ADRIAN, Mich. - This weekend, the Adrian men's volleyball team will host the program's first-ever "quad" tournament at the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center.

The Bulldogs (0-4) will welcome Marian University, Olivet College and Millikin University for a two-day, six-match event, beginning Saturday at 12 p.m.

 
Marian University Sabres - Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

The Sabres (2-0) enter this weekend with two three-set sweeps under their belt. After a solid 2021 season that saw the program post its first winning-record, Marian returns four All-NACC student-athletes, including Second-Team honoree Derek Wills.

The sophomore paced his squad with 151 total kills during his freshman year, and he actively sports 3.3 kills per set on a 0.298 attack-percentage.

Cam Muller has also made a strong impression for Marian in the early stages of the season, currently sitting second on the team with 2.50 kills per set, and two service aces.

Senior Zach Zelenik is up to a team-high 51 assists while also leading the Sabres on the defensive side of the ball with 21 total digs.

As a team, Marian holds a 0.244 hitting-percentage, which is backed by nearly 11 kills per set.
 
Olivet College Comets - Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League

Olivet will open its 2022 season on January 21 against Calumet of St. Joseph before venturing to Adrian. The Comets closed last season at 3-13 overall, playing only in-conference contests.

Deontay Thomas and Kai Hartman are due back on the court after pacing the team in kills in 2021 with 125 and 120, respectively.

Sophomore Everett Haynes, who led the Comets with 401 assists last year, is also expected back for his second season.

Defensively, Dakota Galeazzi returns to Olivet's backline with a team-high 132 digs to his name from the previous season.

All told, the Comets finished 2021 with a .096 attack-percentage, compared to its opponent's 0.254.
 
Millikin University Big Blue - College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

Much like Olivet, the Big Blue will be kicking-off their 2022 campaign this weekend, only a day later.

The team comes into this weekend in search of its first victory since its inaugural 2020 season.

Juniors Jose Gallardo and Robbie Maida were key contributors for Millikin in 2021. Gallardo finished second on the team in kills (48), digs (56) and assists (102), while Maida stood atop the leaderboard with 165 total assists.

Sophomore Chelan Beavers tallied the second-most blocks for the Big Blue last year with 19.0, while fellow classmen Jensen Mast is expected to take on the role of libero after sitting out his freshman season with an injury.

On the defensive end, Fred Halper is projected to lead the Big Blue backline after turning in 106 digs over 36 sets played in 2021.

As a team, Millikin hit just shy of five percent last year, totaling 329 kills. The Big Blue did, however, out-block their opposition by four blocks.
 
Adrian College Bulldogs - Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League

After a challenging trip to Grand Rapids last weekend that saw the 'Dogs drop a series of matches to four NAIA opponents, the black and gold will make their 2022 home debut on Saturday to open the tournament.

Through four matches, Chase Heuer is sporting a team-best 42 kills, followed by Peyton Doelling (31) and Brendan Gula (29).

Senior transfer Brandon Ravelo will be chasing history this weekend, as he sits only 32 assists shy of 1,000 for his career. Currently on the season, he stands with 135 total dimes for a 33.8 match average.

Defensively, Jacob Rembulat and Doelling lead Adrian with 35 and 28 digs, respectively, while the latter of the two also paces the team with 8.0 total blocks.

All told, the locals are posting 10.5 kills per set en route to a 0.150 hitting-percentage. The Bulldogs have also served up three more aces than their opponents so far this season.
 
Live stats and video will be available for all six matches this weekend. Visit the Adrian Quad webpage for more information.