PROVO, Utah. – McKendree University men's volleyball opens its season this weekend at Smith Field House on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah with a 7 p.m. MT game on Friday against host BYU followed by a 4 p.m. MT game on Saturday afternoon against University of California-Irvine.
The Bearcats finished the 2022 season with a program-high 14 wins and will look for their fourth consecutive winning season under head coach
Nickie Sanlin, who enters her 10th season at the helm for McKendree. Sanlin has amassed 100 wins in her nine seasons as the head coach of the men's volleyball program.
McKendree will return eight players this season after graduating five seniors from the 2022 season. Last season's seniors include AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and First Team All-MIVA outside hitter
Patrick Ross, Second Team All-MIVA selections outside hitter
Ethan Carroll and setter
Ryan Serrano, outside hitter
Brendon Dunn, and middle blocker
Tommy McGrath.
Among the returners is two-time Second Team All-MIVA libero
Francisco Comas, who was the only libero voted to the All-MIVA Preseason Team for 2023. Last season, Comas ranked sixth in the conference with 1.99 digs per set, finishing the season with 283 digs, the second-most in program history.
Also returning on the Bearcat roster are middle blockers
Daniel Duggan and
Jacob Gall, setter
Tyler Poulsen, outside hitters
Kyle Wilson,
Tyler Tripp,
Kevin Schuele, and
Sam Hoskin, and opposite side hitter
Nikos Xydakis.
The Bearcats will introduce 12 newcomers this season, including one junior transfer and 11 true freshmen. Junior outside hitter
Cesar Contreras joins the Bearcats after two seasons at University of Saint Katherine in San Marcos, Calif.
The freshmen newcomers are comprised of liberos
Robby Nardoni and
Jay Miller, middle blockers
Maxwell Wootton and
Rolen Lively, outside hitters
Aric Olsen,
Bryce Wetjen,
Joseph Watkins, and
Matthew Molnar, opposite side hitter
Jackson Sheehy, and setter
Jack Morikawa.
BYU posted an 8-17 overall record (3-9 conference) in the 2022 season and will face McKendree for their second game of the 2023 season. The Cougars concluded their season with a 3-2 loss to Pepperdine in late April at the Mountain Pacific Sports Foundation conference tournament.
Friday's game will mark the fourth meeting in six years between McKendree and BYU and the first time that the teams have each played their season opener against one another. The Cougars lead the all-time series against the Bearcats 2-1 as McKendree took a 3-1 win in the previous meeting of the two teams in March 2019.
UC-Irvine enters the 2023 season following an 11-16 (3-7 conference) performance in 2022. The Anteaters' season ended in the second round of the Big West Championship as Long Beach State took the victory in four sets.
The Anteaters were tabbed eighth in the AVCA Division II Coaches' Preseason Poll released earlier this week in addition to their selection at third in the Big West Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. UC-Irvine will face Lewis on Friday at 3 p.m. MT to begin the weekend games.
Saturday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between UC-Irvine and McKendree.
UP NEXT
Following the first weekend outing, the Bearcats will host the New Jersey Institute of Technology at the Melvin Price Convocation Center on Jan. 10 starting at 7 p.m.
