SALISBURY, N.C. — Coming off a break created by winter weather, the Catawba College men's volleyball team returns to the court on Wednesday against Belmont Abbey at Goodman Arena.
Last Time Out
- Nearly two weeks ago, Catawba picked up its second win of the campaign with a 3-0 sweep of the King Tornado
- Despite struggling offensively with a .176 hitting percentage, the Catawba Indians' defense saved the day with a 9-5 block margin
- Justin Arrowood smashed a team-high 14 kills with two service aces, three blocks and four digs in the triumph
- Logan Neitzel topped a six-man stable of blockers with five stops, while Max Adkisson's six digs led a group of eight
Early Hiatus
- Over the course of the past two weeks, only one of four scheduled matches were played as tilts on Jan. 23, 27, and 31 were canceled or postponed
- The two-match stay in Bristol, Tenn., was modified to exclude the neutral-site meeting with LeMoyne-Owen and moved up the King match by two days
- Last Tuesday's away match against Barton was postponed to Mar. 10 due to the crippling effects of ice left by Winter Storm Fern
- The home match scheduled for last Saturday versus Newberry was postponed by Winter Storm Gianna; the makeup date for that contest is to be determined
Top 20 Marks
- Adkisson stands 11th in Division I/II with 2.41 digs per set; his 21 digs against Belmont Abbey on Jan. 15 is the best single-match value nationwide
- While spearheading the Catawba Indians' offense, Arrowood has the 16th-best kills per set average with 3.71 strikes
- As a team, Catawba is 15th nationally with an opposing hitting percentage of .208, allowing no better than a .269 clip (George Mason) with a season-low .098 (King)
- Catawba's 2.29 blocks per set this season ranks 20th as each of the squad's four matches have featured eight or more stops and at least 15 block assists
All-Time Series
- Catawba has yet to defeat Belmont Abbey in three attempts, but the blue and white got close in January with a 3-2 result at the Wheeler Center
- The lone meeting at Goodman Arena – the first-ever men's match at the venue – went the Crusaders' way in four sets
- Both this upcoming meeting and the foes' initial matchup were coming off Catawba wins at King; the 2025 victory over King was Catawba's first in program history
Scouting the Crusaders
- Belmont Abbey hosted Catawba back on Jan. 15, which is still the squad's only match of 2026
- Abbey was supposed to visit Harrogate, Tenn., to face Lincoln Memorial and Northern Kentucky last weekend, but the second round of hazardous weather knocked that trip out
- In the 3-2 win over the Catawba Indians, the Crusaders overcame a 2-1 deficit and finished with a .192 hitting percentage as well as 13 total blocks
- Joseph Morris played a vital role in the victory, collecting 39 assists with five blocks and 17 digs from his setter post
- Caden Day, Zach Puentes and Logan Erickson each tallied double-digit kills with hitting percentages in the .200s; Puentes is a defending AVCA All-America Honorable Mention
Follow Along
- All home matches are broadcast live on FloCollege
- Live stats will be available on CatawbaAthletics.com
