POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 17, 2018) – The 2017 Vassar men's volleyball team had one of its best seasons in program history, making the NCAA Tournament for the first time while posting 26 victories and going undefeated in the regular season of United Volleyball Conference (UVC) action. Under the leadership of three strong and competitive seniors, along with a new head coach, the Brewers blossomed into a national power in 2017. In the end though, Vassar would drop its last two matches in the UVC Tournament and NCAA Tournament to local rival New Paltz, putting a damper on what was an amazing season for VC.
 
Fast forward a year and the Brewers find themselves ranked No. 4 in the Top 15 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Preseason Poll, while also ranking No. 4 in the Preseason UVC Coaches Poll. After 2017's season which saw Vassar slowly climb up the rankings, the Brewers will start in the Top 5 for the first time since 2009 with the hopes of staying there this year.
 
Vassar has the tough challenge this season though of dealing with yet another at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament being eliminated due to the addition of another automatic qualifying spot to a new conference. That decrease makes being a threat within the conference imperative, but senior and two-time First Team All-American Matthew Knigge knows that each and every night will be a test.
 
"We definitely have a target on our back now," said Knigge. "I think it's important to take each match one at a time, and that will prepare us for the UVC." Knigge, who will be in the National Player of the Year conversation this season, has taken a leadership role this year for Vassar along with his fellow seniors Zechariah Lee and Brian Manley.
 
Lee, who was also named as a AVCA All-American in 2017, returns and has seen a strong start to the practices thus far. Head coach Richard Gary, who led VC to a 26-8 record in his first season at the helm of the Brewer men's volleyball program, mentioned all three of his seniors and how they affect the team in different ways.
 
"All of our senior leadership has been different personalities," said Gary. "The whole of that, the full piece of that…is that we can be both very competitive with Matt. We've got Zech who is kind of our spiritual leader, he does a nice job of bringing the team together, and Brian just makes everyone get after it."
 
The goals for the Brewers, as many would expect, are large this season due to the success in 2017. "I think when we got to the NCAA Tournament last year, we had a sense that it was our first time getting there. There were some nerves with that, maybe some different ways to prepare for that…we'd like to make the deepest run possible. First things first though, is making it out of this amazing, amazing tough conference," said Gary.
 
HITTERS
The Brewers return a solid group of offensive players this season, led by Knigge, who may be a six-rotation player in 2018. As exclusively as a middle hitter in 2017, Knigge posted 2.88 kills per set while hitting .427 on the season, which was eighth-best in the nation. Knigge also led the nation in blocks per set with 1.38 a game, and became just the second member of the Vassar program to make AVCA First Team honors twice, joining Phil Tully from 2008 and 2009.
 
Knigge ranked first in the UVC in hitting percentage last season, while also leading the conference in blocks and blocks per set. Named as the UVC and ECAC Player of the Year, Knigge posted 334 kills and 34 service aces as well last season. With playing all the way around, Knigge will likely increase his attempts hitting out of the back row.
 
Vassar did lose two outside hitters in Christian Lizana and Quinn Rutledge, who each had big games throughout the 2017 season. The Brewers will look to a few different options on the pin, starting first with junior George Diehl. The big, strong hitter out of Missouri has played right side and middle for Vassar over his tenure so far, but will get a chance to play six rotations after finishing with 204 kills in 2017. Diehl hit .226 on the year, while averaging 1.82 terminations per set.
 
Another option outside could be Manley, who played in 30 matches last season as a change-of-pace offensive option. The big hitter out of Orchard Park, NY chalked up 72 kills as a junior, and his ability to end points could be valuable for Vassar this season. Also look out for sophomore Kevin Ros, who has shown well in preseason as a hitter. Used primarily as a defensive specialist last year, his passing prowess along with his improved hitting should see him get plenty of reps out wide.
 
Freshman Wesley Olstad and Sean Hsu will each also try to crack the outside hitter rotation for Vassar this year. Olstad has played at a very competitive club through his prep days, and should develop for Vassar, while Hsu is athletic and has a chance to help Vassar offensively as well.
 
