Erskine's Absalon Williams has trouble against the Hawai'i block/Hawai'i photo
The NCAA men’s volleyball season is under way and the biggest pre-conference tournament of the season begins Friday at Ohio State where the top-ranked and defending-champion Buckeyes __play host to USC after No. 13 Penn State plays No. 2 UCLA.
It’s called the AVCA Challenge and pits teams from the Big Ten and Pac-12, although they don’t compete under those conferences’ banners in men’s volleyball. It’s also at Ohio State’s St. John Arena, the site of May’s NCAA final-six championship tournament.
Ohio State of the MIVA, which shocked then No. 1 BYU in the NCAA title match last May, opens its season after winning its last 23 matches of 2016.
USC of the MPSF opened its season on Tuesday by beating visiting Concordia of Irvine in four.
Penn State, which did not win the EIVA last year for the first time in 18 years, is playing its season opener, while UCLA of the MPSF opened its season Tuesday by going to Chicago and sweeping Loyola of the MIVA.
There are various ways to keep up with the gathering. The website Off the Block will be streaming the first match live on Facebook, while Ohio State vs. USC can be seen on Buckeye Vision. Saturday’s first match between Penn State and USC will be shown on BTN2GO, the Big Ten Network online, while Saturday’s later match between Ohio State and UCLA will be on the Big Ten Network.
These same four teams opened last season at Penn State, the site of the 2016 NCAA final six.
There were some interesting results this past week as teams in the four leagues, including Conference Carolinas, opened their seasons.
At Hawai’i’s 23rd Outrigger Resorts Invitational the home team crushed Erskine of Conference Carolinas in three. Hawai’i had 13 service aces and hit .451 while limiting the Flying Fleet to .015 hitting. UH also outblocked Erskine 8.5 to 1.
Transfer Larry “Tui” Tuileta started the match at libero and finished it as an outside hitter and had five kills, two digs, and two aces.
The tournament continues Friday with Ball State playing Erskine before Hawai’i plays Princeton.
As mentioned, UCLA beat Loyola as Jake Arnitz had 11 kills and Micah Ma’a had seven blocks.
USC, which struggled last year under new coach Jeff Nygaard, opened its season with a 30-28, 23-25, 25-13, 25-18 over Concordia. Aaron Strange led with 13 kills. Concordia is 0-3 after also losing to UCI.
No. 8 UC Irvine is 2-0 after beating No. 20 IPFW in four. Karl Apfelbach led with 10 kills.
No. 6 Pepperdine had to go five to beat No. 22 McKendree 23-25, 18-25, 25-14, 25-21, 15-11 in the opener for both teams. Michael Wexter had 17 kills to lead the Waves, while Maalik Walker led McKendree with 21 and hit .421.
CSUN is 2-0. Northridge beat UC Merced in three after hitting .661 with just two errors on 62 swings.
Steve Timmons, Craig Buck, Karch Kiraly, and coach Marv Dunphy will be honored at the inaugural SCIHOF/Volleyball Magazine
The newly formed Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame (SCIVBHOF) recently announced its inaugural 25 member induction class of 2017.
The Hall of Fame will be located at the American Sports Center in Anaheim, the official training center of the USA Men and Women’s national teams.
The inaugural induction ceremony will be held Sunday May 7th. “The committee has done a tremendous job in narrowing the over 100 deserving Southern California nominees to an opening class of 25 indoor players and coaches,” said Mike Gallups, the President of American Sports Centers. “We are excited that the 25 selections cover the major eras of volleyball and look forward to honoring additional outstanding athletes and coaches with ties to Southern California in years to come.”
The inductee’s honors include over 100 combined Olympic medals, NCAA, AIAW, and United States Volleyball Association titles, plus numerous United States Volleyball Association honors spanning the 1950s into the 2000s.
1988 Seoul Olympic Gold medal winners Karch Kiraly, Bob Ctvrtlik, Steve Timmons, Craig Buck, Doug Partie, Jeff Stork, Ricci Luyties, and coach Marv Dunphy headline the inaugural class.
UCLA coach Al Scates is the most successful coach in the history of men’s volleyball, with a career that includes 19 championships and an overall record of 1239-290/NCAA Volleyball History Book
UCLA is represented well, as Kiraly, Partie, Luyties, legendary coach Al Scates, Andy Banachowski, Mike O’Hara, Sinjin Smith, and Rolf Engen participated in UCLA’s 29 championships.
USA and USC star Bryan Ivie is one of the first 25 to be inducted into the SCIHOF/NCAA Volleyball History Book
Timmons, NCAA MVP Dusty Dvorak, two time champion Bryan Ivie, and Olympic medalists Debbie Green and Paula Weishoff are the USC honorees.
Pepperdine’s Marv Dunphy, Ctvrtlik, Buck, and Stork are among the inaugural inductees.
Deitre Collins, UH star and SDSU coach will be inducted into the SCIHOF on May 7/NCAA Volleyball History Book
Current coach Deitre Collins-Parker, 1984 gold medalist and captain Chris Marlowe, and Olympian Laurel Brassey Iversen will represent San Diego State.
Misty May-Treanor, 1998 NCAA MVP/champion and three time gold medalist, sets for Long Beach/NCAA Volleyball History Book
Long Beach will be represented by four time Olympian Tara Cross-Battle, three-time gold medalist Misty May-Treanor, and former assistant coach Green.
Other honorees include three time All-American middle Kim Oden and UCSB coach and star Kathy Gregory. Gene Selznick, the international captain from 1953-1967, will be inducted posthumously.
Long-time scorekeeper Elissa Sato, who is also the maternal influence of the Sato family, was selected for the first SCIVB Lifetime Service Award.
The full list of 2017 inductees:
SCIVBHOF FINAL 25 INDUCTEES FOR MAY 7, 2017 EVENT
Andy Banachowski Laurel Brassey Iversen Craig Buck Deitre Collins-Parker Tara Cross-Battle Bob Ctvrtlik Marv Dunphy Dusty Dvorak Rolf Engen Debbie Green Kathy Gregory Bryan Ivie Karch Kiraly Ricci Luyties Chris Marlowe Misty May-Treanor Kim Oden Mike O’Hara Doug Partie Al Scates Gene Selznick Sinjin Smith Jeff Stork Steve Timmons Paula Weishoff
Men’s volleyball aficionado Dennis Stuart, who played club volleyball at Michigan and follows the men’s game closely, has coached and officiated at various levels of the sport, from Division I to beginning club players.
He ranked all the teams playing NCAA men’s volleyball this season.
There are a total of 42 universities that compete in DI/II collegiate men’s volleyball divided among four conferences. Those 42 will be whittled down to six in May for the 2017 NCAA DI/DII Men’s Volleyball Championship in Columbus, Ohio, and the hometown Ohio State Buckeyes are my choice to win it all again.
There are a few other teams out there that could turn some heads and surprise the Buckeyes come tournament time, but it will be hard to defeat Ohio State in St. John Arena, its home gym.
The days of the Penn State men’s volleyball team running roughshod over the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association are apparently over.
After winning their 18th EIVA regular-season title in a row and 32nd conference title in program history last spring, the Nittany Lions were ousted from the EIVA tournament at home in the semifinals by Saint Francis, which ended up losing to George Mason in the finale.
