HILTON, NY - The United Volleyball Conference (UVC) announced its 2024 preseason coaches poll results on Thursday morning as the Vassar College Men's Volleyball team was selected as the UVC preseason favorite after last season's outstanding finish that saw the Brewers win the UVC Tournament Championship and saw Vassar reach the NCAA National Semifinals.

Vassar will open the 2024 campaign at the CLU Invitational next weekend with a match against Adrian on January 12th before taking on UC Santa Cruz and host Cal Lutheran on January 13th.

PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS

1. Vassar - 44 points (Four first place votes)
2. NYU - 36 points (Two first place votes)
3. St. John Fisher - 34 points (One first place vote)
4. New Paltz - 33 points
5. Nazareth - 28 points (One first place vote)
6. MIT - 22 points
7. Hobart - 20 points
8. Elmira - 7 points

LAST SEASON QUICK HITTERS

• Vassar put together the best season in program history in 2023 as the Brewers posted a 26-2 overall and a perfect 6-0 mark in UVC matches before earning the UVC Tournament Championship for the second time in program history. 
• The Brewers earned three AVCA First Team All-American selections along with Head Coach Richard Gary earning his first AVCA National Coach of the Year honor.
• Vassar also was named the AVCA National Coaches Poll's top team for two straight weeks for the first time in school history and won 25 straight matches, which is also a school record.

A LOOK AT THE ROSTER

• Vassar graduated a strong class last season as the Brewers look to replace the production two AVCA First Team All-Americans in Andrew Kim, also last season's National Player of the Year, and Gavin van Beveren along with last season's digs leader Jorge Adames Reyes and captain Adam Gulick.
• The Brewers do return 2023 AVCA First Team All-American setter senior Jacob Kim along with AVCA Co-Rookie of the Year sophomore Tristan Christofferson along with senior outside hitters Andrew Guaragno, Vaughn Ramsey and Tobias Clark in addition to juniors Billy Fan and Payne Lounsbery. Junior Gavin Akoto and senior Colin Jones return in the middle for Vassar along with senior setter AJ Erickson and sophomore libero Casey McMenamin.
• Vassar adds five first years to the roster in 2024 as Tucker Shearn (libero), Parker Schoenl (setter), Enzo Bertini (outside hitter), Walter Birnbaum (outside hitter) and Armaan Desai (middle blocker) will all vie to contribute early for the Brewers as they look to replace 53-percent of last season's kills, 54-percent of aces, 50-percent of digs and 78-percent of total blocks.

PREVIEWING THE SCHEDULE

• After opening the season at the CLU Invitational, the Brewers open the home slate with a tri-match against SUNY Potsdam and Rivier before heading to Messiah for a tri-match with Lancaster Bible and the Falcons.
• Vassar then heads to the International Volleyball Hall of Fame Morgan Classic to square off with host Springfield on February 2nd and then either Lasell or Endicott on February 3rd.
• The Brewers return home for three straight matches against Ramapo, Kean and Benedictine before heading to Massachusetts to take on Lasell and Endicott along with the UVC opener against MIT on February 17th.
• VC plays its first home conference match against NYU on February 21st and then plays Buffalo State before back-to-back home UVC matches against Elmira and Hobart on February 24th.
• To begin the month of March, Vassar heads north to take on conference rivals Nazareth and St. John Fisher along with a Elite Eight rematch against Southern Virginia on March 2nd.
• Following a two week break, the Brewers return to action in a tri-match against Monroe College and Russell Sage before closing the road slate against Arcadia and Misericordia and the road finale against Stevens on March 30th.
• Vassar closes the UVC schedule against New Paltz on April 3rd and then plays the regular season finale against Springfield and Hunter on April 6th for Senior Day.
• The UVC Tournament will be played April 12th, 13th and 14th at the regular season conference champion to determine who gets the NCAA Tournament automatic bid.

THE GARY FILE

• Gary enters his eighth season leading the Brewers and has accumulated a record of 132-48, while holding the highest winning percentage in school history at 73-percent. 
• Gary was named the 2023 AVCA Region Coach of the Year as well as earning the first AVCA National Coach of the Year award since Jonathan Penn in 2008 after leading Vassar to its first number one ranking in the AVCA National Coaches Poll and the UVC Tournament Championship along with an appearance in the NCAA National Semifinals.
• The Brewers won 25 straight matches last season before falling to North Central in the national semifinals and defeated Springfield for the first time since 2002 along with the first time that Vassar has beaten the Pride twice in a season.