digs.  Sean Barry led the Cougars with 11 kills while Moises Lopez handed out 19 assists and had a team-high seven digs.

Wrapping Up Last Week: Lourdes was swept for the first time this season on Monday afternoon as the Gray Wolves fell 25-23, 25-12, 25-23 at top-ranked Missouri Baptist.  Lourdes hit just .074 for the match with Zachary Hawkins leading the team with six kills.  On Friday night, Lourdes upset NCAA Division I IPFW in straight sets 25-18, 25-23, 25-19 in Fort Wayne, Ind.  Garrett Jones tallied 12 kills and Hawkins added 11 more as the Gray Wolves hit .347 as a team.  CJ Rilveria had 11 digs in the victory.

Scouting Saint Xavier: The Cougars have dropped two of their last three matches after falling in straight sets at ninth-ranked Robert Morris (Ill.) on Tuesday evening.  Sean Barry leads Saint Xavier with 192 kills while Moises Lopez has handed out 301 assists.  Dominic Villa is the team leader with 116 digs and Bradley Gadek has been involved in 59 blocks this season.

A Historic Victory: Lourdes victory over IPFW on Friday evening marked the first time any Gray Wolf program has defeated a NCAA Division I program.  The Gray Wolves had previously played IPFW in 2013 and 2015, dropping the contests in three sets and four sets respectively.

Ferkel Nearing 1,000 Assists: Ryan Ferkel enters the week having handed out 962 career assists, needing just 38 more to reach the 1,000 plateau.  The junior has handed out 569 helpers this season, marking a new career high.

Quite the Offensive Production: Ryan Maune and Brendan Brown are both having solid seasons offensively in the middle, as each is hitting better than .400.  Maune is swinging at a .427 clip during his first season with Lourdes while Brown has connected at a .404 clip.

Jones Passes 500 Kills: Garrett Jones has surpassed the 500-kill mark for his career, entering the match with 532 over his four years.  Jones has 158 kills this season, just 39 shy of his single season career high of 197 set during his sophomore season.

National Honors: Lourdes has already received three national individual honors this season.  CJ Rilveria has twice been named the NAIA Libero of the Week (Jan. 25 and Feb. 8) while Ryan Ferkel was the NAIA Setter of the Week on Feb. 22.

Record-Setting Streak: Lourdes matched its school record for longest winning streak earlier this season.  The Gray Wolves won eight consecutive matches from Jan. 23 through Feb. 19.  The Gray Wolves also won eight straight contests from Feb. 3 through March 6, 2015.

Among the Nation's Leaders: As a team, Lourdes leads the nation statistically in digs per set, as the Gray Wolves have tallied 12.69 per stanza thus far this year.  The Gray Wolves are second in NAIA averaging 13.10 kills per set and 12.25 assists per set, while ranking fifth in hitting percentage (.274) and blocks per set (2.16).

Individual Leaders: CJ Rilveria ranks leads all of NAIA men's volleyball tallying 3.76 digs per set this season while Ryan Maune is second nationally averaging 1.28 blocks per set.  Ryan Ferkel is fifth nationally handing out 9.81 assists per set, while Maune is also fifth in the country hitting .427 on the year.
 
This and That: Lourdes has gone the full five sets just once this season, downing Missouri Valley 15-10 on the road in the fifth ... the Gray Wolves are 14-0 when outhitting opponents, but have yet to win when hitting below the opposition's effort ... CJ Rilveria is the lone Gray Wolf to have appeared in all 59 sets this season.