George Mason is tabbed preseason No. 1 by the EIVA coaches/George Mason athletics
Now George Mason, which won its first conference title in 28 seasons, is the preseason king of the hill, garnering seven of eight first-place votes in the EIVA preseason coaches poll. Penn State received the other first-place tally and was ranked second but only five points ahead of preseason EIVA No. 3 Saint Francis.
Mason, which was the No. 6 seed in the NCAA men’s championship at Penn State last year and lost to eventual NCAA-champion Ohio State in one of the two play-in matches, returns a number of high-profile contributors from a year ago.
Senior libero Johnny Gomez is back after leading the nation in digs a year ago (3.03 per set). He was an all-EIVA first-team pick and earned AVCA All-American honorable-mention accolades. Also back is 6-7 junior setter Brian Negron and 6-7 senior right side Jack Wilson,a fifth-year senior who had off-season shoulder surgery.
Second-year coach Jay Hosack — a former Penn State assistant — also is high on 6-7 redshirt sophomore middle Langston Payne, who originally came to the program as a walk-on right side but switched positions.
“He can touch 11-8 or 11-9 and has a real long hang time,” said Hosack. “I think he’s going to pose some headaches for teams we face.”
Mason’s incoming freshman class was ranked in the top 15 in the country by VolleyballMag.com and features the likes of Brad Creamer (6-8, RS), Sam Greenslade (6-7, OH), Hayden Wagner (6-6, OH) and Luis Velez (6-4, S). Creamer was a 2016 VolleyballMag.com Boys Fab 50 selection.
Hosack, the current USA men’s junior national team coach, said this year is trending on the different side with Mason being picked as the preseason conference favorite.
“It’s a new position for these guys,” he said. “It will be a real test to see how we handle the pressure. These are expectations we’ve never had before. We’ve turned the corner and now the real trick is maintaining that level of __play on a consistent basis. We’re fired up to be in this new position.”
Hosack, the 2016 conference coach of the year, added that the EIVA as a whole has taken a major step forward.
“The EIVA this year is stronger and better than years past,” he said. “With us winning the title for the first time in 28 years and someone winning it for the first time in 18 years besides Penn State is quite a statement to be made. It shows the conference is getting better. Saint Francis had never beaten Penn State and it beat them twice in the same season last year. That’s a testament to Saint Francis and how hard they are recruiting over there and how that coaching staff has done a great job.
“As a whole, the conference has to go out and start beating some of the other teams from the other conferences on a regular basis and pick up the profile of the conference. Once that happens we will be considered an even stronger conference.”
6-4 senior outside hitter Chris Nugent will be key for the Nittany Lions in 2017/Mark Selders, PSU athletics
Penn State is looking to put last year’s EIVA semifinal exit at Rec Hall in the rear-view mirror.
“Yes, I think last year was a disappointment in the sense we only lost one guy from the year before,” said longtime Penn State coach Mark Pavlik, who starts his 22nd year at the helm. “We didn’t rise to the challenge before us. We could have won three or four more matches with one more swing for a kill. We weren’t able to get it done. This year, we’re looking for the best possible ways we can to score points.”
The Nittany Lions, who have lost only seven EIVA matches in the last 20 years, welcome back 6-4 senior outside hitter Chris Nugent, redshirt sophomore outside Lee Smith, redshirt junior middle Kevin Gear, redshirt senior middle-right side Matt Callaway, as well as right sides Jalen Penrose (6-8, redshirt junior) and Calvin Mende (6-11, redshirt freshman).
Pavlik said Penrose and Mende are battling it out for the starting right-side positions. Nugent was the EIVA co-player of the year in 2016 along with NJIT’s Jabarry Goodridge.
The setting controls have been turned over to 6-4 redshirt freshman Luke Braswell.
“We’ll see how Luke develops,” Pavlik said. “He has a winning pedigree. His high school (Northeastern) won two state titles in Pennsylvania where the coach Matt Wilson (a former Ohio State player) runs a real nice program. He comes out of a program that knows how to win. That’s a crucial trait for a setter to have. I like the start Luke has gotten off to.”
Like Hosack, Pavlik agrees the EIVA continues upward.
“This is not your father’s EIVA,” he said. “I’m so proud of the conference. I think back when I first started and some programs were not well-supported. Many had part-time coaches or coaches that were coaching both men’s and women’s. That takes a toll. Since then, you have young coaches that want to do the right thing and want to work together to grow the EIVA.
“The last four or five years, every head coach in the conference has been at JO’s recruiting. There are good players out there and EIVA coaches are trying their hardest to get those kids into their gyms. I really like the direction the league is pointed in.”
Preseason No. 3 Saint Francis is a program on the rise/Andrew Smithvers, SF athletics
Saint Francis, out of Loretto, Pa, returns all-EIVA first-team pick Stephen Braswell (6-2, OH), as well as second-team selections Daniel Ford (6-5, S) and Jeff Hogan (6-4, RS). The Red Flash, under the direction of coach Mike Rumbaugh, posted five wins a year ago against nationally ranked foes. Saint Francis had been 0-37 all-time against Penn State prior to its first of two wins against the Nittany Lions last season.
“It’s nice to get respect from everybody else in the conference to vote us third this season,” said Rumbaugh, the longest tenured active coach in the SFU athletics department in his 19th season. “I feel pretty good where we are at as a team. It is going to be a competitive battle throughout the EIVA since everyone is much improved this season.”
6-11 freshman George Huhmann is part of the No. 7 ranked Princeton recruiting class of 2017
Princeton was ranked fourth in the EIVA preseason poll and will feature a youthful look this season. Former all-EIVA middle Junior Oboh will be a key figure for the Tigers, while Billy Andrew and Trey Sickler will vie for the other middle spot.
Coach Sam Shweisky, also head coach of the USA boys’ youth national team, brought in the No. 7 recruiting class in the nation as ranked by VolleyballMag.com, which features 6-11 St. Louis native George Huhmann, who adds depth and further promise to the middle position as a 2016 VolleyballMag.com Fab 50 pick.
Junior Kendall Ratter and freshmen Greg Luck and Parker Dixon will compete for outside playing time. Junior Mike Fuerst and senior Kurt Thiemann should compete for the right-side position while sophomore Matthew Nicholas returns from an injury.
Senior Jonah May and freshman Shane Gooding are at the setter’s slot, while sophomore Corry Short should open the season at libero.
Princeton is playing this weekend in the Outrigger Resorts Invitational in Hawaii. Princeton played in the 1998 NCAA semifinals at the Stan Sheriff Center on the campus of the University of Hawaii. Princeton will face AVCA No. 7 Hawaii and AVCA No. 15 Ball State.
AVCA All-American honorable mention Jabarry Goodridge is a force for NJIT/NJIT athletics
New Jersey Institute of Technology, which opened last season 6-0 to achieve the program’s longest winning streak since 2007, returns the aforementioned Goodridge, who was an AVCA All-American honorable-mention pick last season and the EIVA co-player of the year, ranked fourth in the country in kills per set (4.38) and 36th in hitting percentage at .303. The Barbados native led the EIVA in both total kills (390) and kills per set.
Highlanders coach Danny Goncalves returns 11 letterwinners and four starters.
