2020 Men's Volleyball Season Preview
*This article appears courtesy of NEAC Interim Assistant Commissioner for Sports Information Phil Paquette.
LATHAM, N.Y. - North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) men's volleyball gets underway the 2020 campaign this weekend when Wells College competes in the Slug Slam at UC Santa Cruz.
Wells is the defending NEAC Champion after topping Lancaster Bible College 3-2 in the final a season ago. Lancaster Bible has won the last two regular-season titles and is 18-0 in league play over the previous two seasons.
Wells College:
Head Coach: Jim Nichols, Second season
2018-19 Record: 28-9, 7-3 NEAC
2018-19 Postseason: NEAC Tournament Champions, Advanced to NCAA Elite 8
Key Returners/Players to Watch: Caden O'Loughlin, Robert Patzer, Josh Undari, Justin Williams, Joe Zimmerman, Kevin Batmunkh and Walker Nichols
Key Losses: Ryan Turner, Liam Kaylor
Coach's Season Outlook: Coach Nichols believes that this year's team can capture another NEAC title and go even farther in the playoffs than last year's team. Coach Nichols is very confident in this year's team and believes his toughest opponent will be Lancaster Bible, who he believes is an underrated team that deserves to be nationally ranked.
Roster link: https://www.wells-express.com/sports/mvball/2019-20/roster
Schedule link: https://www.wells-express.com/sports/mvball/2019-20/schedule
College of St. Elizabeth:
Head Coach: Bill Condon, Third season
2018-19 Record: 5-17, 0-10 NEAC
2018-19 Postseason: None
Key Returners/Players to Watch: Justin Millan – MB, Josh Ramos – OP, Daniel Chavez – S/OH
Key Losses: None
Coach's Season Outlook: The Eagles welcome seven freshmen to campus and are excited and optimistic to see how they fit into the mix with several veterans in the group. As the program continues to improve, Saint Elizabeth expects to move up in the NEAC standings in 2020.
Keuka College:
Head Coach: Ben Guiliano, Eighth season
2018-19 Record: 13-13, 4-6 NEAC
2018-19 Postseason: NEAC Tournament
Key Returners/Players to Watch: Brad McKnight, JP Nery, Gavin Record, Kam Record, Emmett O'Brien, Seth Welker, Marcus Davic
Key Losses: Christian Nickerson
Coach's Season Outlook: Should be very competitive with any opponent. Consistency will be the key to our success. McKnight and Nery give us solid pin hitters, and a bevy of returners allows us to go deep into the bench.
Lancaster Bible:
Head Coach: Jade Brubaker, Seventh season
2018-19 Record: 26-5, 10-0 NEAC
2018-19 Postseason: Lost to Wells in NEAC Final
Key Returners/Players to Watch: Nate Miller (Sr, RS) -- Miller is the reigning two-time NEAC Player of the Year and was named OTB / Molten Opposite Hitter of the Year in NCAA Division III last season, as he collected 422 kills … Kole Horst (Sr., OH) -- Horst was named to the NEAC All-Conference First Team last season, and had 258 kills … Kurt Maysilles (Sr., L) -- Maysilles was named to the NEAC All-Conference Second Team in 2019, and had a team-best 193 digs last season … Zeke Hallman (Jr., MH) -- Hallman was terrific last season, collecting 88 blocks and 89 kills
Key Losses: Kaleb Ansell (S) -- Ansell had a team-best 952 assists last season and was named to the NEAC All-Conference First Team … Daniel Kreider (MH) -- Kreider had 136 kills and 72 blocks last season
Coach's Season Outlook: Lancaster Bible returns another strong squad this season, as the team received votes in the first AVCA Top-15 Poll of the season ...The Chargers will play an extremely tough non-conference schedule for the second straight season and will look to use those tough matches to prepare for NEAC play ...With the return of many players from last season, the Chargers hope to once again go deep in the NEAC Playoffs and advance further.
SUNY Poly:
Head Coach: Katie LaClaire, Third season
2018-19 Record: 16-13, 7-3 NEAC
2018-19 Postseason: Lost to Wells in NEAC Semifinals
Key Returners/Players to Watch: Andrew Bertino, Matt Russo, Connor Schultz, Garrett Hassard
Key Losses: Brian Malsan (NEAC Defensive Player of the Year), Piotr Kasza, Max Szuba, Donovan Suguitan
Coach's Season Outlook: The Wildcats have a solid group of returners and a nice mix of new players that will fill the needs of the team. We will be strong in the middle with veteran leadership on the outside and on the right side. The solid young talent and returners make 2020 an exciting prospect for SUNY Poly.
SUNY Potsdam:
Head Coach: Josh Stokes, First season
2018-19 Record: Program's first varsity season in 2020
2018-19 Postseason: Program's first varsity season in 2020
Key Returners/Players to Watch: We will be led on the court by our two most experienced players in Alec Roy (Elmira transfer) and Zaire Rogers (Lockport Volleyball Club). They will help to shape our program and set a precedent for their teammates to follow.
Key Losses: None
Coach's Season Outlook: Our inaugural season will be fun and exciting to have a group lay the foundation for the future of men's volleyball at Potsdam. I'm expecting this group to develop over the season in a positive direction that will eventually translate into sustainable success. We are young and raw, but very motivated to compete.
Wilson College:
Head Coach: Katie Pennewill, First Season
2018-19 Record: 5-15, 2-8 NEAC
2018-19 Postseason: None
Key Returners/Players to Watch: Ian Firestone, Dan Perry, Oliver Perry, Andrew Hetzer
Key Losses: Evan Hoke, Zach McMaster, Aaron Hoke
Coach's Season Outlook: Coach Katie Pennewill looks to build a solid foundation in her first year at the helm. With several key returners, the Phoenix looks to continue to grow and expand on the strides they made last year while developing for the future.
A link to the article on the NEAC website can be found at: https://www.neacsports.com/sports/mvball/2019-20/releases/mvb-preseason-preview