Eli Gabriel Irizarry Pares is in his first season as a Graduate Assistant with the Flyers after playing at Springfield College and Grand View University.
Springfield College:
2018-19: Named a AVCA First Team All-American after a stellar sophomore campaign... started 29 matches for the Pride in his second season... directed an offense that ranked sixth in the country with a .290 hitting percentage while racking up a team-high 896 assists... led the team with 43 aces while also contributing 121 kills at a .422 clip to go along with 50 blocks.
2017-18: Appeared in 22 matches for the Pride, totaling 436 assists, 87 digs, 49 kills, 19 blocks, and 15 aces... started 12 matches in his first season and was an offensive threat from the setter position, producing a .596 hitting percentage on the season. Helped lead the Prides to a D-III National Championship win.
Grand View University:
2019-2020: Irizarry Pares helped the Vikings to a 22-1 (.957) season record, 10-0 Conference record, and a 21 game winning streak before Covid-19 cut the season short.
USA National Team:
Irizarry Pares was part of the USAV/High Performance Pipeline since his first arrival to the USA at the age of 13. He was selected team captain for five consecutive years. His last USAV National Team Appearance was his senior year of high school when he was selected as an alternate on the team that traveled to compete in Havana, Cuba.
Recognitions:
- Springfield Puerto Rican Parade 2018 Sports Ambassadors
- 2016 All-Tidewater Player of the Year
He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sports Management, from Grand View in 2021 and is currently working on his master's degree in Organizational Leadership at Lewis.