Corona del Mar product Matt Ctvrtlik is part of Harvard’s recruiting class for 2017/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Harvard, under the direction of Princeton graduate Brian Baise (89-72 in six seasons), went 13-11 last year and 9-6 in EIVA action. The Crimson return eight letterwinners, including captains Casey White (6-4, OH, Mira Costa H.S. alum) and Sam Murphy (5-9 libero out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada). An incoming freshman class includes the likes of prep standout Matt Ctvrtlik (6-5, setter), the son of Olympian Bob Ctvrtlik and a 2016 VolleyballMag.com Boys’ Fab 50 selection.
Sacred Heart finished 2016 with a tough five set loss to Princeton/Sacred Heart athletics
Fairfield, Conn.-based Sacred Heart, under the leadership of coach Gregory Walker, returns a pair of all-EIVA second-team selections in senior right side Christopher DeLucie and junior libero Joshua Ayzenberg. DeLucie was second on the team and fourth in the conference in kills per set at 3.67 (which included a career-high 27 in a match against NJIT), while Ayzenberg was second in the EIVA and 10th in the country in digs per set at 2.55 (fifth all-time on Sacred Heart single-season list).
Charleston’s Chase Johnson and Ian Barker are two key additions for the Golden Eagles in their second year of EIVA play/Charleston athletics
Charleston went 4-24 and the West Virginia school finished 0-14 in its first year in the EIVA last season. Coach Ken Murczek, the former women’s coach at Wake Forest, will work with the team’s top-three kill producers from a year ago in Nassau, Bahamas natives Eugene Stuart (6-6, MB, Soph.), Rajahl Moxey (6-3, RS, Jr.) and Reading, Pa. native Ryan Santos (6-6, OH, Jr.). The Golden Eagles will __play their home matches in the school’s new Russell and Martha Wehrle Innovation Center.
The Conference Carolinas is not only the newest league in the NCAA men’s volleyball Division I/II arena, joining the party in 2012, but has since added Belmont Abbey, Erskine, and North Greenville and will field nine teams for 2017.
The CC, made up of solely Division II teams, located in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, was granted its first automatic berth in 2014, when conference champion Erskine earned a spot in the national quarterfinal match at Loyola of Chicago.
And while its winners have not yet won a set in post-season play, the conference is becoming more competitive each year.
“Now that it’s been a full cycle for the CC,” Belmont Abbey coach Sean Manzi said, “each team has progressively gotten stronger, and it’s really exciting to watch every match. The Conference Carolinas are doing a really good job of challenging each other to create competition in all of D1/D2.”
Federico Pagliara of Barton/Barton athletics
For the first time, Barton College was tabbed as the top team in the preseason coaches’ poll, receiving 78 points and six of nine first-place votes. Last year the Bulldogs were 22-7 (14-4 in ConfCarolinas), but were upended by top seed Erskine in the conference final.
“Being selected number one in the preseason poll is a testament to the hard work our athletes have put in each year to elevate our program to the next level,” coach Jeff Lennox said. “As a young team last year we matured and learned a lot as a group which has prepared us for what lies ahead this season. We will continue to work hard and prepare as always, and the preseason ranking will not distract us from how much we plan to progress and grow as a team.”
Lennox enters his fifth season, and will have to integrate four freshman and two transfers.
The Bulldogs return four key starters from last year, including senior setter Federico Pagliara, who was named all-conference second team with 10.84 assists/set, 132 digs and 33 blocks. Last year’s CC freshman of the year and third-team honoree Vasilis Mandilaris had 328 kills and hit .282. Sophomore outside Aleksa Brkovic, just 6-3, was tops in the NCAA in services aces (64 total, .64/set) and had 249 kills. 6-8 sophomore middle Nick Leary finished with 142 kills and 72 blocks.
“Our goal remains to improve each day in order to be playing our best volleyball at the end of the season. That is what matters in our gym,” Lennox said.
Mount Olive completed 2016 with a 12-12 record and a 11-7 conference record, tied for fourth. Head coaches David Heller and Jennifer Charles are happy their team was picked second in the poll, a tribute to the strength of four returning starters: 6-5 junior outside Kian Hollevoet, 6-9 junior opposite Robert Poole, 6-5 junior setter Jeff Yasalonis, and 5-10 senior libero Josh Donahue.
The Trojans will need to replace the output of outside Victor Fraga Leal (1.9 kills/set) and setter Tyler Yanez (9.93 assists/set).
Nick Drooker serves for King/Earl Carter, King athletics
King, picked third, comes off a 8-24 record, eighth in the conference at 5-13. Coach Ryan Booher enters his eighth season at 74-104 (35-53 in conference). The Tornado return six key players, losing only middle Mathew Lychock (1.63 kills/set, .286 hitting percentage).
6-5 junior Jeff Sprayberry was second team all-CC and set a school record with 420 kills, while averaging 3.65 kills/set and adding 201 digs, 53 blocks. 6-2 Junior Nick Drooker broke his own school record last year with 1,018 assists (most in conference), averaged 8.85 assists/set, 232 digs, 65 blocks. 6-8 sophomore Jon Wheaton set a school record with 104 block assists and 113 blocks (tops in conference), 1.03 blocks/set, .345 hitting percentage, 192 kills. 6-4 redshirt junior Adrian Besson posted 57 blocks last year, with 116 kills. 5-9 redshirt junior libero Jimmy Nuckolls dug 193 balls, 1.84/set last year. 5-11 redshirt senior Eddie Moushikhian was second team in 2015 on the strength of 324 kills, 3.45/set.
Three newcomers will don the scarlet and navy: 6-0 transfer Kiel Bel from Florida Atlantic (114 kills, 57 assists, 10 service aces), 6-4 transfer Adam Krzos from Lincoln College (all-conference MWPVC honors), and 6-0 freshman defensive specialist Tristen Luu, from San Jacinto Christian Academy.
“We are looking forward to setting new standards to achieve for our volleyball program and team this season,” Booher said. “We are returning players with experience and a drive to be better than we have before. We have also added three players to help give us depth at every position. We are striving to do well in conference and __play in the conference tournament with an opportunity to advance to the NCAA Tournament. With the leadership of Nick Drooker, Jeff Sprayberry, Eddie Moushikhian, and others we will be a competitive team.”
The Conference Carolina preseason poll picked Limestone to finish fourth/Limestone athletics
Limestone was 10-15 (6-12 ConfCarolinas) last season, and was picked to finish fourth in the coaches’ preseason poll. Brandon Skweres is in his second season as head coach, and returns four starters, including 6-3 senior outside Bruno Kretzschmar, a second-team selection with 365 kills and 31 aces. 6-6 senior middle Joel Huhlbach recorded 1.5 kills/set, and finished with 64 total blocks. 6-4 senior middle Dylan Lavner had 152 kills, 14 assists, 12 aces, and led the team with 91 total blocks (16 solo, 48 assists). 6-3 senior libero Nick Wildes led with 236 digs.
The Belmont Abbey Crusaders are coming off a record season in 2016/Belmont Abbey athletics
Belmont Abbey won its first post-season home match last year, making its first Conference Carolinas semifinal appearance. The Crusaders ended a record season with a 18-11 (11-7) record. Second-year coach Manzi returns key starters 6-1 junior libero Robert Valentine, 6-4 senior middle/outside Brennan Beynard, and 6-4 senior outside Robert Nixon.
The Crusaders will need to replace graduated Derek Sullivan and outside Justin Snyder.
