Sacred Heart University will return to the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Championship Tournament for the first time since 2017, as announced on April 21. The Pioneers, who finished the regular season with a record of 10-15 overall and 3-9 in conference play, secured the No. 5 seed and are set to play No. 4 seed Charleston on April 22.
This marks a significant moment for Sacred Heart, which was picked last in preseason polls but managed to qualify for postseason play. The team’s improvement is attributed to both returning players and new contributors. Fourteen athletes from last year’s squad returned this season, helping build continuity and resilience within the group.
Junior outside hitter Aleksa Mandic has been central to Sacred Heart’s offense, leading with 283 kills and averaging 3.45 kills per set. Mandic also leads in service aces with a total of 45 and was named to the All-EIVA Second Team. Petr Beranek provided additional support offensively with 195 kills and received All-EIVA Honorable Mention honors.
On defense, libero Harryzen Soares led the team with 172 digs while Gian Paolo Pido contributed stability in serve receive; Pido also earned EIVA Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season.
Charleston enters as a strong opponent, having swept Sacred Heart earlier this year and holding a four-match winning streak against them. Statistically, Charleston ranks among conference leaders in several categories including kills (1,144), assists per set (11.27), hitting percentage, blocks, service aces, and defensive metrics.
The winner of Tuesday’s match will advance to face top-seeded Penn State in the semifinals at Rec Hall.
