(Posted March 24, 2004)

Huntingdon, PA - Juniata College senior opposite Brian Dinning (Penn Hills/Pittsburgh) has been named the EIVA Division III player of the week for helping Juniata to a 2-0 week.

In a 3-2 victory over EIVA Tait competitor St. Francis, Dinning posted a career-high 23 kills while also recording a career best seven service aces. He contributed to the defense by bringing up six digs and adding three blocks. He attacked at a .375 clip in the match, which helped Juniata defeat a conference opponent. He then added seven kills while hitting .545 in two games as Juniata swept past Vassar 3-0. Dinning added two aces and two digs in the win. For the week he averaged six points, 4.29 kills, 1.29 aces and .43 blocks per game, while hitting .382.

Dinning has been a go-to player for Juniata this season. He leads the team in service aces with 28. In the statistics report released Mar. 23 Dinning ranked first in the EIVA for service aces per game. His 136 kills ranks him third on Juniata's squad and he is averaging 2.96 kills per game. He has also contributed 51 digs and 29 blocks on the season.

With Dinning playing a major role Juniata is in the midst of one of its finest seasons. The Blue and Gold put together a nine-match winning streak this season that ranks as the longest in the history of the men's volleyball programs. The Eagles are 11-3 through 14 matches, and have not lost to a Division III opponent this season. The team is also 5-3 in the highly-competitive EIVA Tait Division, with three of their four wins coming against Division I teams. Juniata has held the top spot in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 15 poll for the past five weeks.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.