“We’re young, we have six freshmen and one transfer, we have a lot of work to do. We open up with George Mason, and that will be one of my favorite matches of the year because we’re so excited and so hyped to __play them, we’re only going to better after playing that match,” Manzi said. “Our current freshmen are doing a great job of learning and adapting to the speed of the game, so when we get out there we’ll be a formidable foe in the Conference Carolinas.”
Erskine will rely on key freshmen this year/Erskine athletics
Erskine has established itself as a powerhouse of the Conference Carolinas, earning the league’s NCAA berth in two of the last three years. Last year the Fleet finished on top of the CC with a 21-7 record (15-3) under first year coach Justin Brubaker, but were swept by Long Beach in the NCAA quarterfinals.
For 2017, Erskine has some big shoes to fill, with the losses of CC player of the year/Honorable mention All-American outside Mike Michelau, now playing professionally for the Bigbank Tartu team in Estonia, first team all-conference/defensive player of the year libero Michael Schneck, second team all-conference outside Roberto Perez Vargas, and third team all-conference setter David Grandy.
Coach Brubaker has retooled with nine talented freshmen, Kevin Braceros, Josh Bragg, Nate Woodson, Matt Friddle, Drake Muhlenbeck, Antonio Delgado Rolon, Barry Greenough, Daniel Hermida, and Myles Engle.
Alex Schinzing of North Greenville sets/NGU photo
North Greenville compiled a 12-15 record (7-11) in 2016, finishing with a heartbreaking five set loss to Barton in the first round of the CC playoffs. Head coach Fred Battenfield has some great pieces to build a team around, including second team all-conference junior libero Dustin King (250 digs in 2016), and 6-2 junior setter Alex Schinzing (9.39 assists/set, 31 aces).
The Crusaders will need to replace third-team all-conference picks Luuga Vailu’u (223 kills, 73 blocks, 16 aces) and Jon Childes (226 kills, 21 aces).
John Sobel of Lees McRae takes a swing/Lees McRae athletics
Lees-McRae finished 1-25 overall, 0-18 in CC play last year. The Bobcats return four starters and their libero, 6-1 senior setter/outside Mark Shayka (90 kills, 14 aces, 63 digs, 47 blocks), 6-1 senior opposite Rudy Klass (32 kills, 13 aces, 58 digs, 43 blocks), 6-5 senior outside John Sobel (207 kills, 107 digs, 27 blocks 18 aces), 6-3 sophomore outside Hector Serviat, and 5-11 senior libero Keenan Freitas (17 assists 3 aces, 144 digs).
Second year head coach Henry Chuang lost 6-3 setter Drew Blecher (7.8 assists/set).
Pfeiffer finished the 2016 season 16-8 (15-3), tied for the best regular-season ConfCarolinas record, but dropped a four-set contest to Barton in the tourney semifinals.
Sonny Hirini of Pfeiffer celebrates in 2016 play/Pfeiffer athletics
Fourth-year coach Paul Lawson has some serious rebuilding in store for the Falcons, graduating first team all-conference selections Harrison Lutz (6-3 setter) and Jonathan Martinez (6-4 outside), second team all-conference selections Fabio Dinz (6-5 middle) and Sonny Hirini (6-4 outside).
Third-team all-conference member Evan Blair (6-5 senior middle hitter), who led the conference in hitting percentage (.444) and was one of the top five nationally in blocks/set (1.2)
USA Volleyball has gone outside the sport for its new leader.
The national governing body announced Tuesday morning that Jamie Davis, sports media, marketing and business executive, as its new CEO of USA Volleyball.
“I am really pleased to welcome Jamie Davis to USA Volleyball. He is a tremendous asset for us moving forward and he’s going to take us into new areas of business on a global level in sports,”USA Volleyball board of directors chair Lori Okimura said.
Davis was traveling to Los Angeles Tuesday to meet with Okimura and others in USA Volleyball before heading to the organization’s headquarters in Colorado Springs.
“We used a CEO search committee comprised of many board members and outside notables and then worked directly with an executive search firm. Jamie stood out from all the candidates primarily because of the depth of his business experience,” Okimura said.
“He’s someone who’s already been a chief executive on many levels. He’s someone who’s done business globally, primarily in key markets, Asia, Europe, the United States, all markets that the sport of volleyball is looking to be more saturated in.
“And his personality, quite frankly. High energy, very efficient thinker and he showed a lot of passion for volleyball for someone who comes from outside our small community and our world.”
According to USA Volleyball, Davis becomes the seventh CEO of USA Volleyball and the first to come from outside the existing USA Volleyball lay leadership.
Davis founded his own company, Jomadrew Sports and Entertainment, LLC, after leading Fanatics, Inc., the world’s largest online retailer of officially licensed sports merchandise.
He previously was the president of the TV network Versus (now the NBC Sports Network), along with several roles within News Corporation such as president of China and managing director of ESPN STAR Sports.
“He is from the professional world of sports on many levels, e-commerce, technology, primarily with broadcast media,” Okimura said. “While he is not a former volleyball player or coach, he is very familiar with the sport from the commercial side of things. So he sees us with a very different lens and sees a lot of potential in USA Volleyball in particular. He sees a lot of areas in which we can expand our reach.
“He’s very interested in working with the 40 regions to strengthen some business opportunities that we have collectively at the national level but also to to try some opportunities that might be relevant locally. He’s a big thinker.”
VolleyballMag.com will interview Davis later Tuesday.
“Having worked in sports for over 25 years, I have participated in and watched the industry grow and transform dramatically,” Davis said in a USA Volleyball news release. “Today, with the pace of change in digital technology, I believe that we have the ability to revolutionize how USA Volleyball interacts with our athletes, regions, sponsors and partners.
“I am looking forward to working with the staff and teams to insure that USA Volleyball is a major presence in every form of media consumed by our constituents, which in turn will grow the popularity of this great sport.”
The BYU Cougars hope to improve upon their runner-up finish from 2016 (shown here at the MPSF 2015 playoffs)./Ed Chan, VBshots.com
The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is widely regarded as the toughest men’s volleyball conference from top to bottom and the 2016-17 season will likely be even more competitive.
MPSF teams occupy seven of the top 10 AVCA pre-season poll spots, with UCLA at No. 2, BYU at No. 3, Long Beach State at No. 4, Pepperdine at No. 5, Hawai’i at No.7, UC Irvine at No. 8, and Stanford at No. 9.
UCLA, BYU, and Long Beach State all made it to the NCAA national semifinals, but MIVA upstart Ohio State spoiled the MPSF party and took home the championship hardware.
What’s more, as the MPSF begins its 25th season, the winds of change are coming. This year the MPSF features an unbalanced 18-match schedule. Schools will __play seven teams twice, and four others once (two tier-one teams and two tier-two teams, based on the past five year’s results) to total 18 matches.
UCSD coach Kevin Ring likes the move.
“For the first time in many, many years, the MPSF is going with an unbalanced schedule, which provides each team most non-conference opportunities,” Ring said. “We’ve taken an aggressive approach to scheduling, as we will face Ohio State, Ball State, BYU, Princeton and Grand Canyon, as well as a few other teams within our non-conference schedule.”
