Transfers, the ECC, and some international play
Summer may be the offseason, but there is still plenty happening in the world of men's volleyball.
It’s been a little bit, but we are back! Even though there haven’t been any college men’s volleyball matches since UCLA added trophy #20 to their cabinet, there has been plenty of offseason news. I can’t cover it all (and I’m not going to try), but here is a little taste.
For those of you waiting for a VBelo 2023 review, you will have to wait a little longer. I’m still working through some numbers and hoping to find some ways to improve on the model. Don’t worry though, more numbers are coming!
Transfer Season
It is still early, but there have been some big transfer news in the MVB world. Here are three big transfers that look to have instant impacts with their new programs.
Kevin Kauling (Lewis → Hawai’i)
The 6’8” graduate transfer was an instant answer to the Setter position for Hawai’i, since their starting setter and AVCA Player of the Year, Jakob Thelle, graduated this past year. Kauling is likely to be a starter, even with the news that Tread Rosenthal, USA U19 setter and prep-phenom reclassified to the class of 2023 to enter college one year earlier than expected. Wouldn’t be shocked if he red-shirted in 2024 to help ease the transition while Kauling gets the majority of the reps.
Ras Jesse Delancy (Benedict → Charleston)
This is huge! The two-time SIAC Player of the Year led all NCAA players in 2023 with 5.38 kills per set. The Golden Eagles made a huge splash in the MVB world last season and it looks like they don’t intend to be a flash in the pan. They also signed Cole Duncanson (6’9” MB from Queens, Canada), Evens Edouard (2023 SIAC Finals MVP from Edward Waters), and Jake Couzens (6’5” MB from Daemen). It is super early and Charleston already looks like a team to watch in 2024! This is a big loss for the SIAC but really encouraging to see other programs taking notice of the talent in these newer teams.
Martin de Chavarria (NJIT → Pepperdine)
de Chavarria is a 3-time second-team All-EIVA selection as a Middle Blocker. His presence at the net will be huge for the Waves as they look to improve on their 5th place MPSF finish in 2023. Pepperdine is also adding a national champion to their roster in Cole Ketrzynski (UCLA). In addition to his time with the Bruins, he played for the Canadian Junior National team. The Waves cannot completely fill the hole left by Jaylen Jasper, but these two will definitely help.
The East Coast Conference Has Entered the Chat
In 2024, we will have a new conference sponsoring Men’s Volleyball! This will be the third new conference in just 3 years. This is fantastic news and hopefully it will fuel continued growth in this sport.
The inaugural season will consist of 4 teams, as of now:
Roberts Wesleyan University (1st year, full member)
St. Thomas Aquinas College (1st year, full member)
American International College (3rd year, associate member)
Dominican University (1st year, associate member)
Alliance University was slated to be the 5th team in the ECC, but after losing their accreditation the tough decision was made to close the school. This is a tough loss before the program even got started.
While the ECC currently falls short of the 6 teams needed to qualify for an automatic bid to the national tournament, they have their eyes towards reaching that goal so it will be interesting to see which programs they might be able to pull in.
To all of the ECC players, coaches, and staff: welcome! We are glad you are here and thank you for helping grow the game.
By my count (which is still preliminary at this point), it looks like we should have 61 teams next year.1 This (sadly) accounts for the two teams that had their programs removed at the end of the 2023 season.
International Experience
While the college season may be over, international play is well underway. The 3rd week of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) begins this week in Anaheim, CA. A good number of former NCAA men’s players are taking the court, and even some current college athletes made the extended roster.
From the Big West, Mason Briggs (LBSU) and Francisco Sani (UCI) are both on the USA roster. They have not made their debut yet, but there is still some time left depending on who Coach Speraw chooses to rest.
I plan on talking a little more about VNL later this summer, but I want to briefly mention the USA Collegiate Men’s National Team that is training this week.
16 programs are represented and Grand Canyon leads the way with 3 players on the 21-man list. UC Irvine, CSUN, and Purdue Fort Wayne each had 2 players selected. The roster consists of 8 Outside Hitters, 5 Middles, 3 Opposites, 3 Setters, and 2 Liberos.
This is great experience for younger players and is part of the development pipeline for USA Volleyball. Donan Cruz (Ball State HC) and Paul Carroll (Pepperdine Associate HC) are both assistant coaches for the team.
In case you were wondering, the most popular name on the team is Cole: Bogner, Power, & Young.2 I know this is exactly the type of content you are looking for. You’re welcome.
Apparently, we can’t have an even number of teams. This makes me sad.
Bogner, Power, & Young sounds like a great law firm.