On the right side, Vassar has a pair of southpaws vying for reps this season, as sophomore and incumbent starter Yoni Auerbach will team with freshman Jefferson Waters this year. Auerbach did a nice job as a freshman replacing on of the team's all-time kill leaders in Reno Kriz in 2017, as the lefty swung his way to 184 kills while starting 26 matches last season.
 
Auerbach was third on the team in hitting percentage with a .235 clip, finishing fourth on the team in kills per set with 1.74. Waters has a big left arm, and performed well in the fall and so far in spring practice. A Pennsylvania product like Kriz, look for Waters to get reps early for the Brewers.
 
Along with Knigge, the Brewers will have a rotation of three to four different middles this season. Diehl will still get plenty of reps in the middle for the Brewers, while sophomore Zach Bygall has progressed well for Vassar this off-season and looks to be a solid option as well after playing in 35 sets last season. Fellow sophomore Ghali Khalil worked his way into the collegiate game last year as a freshman, but his 6-6 frame and experience in the system for a year could translate to more reps this year.
 
Another name to watch out for in the middle this season for the Brewers is freshman Ryan Duchemin, a middle out of Maitland, Florida. A strong all-around player with a loose arm and athletic ability, Duchemin could be an impact player early if he continues to develop defensively. Offensively, Duchemin's ability to hit at the net and with the serve should help VC immediately.
 
Running the offensive units for the Brewers will once again fall on the shoulders of senior setter Zechariah Lee. After his best season as a Brewer last year, which saw him break the career service ace record while climbing over 2000 career assists, Lee will return to lead a group that hit .242 in 2017. Lee also started to look for his offense more, dumping in 98 kills at the setting position while posting 9.27 assists per game. He also led the team with 46 service aces.
 
Joining Lee for the third straight season at the setting position will be junior Daniel Halberg. Once a UVC Rookie of the Week in his freshman campaign, Halberg played in 68 sets last year for the Brewers, dishing out 34 assists while adding eight aces for VC. Halberg has proved to be a strong serving option, with experience to come in and do the job at the setting position when called upon.
 
BACKROW
The backrow passing and defensive unit probably took the biggest hit with the graduation of Lizana, Rutledge and UVC Libero of the Year Trey Cimorelli. Cimorelli, who finished with the second-most digs in program history and was a four-year starter, was a three-year captain as well for the Brewers. The ball-control unit was a staple for the Brewers over the last three seasons, so with three vital parts gone it opens spots for VC in the backrow.
 
Luckily for Vassar, the Brewers had some pieces already in place to cope with the loss of the three important seniors. Ros played a solid amount last season in the passing unit for Vassar, and will get a crack early to be one of the replacements for Rutledge and Lizana. Also, look for Knigge and Diehl to show their improved serve receive skills to maximize offensive opportunities.
 
At libero, Vassar will look to freshman Garth Verdeflor to fill the void left by Cimorelli. A club teammate with fellow newcomer Ryan Duchemin, Verdeflor is athletic, positions well and has great ball control on both serves and attacks. As he gets settled, Verdeflor could take over the reins at the libero spot.
 
Verdeflor will have fellow freshman Ben Brody to help in the back row. Brody, also from the Sunshine State, is taller at 6-2 and has progressed well as a passing and back row option for the Brewers. Look for both to have a big impact for the Brewers this season defensively.
 
Defensively, Vassar will continue to block well, as VC was the Division III leader in blocks and blocks per set last season due to the net presence from both Knigge and Lee. That should continue, as Duchemin, Waters and Auerbach all have good lateral quickness and are very physical closing the block up. Also, Gary is a big proponent of the triple block, which served the Brewers quite well last season.
 
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Vassar will get its season going this upcoming weekend, traveling to SUNY Poly for its annual SUNY Poly Invitational. VC will take on Wells College, Eastern Mennonite University, No. 10 Wentworth Institute of Technology and Johnson & Wales University Friday and Saturday.