Those winds of change will pick up for the 2018 season as CSU Northridge, Long Beach State, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Hawai’i, and UC San Diego move to the newly formed Big West men’s volleyball conference. That season will also feature the addition of two new programs, Concordia University Irvine from the NAIA, and Grand Canyon University from the MIVA. Thus, the Big West will have six participants, and the MPSF eight, both conferences satisfying the minimum requirement of six teams to earn an automatic championship berth.
Back to the MPSF, which has brought home 16 of 24 championships since its inception in 1992-93.
“(The MPSF) is going to be ultra-competitive,” Cal Baptist coach Derek Schmitt said. ” … there’s no easy night in this conference.”
UCLA coach John Speraw agrees.
“I think the level at the top of the conference will be higher this year,” Speraw said. “Everybody’s going to be a little bit better.”
The MPSF preseason coaches’ poll lists BYU at the top with 119 points, followed by UCLA with 111, Long Beach State at No. 3 with 103, UCI at No. 4 with 79 points, and Pepperdine at No. 5 with 73. Hawai’i, Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, CSU Northridge, USC, Cal Baptist, and UC San Diego round out the conference.
BYU’s Ben Patch has been training with Team USA/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
BYU returns five starters plus its libero, losing only middle Michael Hatch. Opposite Ben Patch scored a team-best 4.32 kills per set and has gained valuable experience in training with the national team. Patch and outside hitter Brenden Sander were both AVCA first-team All-Americans, while 6-10 outside Jake Langlois was second team. Leo Durkin will against direct the Cougar’s offense, where he averaged 10.54 assists/set on his way to AVCA honorable mention honors.
“Our team is looking forward to the start of the 2017 volleyball season,” BYU coach Shawn Olmstead said. He was 27-4 in his first season after moving over from coaching the women. “We have a great group of guys who are learning and working hard each day to build on the success of last year.”
Jake Arnitz and the UCLA Bruins are ranked No. 2 in both the AVCA and MPSF preseason polls/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
UCLA returns its entire starting squad for 2017 and hopes to better its NCAA semifinal finish after dropping a tough five-set decision to eventual champion Ohio State. Speraw, also the USA men’s coach, is 77-43 in four seasons at UCLA, which tied for second in the MPSF last season.
UCLA is paced by explosive setter/hitter sophomore Micah Ma’a, a 6-foot-3 AVCA first-team All-American who also trained with the Olympic team. Ma’a led the Bruins with .48 aces/set in 2016, and had 2.12 kills/set, hit .310, dug 1.6/set, and blocked for .7/set. AVCA second-team outside Jake Arnitz led 3.31 kills per set, hitting for .313 for the season.
“We were a bit more beat up in the fall than I would like,” Speraw said, “but I think we’ll be stronger than last year.”
Speraw’s opinion is bolstered by the fact that UCLA brought in the No. 3 VolleyballMag.com recruiting class for 2017. The freshman class includes Daeanan Gyimah, a 6-8 Canadian middle who touches 12 feet, Sam Kobrine, a 6-3 setter/outside from Corona del Mar, and Sam Jones, a 5-9 libero from storied Mira Costa.
Josh Tuaniga of Long Beach State received second-team All-American honors as a freshman/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Long Beach State returns five starters from 2016, when the 49ers lost in the national semifinals. Coach Alan Knipe is in his 14th season, with a 251-143 record.
USA national-team candidate TJ DeFalco returns, along with sophomore setter Josh Tuaniga (second-team AVCA All-American), and AVCA honorable-mention libero Andrew Sato.
Huntington Beach products DeFalco and Tuaniga have tremendous chemistry together that started in high school. LBSU loses only middle Taylor Gregory.
Long Beach also picks up four junior college transfers, middle Nick Amado, libero Jordan Molina, outside Vincent Pizzuti, and outside Andrew TenBrink.
“As a team, we are getting better in all facets of the game,” Knipe said, “including volleyball skill sets, volleyball IQ and the team’s physical conditioning. We have some maturity from last year’s young freshman group with a lot of good returners coming back from last year. We’re excited to start the season.”
Irvine star Tamir Hershko only played 41 sets last year due to injury/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
UCI returns four starters from its injury-plagued 2016 season where the Anteaters tied for eighth in the MPSF with a 10-20 record (7-14 MPSF). Israeli Tamir Hershko led with 3.71 kills per set, despite only playing in 41 sets due to injury. The Anteater’s backcourt is largely intact, as setters Dante Chakavorti (9.58 assists/set) and Michael Saeta (.52 assists/set, 1.97 kills/set) return, along with libero Dillon Hoffman (2.13 digs/set).
UCI coach David Kniffin is in his fourth season, with a 53-38 record. Kniffin has a bit of restocking to do, with the losses of Jason Agopian (2.01 kills/set), Kyle Russell, (2.88 kills/set), and Marty Ross (1.31 kills/set).
Irvine expects some good numbers from the VolleyballMag.com No. 8 recruiting class, with three Fab 50 selections in 6-11 middle Sean Dennis of Bonita, 6-6 right side Patrick Sohacki from Eastlake, and 7-foot middle Scott Stadick of Watertown.
“The human and athletic potential of this recruiting class is special,” Kniffin said.
“We are healthy, which is refreshing. As usual, we don’t match-up guy-for-guy with some of the top teams, but collectively we should be a force. I think that is the foundation that UCI volleyball has been forged on and has been successful with. On any given night, we could have a 5-11 guy lining up to block next to a 7-foot guy.”
Marv Dunphy begins his 34th season at Pepperdine/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Pepperdine finished 13-11 last year and ranked seventh nationally. Coach Marv Dunphy begins his 34th year, with a 602-265 overall record. The Waves return four starters and a libero, but lost a pair of AVCA second-team All-Americans in Matt Tarantino (3.88 kills/set) and Tommy Carmody (1.58 kills/set, 100 blocks, 9 solo).
Pepperdine’s returning starters are redshirt-sophomore David Wieczorek (2.94 kills/set), Mitchell Penning (1.53 kills/set, .95 blocks/set), Colby Harriman (2.61 kills/set), setter Joshua Stewart (10.12 assists/set), and libero Weston Barnes (2.02 digs/set).
Dunphy will rely upon six newcomers to fill in the blanks. Senior Kyle Suppes rejoins the squad after a one year hiatus. Junior transfers Alex Harthaller of Innsbruck, Austria, and Owen Yoshimoto of Ventura hail from IPFW and Santa Barbara City College, respectively. Noah Dyer of San Clemente, Robert Mullahey of Manhattan Beach, and Sam Bradley of Honolulu are freshmen.
“The first thing I think of when I think of our team is we are not going to be as big as we have been historically,” Dunphy said. “We graduated two guys that are 6-9 and also last year I think we were pretty dependent on Tarantino to get lots of kills, aces, and blocks …we threw him lots of sets. In theory, we are going to have to be more balanced offensively, and I think we have some depth to help with that.”
Sophomore opposite Stijn van Tilburg will feature prominently in Hawai’i offense./Hawai’i Athletics
Hawai’i was 16-12 last year after losing in the MPSF quarterfinals. Coach Charlie Wade has compiled a seven-year record of 107-91. The Rainbow Wahine return five starters, losing second-team All-Americans Sinisa Zarkovic, an outside, and libero Kolby Kanetake.
