Bahamian volleyball player Eugene Stuart, a four-year starter for the University of Charleston Golden Eagles, is the latest Bahamian to be recognized during Black History Month.
In its daily recognitions on Tuesday, on Twitter, honoring those who would have helped pave the way for today’s student-athletes, the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) and its racial equity council highlighted Stuart for his contributions to Golden Eagles’ program and men’s collegiate volleyball in the EIVA. The EIVA is a long-tenured varsity collegiate men’s volleyball conference in the east region of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The Golden Eagles might not have won a conference title during Stuart’s tenure, but Stuart was instrumental in transforming the program into a team to be reckoned with for the duration of his collegiate career. In his senior season in 2019, Stuart started 20 of 21 matches and was fourth on the team with 191 total points scored. The middle blocker had 138 total kills, 13 aces and seven assists. He averaged 2.62 points per set. Defensively, he had 32 digs, six solo blocks and 68 assisted blocks.
One of the highlights of Stuart’s collegiate career came when he set a single-match record with seven aces in a five-set win for Charleston in their building over Sacred Heart University in the 2017-2018 season finale. The Golden Eagles won that match, 25-21, 25-21, 23-25, 19-25 and 15-5. Stuart helped lead the team to a 16-10 overall win/loss record that year – a marked improvement from the 4-23 squad he joined in 2015. That season, Stuart also earned his first EIVA Defensive Player of the Week honor after recording 11 total blocks in two conference wins for Charleston over the Princeton University Tigers. He was strong on the offensive end as well with 20 kills while hitting .500.
The Golden Eagles have competed in the EIVA since 2016, and is the only NCAA Division II program enlisted as a member.
Today, 24-year-old Stuart plays professionally with CSM (Clubul Sportiv Municipal) Arcada Galaţi in the Divizia A1 league in Galaţi, Romania -–the top pro volleyball league in that country. Stuart has helped his team record a 13-1 record so far this season.
In their last match, on Valentine’s Day on Sunday, Arcada Galaţi defeated CSU (Clubul Sportiv Universitatea) Brașov in straight sets. They won easily, 25-14, 25-12 and 25-9, on their home court at the Dunărea Sports Hall, in Galaţi, Romania. No individual statistics were available.
Arcada Galaţi, the reigning league champions, have won four straight matches, not losing since the quarterfinals of the CEV (European Volleyball Confederation) Challenge Cup to Dynamo Moscow – a professional volleyball club in Moscow, Russia – in December.
The 6’ 7” Stuart is a multiple national team player for the country and has been playing professionally for two years. He entered the professional ranks with Karelian Hurmos in Joensuu, North Karelia, Finland, last year and signed a contract with Arcada Galaţi this season.
Arcada Galaţi has 21 Champions League titles, five CEV Cup titles and three Romanian Cup titles.
Stuart and Arcada Galaţi play their next scheduled match on Saturday, February 27 against CS Dinamo București on the road at the Dinamo Polyvalent Hall in Bucharest, Romania.
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