Men's Volleyball Picked To Finish Sixth In MCVL Preseason Poll

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—The Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) released the 2019 Preseason Poll today and the Griffins came in at No. 6.

Carthage, the reigning MCVL Tournament Champions, enter the 2019 year at No. 1 overall with nine first-place votes. North Central is placed second with one first-place vote, while Loras, Mount St. Joseph, and Augustana round out the top five.

The Griffins, who lost the likes of Jacob Lendy, Tony Pitaro, Stephen Lendy, and James Sauermann, still return an impactful 2019 roster.

Setter Kyler van Rossum-O'Connell is back for his junior season after eclipsing the 1,000-assist mark last year after totaling 640 assists overall. Sophomore Mark Klusman looks to build off his freshman campaign where he ranked second on the team with 185 kills and a .189 hitting percentage.

Brendon Schwartze got it done on both sides of the net last year during his junior season where he totaled 183 kills, a .211 hitting percentage, 153 digs, and 36 blocks.

Zach Rothstein, meanwhile, had a standout 2018 campaign where he earned MCVL First Team honors and was named MCVL Defensive Player of the Year. He concluded with a single-season record and career-high 331 digs while ranking first both nationally and in conference play with 3.64 digs per set.

The Griffins will have its alumni match on January 11^th and get its 2019 season underway at the Grow the Game Challenge the following weekend against Bluefield and Cumberland on January 19^th.

Fans make sure to stay updated on fontbonnegriffins.com throughout the year for full updates and recaps on the men's volleyball team.

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