Wade will lean on sophomore opposite Stijn van Tilburg (6-8, All-MPSF Honorable Mention, 3.26 kills/set), senior outside and Honolulu native Kupono Fey (6-5, 2.61 kills/set), and senior middle Hendrik Mol (6-6, .99 blocks/set).
Outside hitter and USC transfer Larry Tuileta figures to be in the mix after earning all-MPSF freshman honors, while freshmen Bulgarian junior national-team member Rado Parapunov and USA junior national-team member Austin Matautia will compete for starting spots.
Stanford outside Gabriel Vega averaged 2.87 kills/set in 2016/Stanford Athletics
Stanford finished 19-6 overall, and at 17-5 tied for second in the MPSF. Cardinal coach John Kosty is 174-115 as he enters his 11th season.
Stanford returns junior libero Evan Enriques (2.53 digs/set), sophomore outside hitter Jordan Ewert (1.48 kills/set), redshirt junior middle blocker Kevin Rakestraw (1.6 kills/set, 1.00 blocks/set), and redshirt senior outside hitter Gabriel Vega (2.87 kills/set, .273 hitting percentage).
Stanford faces the loss of three critical starters from 2016: setter James Shaw (MPSF player of the year), middle blocker Conrad Kaminski (2.29 kills/set, 1.45 blocks/set), and outside Madison Hayden (3.47 kills/set).
Paul Bischoff is part of Stanford’s No. 1 ranked VBM recruiting class of 2017/Stanford Athletics
Stanford’s cupboard, however, is well stocked, boasting the VolleyballMag.com top ranked recruiting class that includes 6-7 middle Eric Beatty of Huntington Beach, 6-5 setter Paul Bischoff of Glenbard, 6-9 middle Stephen Moye of El Segundo, 6-6 middle Jacob Thoenen of Christian, 6-5 right side Mason Tufuga of Costa Mesa, and 6-5 side Eli Wopat of Dos Pueblos. Wopat’s twin sisters, Carly and Sam, played at Stanford.
UCSB has three Boehle brothers on its squad: junior Hayden (shown), redshirt senior Parker, and incoming freshman Davis/UCSB athletics
UCSB came away from 2016 with a 20-10 record (14-8 MPSF) and ranked fifth nationally after a five set loss at BYU in the MPSF semifinals. Coach Rick McLaughlin faces some challenges, losing three-time All-American setter Jonas Seif, All-MPSF middle Ryan Hardy, second-team All-MPSF right side Matt Marsh, and starting outside Austin Kingi.
But don’t feel bad for the Gauchos just yet, as they boast the No. 5 VolleyballMag.com recruiting class.
“We brought in nine guys we like a lot,” McLaughlin said. “Four or five of them already have very high volleyball IQs, sound skills, have won a ton and will really help our training environment immediately. The other four or five have incredible potential and could become very successful players in the MPSF after a few years. We are very excited about all nine and can’t wait to get them in our gym.”
Six of those players were featured on the 2016 VolleyballMag.com Boys’ Fab 50 list: Davis Boehle (6-0, libero-S, Loyola (Los Angeles, Calif.), Randy Deweese (6-6, S, Natomas Prep, Sacramento, Calif.), Roy McFarland (6-3, OH, Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Casey McGarry (6-0, S, Loyola (Los Angeles, Calif.), Keenan Sanders (6-6, MB-RS, Scripps Ranch (San Diego, Calif.), Jack Truman (6-10, MB, Loyola (Los Angeles, Calif.).
Jeff Campbell’s Matadors lose only one starter from 2016/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
CSU Northridge finished 14-15 (7-15 MPSF), tied for the eighth and the final spot in the MPSF tournament but lost the head-to-head tiebreaker with UCI. Jeff Campbell is in his 20th year (277-272), and returns six of seven starters.
The Matadors will hit the ground running, losing only middle blocker Brian O’Gorman (.98 kills/set, 37 blocks), allowing them to keep 83 percent of their offensive output from 2016.
“That’s a big factor and the guys we have are athletic, talented and they all have the right mindset,” Campbell said. “When you have a group that is as committed to being better as our guys are, then you develop a winning culture.”
6-9 senior middle Josiah Byers (All-MPSF Honorable Mention), 6-6 senior outside Jakub Ciesla (3.24 kills/set, 19 aces), and 6-4 sophomore outside Dimitar Kalchev (3.04 kills/set, 101 digs) will figure prominently in the offense, with 6-3 sophomore setter Sam Porter (9.95 assists/set, 101 digs) and 5-10 senior libero CJ Suarez (1.99 digs/set) on the ball control side.
“We’ve got a very talented group of players this year,” Campbell said. “And with that, we have players with experience which is something we’ve been missing the last several years. We have the game time experience at outside hitter, opposite, middle blocker, setter and libero, which is really important when you’re playing really good teams night in and night out.”
USC’s opposite Christopher Orenic/USC athletics
Preseason No. 10 USC struggled to a 7-19 record (5-17 MPSF and finished 11th in the MPSF. Second-year coach Jeff Nygaard returns five starters, 6-9 senior middle Andy Benesh (1.5 kills/set, .72 blocks/set), 6-4 senior outside Lucas Yoder (3.25 kills/set), 6-6 junior right side Jon Rivera (2.58 kills/set), 6-6 junior setter Gert Lisha (8.93 assists/set), and 5-10 sophomore libreo Matt Douglas (.87 digs/set).
The Trojans lose outside hitter Alex Slaught (2.4 kills/set), and libero Brooks Varni (1.79 digs/set), while welcoming 5-8 freshman libero Michael Chang (All-CIF Division I first team), 6-3 setter Matt Faraimo (All-CIF San Diego first team), 6-8 middle blocker Matt Hassel (USA boys youth continental team), 6-7 opposite Lucas Lossone (VolleyballMag.com Fab 50, 2016 AVCA All-American first team), 6-5 outside hitter Sean Morrissey (2016 VolleyballMag.com Fab 50, 2016 AVCA All-American first team), 6-4 outside Aaron Strange, and 6-2 outside hitter Jackson Wedbush (2016 VolleyballMag.com Fab 50, All-CIF Division I first team)
Nygaard likes what he sees so far in his freshman class.
“Michael is a highly-intelligent and hard-working player who is developing his role with our team,” Nygaard said. “He represents the best about USC athletically and academically. Matt (Faraimo) takes a very level-headed approach to the game, is very coachable, works hard and is a good player. He filled in setting for us in fall competition and I couldn’t have been more pleased.
“Matt (Hassel) puts in the work, listens to his coaches and wants to improve in every aspect of the game. He is developing into an MPSF blocker. Sean is a physical, explosive, poised player with a world of potential and a good future. I’m excited to watch him progress. Jackson (Wedbush) is one of our best all-around players and is a great server. He has a team-first mindset. Jackson (Barrett) ran through walls to become part of our team after fall practice, which earned the players’ respect. He continues to develop as he fast tracks his acclimatization to our program.”
Overall, Nygaard expects marked improvement this year.
“We continue to progress toward establishing a culture of being a sustainably great team. From last year to this year, we have evolved tremendously in learning what it takes to achieve success. We’ll be a much better team than past years and will contend with every team we face. We have strong senior leadership and experience, and I’m also excited about the potential that our young players bring. When we are on our game, we’re a strong side out team that will do a good job defensively.”
Cal Baptist’s Enrique de Diego Garcia will __play a greater role for the Lancers this year/CBU athletics
Cal Baptist was 14-16 (6-16 MPSF) and one win and one set away from its first ever MPSF tournament berth. Coach Derek Schmitt begins his second season 45-36 overall.
CBU returns middle blocker Enrique de Diego Garcia (2.07 kills/set, .481 hitting percentage, 105 blocks, 10 aces), libero Emmett Enriques (1.93 digs/set, 46 assists), outside Rohit Paul (1.67 kills/set, .81 digs/set, 31 blocks, 24 aces) and middle Jackson Burge (1.24 kills/set, .382 hitting percentage, 49 blocks, 35 digs, 18 aces).
On the flip side,the Lancers lose outside Rocky DeLyon (2.75 kills/set, .253 percentage), opposite Roy Powell (2.53 kills/set, .274 percentage), and setter Arturo Iglesias, (9.54 assists/set, 103 digs, seven aces).
“Our expectation is to be better than we were last year,” Schmitt said, “and if we can do that, we have a shot to get into the postseason. It’s not going to be an easy road, but this is what we have worked so hard for.
“We are going to be bigger than we’ve been in my couple years here. We will have a little more physicality out there, so I think that’s going to be good for us.”
Schmitt recognized the MPSF changes ahead.
“The landscape changes and starting next year everyone is going to make the tournament, so this is our last chance to earn it and I want to earn it. I don’t want to get in just because we are in the conference, I want to earn it – that’s a major goal.”
Senior outside Ian Colbert led UCSD last year with 233 kills/UCSD athletics
UCSD went winless, 0-22, in the MPSF and 5-23 overall. But Ring, entering his 12th year (77-236, 40-206 MPSF) has plenty to be pleased about, returning five starters and 13 letter winners.
“We are excited about our future move to the Big West Conference for the 2018 season,” Ring said, “but we are equally as excited and determined for our final run in the MPSF. It is going to be another highly competitive year in the conference.”
6-1 senior outside Ian Colbert led the team with 233 kills, 154 digs, and 13 service aces, while 6-8 junior opposite Tanner Syftestad finished second with 216 kills, and chipped in 81 digs and 15 service aces. Senior middle blocker Shayne Beamer will make major contributions this year, with 117 kills and 56 total blocks in 2016.
The Tritons will need to replace libero Tanner Howard (174 digs) and outside hitter Kirill Rudenko (139 kills, 16 service aces). Key freshmen include 6-2 outside Devin Pontigon of Oceanside and 5-11 libero Ryan Lew of San Marino.
“The 2017 UC San Diego men’s volleyball squad is the most experienced team we’ve had over the past few seasons,” Ring said, “with a number of players returning this year who have previously been starters for one or two seasons. Experience goes a long way in the very competitive MPSF, and we look for our three most experienced players, Ian Colbert, Shayne Beamer and Tanner Syftestad, to lead the team offensively this season.”
2016 AVCA player of the year Nicolas Szerzsen leads Ohio State/Jay LaPrete photo
The Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association continued to flex its muscles in a big way last year with Ohio State becoming the third league entrant in a row to win the NCAA title and fourth in the last six years.
And Ohio State, which downed BYU in three sets to win the national crown, is a heavy favorite to do more even more damage in the MIVA and beyond in 2017.
Ohio State is ranked first in the country in the preseason American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. The Buckeyes got 23 of a possible 24 first-place votes and UCLA got the other.
“I believe Ohio State is at the top,” Lewis coach Dan Friend said. “They have a great core of returning players with some really good arms. Following Ohio State, I think its Ball State, Loyola, McKendree and us. The other team that could be a sleeper is Grand Canyon.”
Accordingly, MIVA coaches also tabbed the Buckeyes as the preseason conference favorites with eight of nine bench bosses giving Ohio State first-place votes (Lewis received the other).
“I believe the MIVA is at its strongest position in many years,” longtime Ohio State coach Pete Hanson said. “Lewis and Loyola will be much improved along with Grand Canyon and McKendree. Those were all young teams that did not lose many players. I think we are one of the top teams in the league, but on any given night you can be ripe for an upset if you fail to __play hard.”
All of the preseason hype surrounding the Buckeyes is likely justified, considering the team returns six of seven starters from a team that went 31-2, headlined by 2016 AVCA player of the year Nicolas Szerzsen (6-4, OH, Jr.). Szerszen, also the MIVA player of the year, ranked second in the league in kills per set (4.23) and also set a school record with 63 service aces (0.42 aces per set).
The Buckeyes also have 6-6 senior right side Miles Johnson, who was named the NCAA tournament MVP and garnered first-team All-American honors. Senior 6-5 setter Christy Blough also returns, as does 6-7 sophomore middle blocker Blake Leeson, who was an all-NCAA tournament team selection. Senior libero Gabriel Domecus is back, along with redshirt 6-8 senior middle blocker Driss Guessous.
Key newcomers include French transfer Maxime Hervoir (6-3, OH) and freshman Reese Devilbiss (6-2, OH, 2016 VolleyballMag.com Fab 50 selection).
“The ability to draw on the experiences of last season and know that the core group is together and should be able to adapt to the new player on the floor who is replacing Christian Franceschi (graduated outside hitter),” Hanson said.
Hanson said a key emphasis this season will be serving teams out of system, which he noted creates opportunity to score points and then convert them when the opportunity arises.
“Those components are all inter-connected,” he said.
The longtime coach added his squad is not about to rest on its laurels.
“What I like most about my team is its continuing work ethic and the attitude of continuing to improve,” Hanson said. “I do not sense they are resting on their success from last season. They want to make this a whole new season with a new and better script.”
Jacob Schmiegelt is a senior middle for Lewis
Lewis, which finished 19-13 and lost to Ohio State in five in the MIVA final, comes into the season ranked No. 6 in the nation. Friend’s squad also doesn’t lack returning talent.
The Flyers return a key core that includes 6-7 senior outside hitter Trevor Weiskircher, 6-6 redshirt sophomore right side Mitch Perinar and 6-6 redshirt senior middle blocker Jacob Schmiegelt. Perinar was the 2016 MIVA freshman of the year and earned all-MIVA second-team honors along with Schmiegelt.
Lewis also loaded up on the newcomer front with the additions of Cal Baptist transfer Danny Maurer (6-8, MB, Jr.), along with freshmen Kyle Bugee (6-5, OH) and Dalen Instenes (6-5, OH). Ryan Coenen is a 6-9 redshirt freshman outside hitter. VolleyballMag.com had Lewis with the No. 2 ranked recruiting class in 2016 behind only Stanford.
“We have some good size and athleticism at the net which I think can help our blocking and out-of-system attacking,” Friend said. “This group gained experience from last year (Lewis graduated eight seniors in 2015), so I look for that to help us out.”
Friend said first-ball contact will be key for the Flyers.
“We need to be aggressive and serve well along with controlling the pass and dig opportunities,” he said.
Friend also is a fan of the atmosphere in the Romeoville, Ill., practice gym.
“We do a great job of communicating and bringing a high level of energy,” he said. “This helps them compete consistently against every opponent. I also enjoy the work ethic they bring day in and day out.”
Loyola-Chicago checks in at No. 3 on the MIVA preseason poll and No. 11 nationally after coming off a 20-8 season.
Jeff Jendryk, blocking, is a returning All-American for Loyola
The Ramblers welcome back juniors Jeff Jendryk (6-10, MB), Ben Plaisted (6-5, RS), Ricky Gevis (6-11, RS) and Jake Selsky (5-11, libero) and sophomore Collin Mahan (6-5, OH). Jendryk was an All-American second-teamer last year after hitting .431 (278 kills) and posting 101 total blocks. Plaisted averaged 3.18 kills per set, while Gevis was at 3.22 per set. Mahan was versatile in his role, posting 1.99 kills per set while hitting .278 and registering 107 digs. Selsky had 186 digs last year.
Loyola key newcomers include freshmen Ian Cowen (6-5, S), Kyle Piekarski (6-8, MB) and Kyler Kotsakis (6-5, OH). Loyola did graduate-student setter Peter Hutz, an all-MIVA first-team pick.
Jendryk, Gevis and Selsky were on the court during Loyola’s 2015 NCAA title run.
“We have a fun mix of youth and experience combining guys like Jeff, Ricky and Jake with a talented core of underclassmen, some of whom got some very valuable experience last year,” second-year Ramblers coach Mark Hulse said. “I think we will be tough to stop in that we won’t rely on any one guy to do all the work and diverse offenses are the toughest to scheme against.”
Pass and serve, he said, are key.
“A lot of our success will boil down to our ability to pass the ball and serve effectively, which has been a constant in our league,” he said. “We certainly have the pieces to be able to do that, but it will be a work in progress. With rare exceptions, the teams that can control one or both of those phases of the game have been the teams holding trophies in May, so that will be at the front of our minds throughout the year.”
Ball State also hit the 20-win barrier a year ago and also is filled with returning talent. Junior 6-11 middle Matt Walsh and senior 6-6 outside Brendan Surane both were all-MIVA second-team picks last year. Walsh finished sixth in the league in blocks per set, while Surane was the MIVA’s 10th leading point scorer. Also back are junior 6-4 outside Mitch Weiler and sophomore libero Adam Wessel, who both ranked in the top 10 in the MIVA in digs in 2016, as well as senior middle blocker 6-6 Alex Pia who was third in the league in blocks. Senior setter Connor Gross (6-5, S) also returns. Freshman Matt Szews (6-8, RS) will help the Cardinals as well.
“We have the ability to generate high-level offense,” said Ball State coach Joel Walton, who noted the team’s pin attacking is improved over recent seasons. “We have strong point-scorers in all positions. Connor understands our offense and makes good decisions as our setter. We also can score points from the service line and we have improved the strength of our serving. We return many experienced players and expect our depth to be another strength.”
Walton and company are looking to build upon last year’s second-place regular-season tie.
“The MIVA will be extremely strong again this season,” Walton said. “There won’t be any matches teams can take lightly. Ohio State is the defending NCAA champion and they return the majority of last year’s team.
“Ohio State is the MIVA favorite and the season will determine where everyone ranks. Ball State, Lewis, Loyola, and McKendree all return large portions of last year’s team’s. We were picked fourth by the MIVA coaches in the preseason poll. My team and staff is very motivated to prove we were significantly under-ranked.”
McKendree, located in Lebanon, Ill., won 11 matches last year and returns all starters from a year ago. Redshirt 6-9 junior middle blocker Brendan Schmidt led the MIVA in blocks per set and tied for sixth in the nation (1.19). Senior middle blocker Wyatt Patterson was fourth in the country in hitting percentage (.450). Junior setter Pasquale Fiduccia also is back and the team fortified the depth at that position with the addition of 6-4 freshman Zach Schnittker (younger brother of senior right side Andrew Schnittker).
“This year’s team has matured into a talented group of men,” said McKendree coach Nickie Sanlin. “Being thrown to the fire of the MIVA in the beginning years of the program has shaped the culture of this group. The strong team culture in and out of the gym will help propel us to new heights during the season.”
Grand Canyon, located in Phoenix, won 17 matches in 2016 and split its 16 MIVA contests. Coach Matt Werle, who was named permanent head coach this past May after serving in an interim role during the 2016 season, returns juniors Shalev Saada (6-6, OH) and Sky Engleman (5-9, libero), along with 6-6 redshirt junior middle Ashton King and 6-2 senior setter Michael Milstein. Saada was an all-MIVA first-team pick after racking up 271 kills, 100 digs, 45 blocks and 33 aces. Engleman led the team in digs with 171.
Grand Canyon also added seniors Drake Silbernagel (6-8, MB) and Matthew Kinnebrew (6-2, RS) to the roster. Kinnebrew played at Juniata College while Silbernagel was on the Arizona State club team.
“We will have a strong balance in every skill of the game,” Werle said. “We may not have a superstar, but our team will be balanced and will __play together. This is the most dedicated and disciplined group of guys we have had—top to bottom. We should be able to score out of each attacking zone.”
Werle is part of an entirely new Grand Canyon coaching staff, plus 10 of the 22 players on the roster are new as well.
“I like the way this group of guys has bought into what the staff has been preaching,” Werle said. “We have worked on getting on the same page throughout the fall and the structure that was put in place was believed in by the team.”
Fort Wayne won 10 matches last season and welcomes back 6-4 junior outside hitter Tony Price (267 kills and 68 blocks), 6-3 sophomore setter Michael Keegan (825 assists), redshirt senior outside hitter-libero Scott McNerney and 6-3 senior setter Gabriel Quinones (241 assists).
The Mastodons added former St. Francis player Jack Carlson (6-4, libero) to the roster, as well as 6-4 freshman outside hitter Pelgrin Vargas from Puerto Rico. Freshmen Matt Zeske (6-2, OH) and Richie Diedrich (6-7, MB) also are new to the club.
“We still are in search of an identity and learning how to play with each other, building team cohesiveness and chemistry,” Fort Wayne coach Rock Perrotte said. “We are an extremely young team with three seniors and one junior so our strengths are with our youth and hunger to learn.”
Lindenwood, which won five matches in 2016, returns seniors Jake Duckworth (6-5, OH) and Ryan Moore (6-4, RS), along with junior Michael Chard (6-5, OH) and sophomore Connor Hipelius (6-8, MB). Duckworth led the team with 227 kills last season. Moore had 218 kills, while Chard had 131 and Hipelius had 120 kills. Junior setter Joseph Mayer is a transfer from Santa Monica College where he was the team’s MVP last season.
Quincy returns senior middle blocker Jarrod Kelso, who finished fifth in the MIVA last year in kills with 328. The all-MIVA second-team pick was sixth in hitting percentage at .406. Also back are senior setter Thane Fanfulik and junior libero Collin Merk. Quincy won 18 matches last year under 11th year head coach Hadley Foster.
“Our league has won three straight national titles and four of the last six so I think the top of our conference is as good as it’s ever been,” Loyola’s Hulse said. “No doubt Ohio State is running from the front, but I think we’re one of the few teams that will be in a position to compete for the conference and the championship at the end of the year.
“Our sport is fun in that you can make a push at the end if you do the right things along the way, so we are really focused on that process.”
2017 MIVA Preseason Coaches Poll 1. Ohio State (8) 2. Lewis (1) 3. Loyola-Chicago 4. Ball State 5. McKendree 6. Grand Canyon 7. Fort Wayne 8. Lindenwood 9. Quincy
