Poughkeepsie, NY – The Vassar College Men's Volleyball team kicks off the 2025 season this weekend as the Brewers will head to The Clash at Kean where they will face off with the host Cougars on Friday evening before taking on #9 Wentworth in a rematch of last season's National Quarterfinal five-set thriller and NJCU on Saturday.

LAST SEASON QUICK HITTERS

• Vassar made a magical run to the NCAA National Championship match last season following a 26-8 overall record and a 6-1 record in UVC action, which gave the Brewers its sixth Regular Season title.
• The Brewers earned an AVCA First Team All-American selection in Jacob Kim along with Kim and Vaughn Ramsey being named All-UVC and All-Region II selections. Kim was named the UVC Player of the Year while Head Coach Richard Gary earned his second straight UVC and Region II Coach of the Year award.

A LOOK AT THE ROSTER

• Vassar graduated a strong class last season as the Brewers look to replace the production of two-time First Team All-American Jacob Kim along with the team's kill leader in Vaughn Ramsey. The Brewers also will look to replace the team's assist leader from a season ago in AJ Erickson.
• The Brewers do return 2023 UVC Co-Rookie of the Year junior Tristan Christofferson along with 2024 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team honoree in senior middle blocker Gavin Akoto. Middle blockers Armaan Desai, James Zuckerman and Doug Chandler also return for Vassar and will look to continue to make an impact.
• Outside/opposite hitters Billy Fan, Payne Lounsbery, Tobias Clark, Enzo Bertini, Eli Lee, Walter Birnbaum and Cannon Tucker all return and will look to help supply the offense for Vassar.
• Nick Villamil and Parker Schoenl both return as setters following the graduation of Kim and Erickson and will handle the bulk of the setting duties in 2025.
• Tucker Shearn returns as the conference's dig leader from last season along with Casey McMenamin in the back row for the Brewers.
• Vassar adds four first years to the program in 2025 as opposite hitter Henry Bonney, outside/opposite hitter Shawn Zheng, outside hitter Petar Miocinovic and middle blocker Stuart Dow will look to make an immediate impact for the Brewers.

PREVIEWING THE SCHEDULE

• After opening the season at the Clash at Kean, the Brewers open the home slate with a match against SUNY Potsdam on January 24 followed by a tri-match with Nichols and Ramapo.
• Vassar will travel to Arcadia on February 1 for a tri-match with Hunter and the Knights before returning home for a tri-match with Misericordia and Lasell on February 8.
• Vassar continues its home stretch with a tri-match against Baruch and Messiah on February 15 and then will open UVC play against MIT at home on February 21.
• VC will head to Massachusetts to square off with Springfield on February 22 before returning to UVC action at home against Nazareth on February 28 and St. John Fisher on March 1.
• Vassar hits the road for the month of March as they will take on conference foes Elmira and Hobart on March 7 and 8.
• Following a two week break, the Brewers head south to face off with Elizabethtown on March 20 followed by a tri-match with Marymount and Eastern Mennonite on March 22.
• The Brewers return to UVC play on March 26 against New Paltz before playing King's (PA) and Stevens in a tri-match on March 29.
• Vassar will close conference play with preseason favorite NYU on April 2 before closing the season with Senior Day against Springfield and Russell Sage on April 5.
• The UVC Championship will be played April 11-13 at the regular season conference champion to determine who gets the NCAA Tournament automatic bid.

THE GARY FILE

• Gary enters his ninth season leading the Brewers and has accumulated a record of 158-56, while holding the highest winning percentage in school history at 73.8-percent. 
• Gary was honored as the UVC Coach of the Year in 2024 for the second straight season along with being named the AVCA Region II Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year as well.
• 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 reached its first ever NCAA National Championship match appearance in school history after winning its sixth UVC Regular Season crown in program history.

AVCA PRESEASON NATIONAL COACHES POLL

1. Southern Virginia (16 First Place Votes)
2. NYU (One First Place Vote)
3. Cal Lutheran (12 First Place Votes)
4. Stevens (One First Place Vote)
5. Juniata
6. Vassar
7. Springfield
8. Carthage
9. Wentworth
10. Hobart
11. Loras (T-11)
12. St. John Fisher (T-11)
13. Nichols
14. Misericordia
15. UC Santa Cruz
16. Dominican (IL)
17. Nazareth
18. North Central (IL)
19. Lasell
20. MIT

UVC PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS

1. NYU- 49 points (Seven first place votes)
2. Vassar - 40 points
3. Hobart - 34 points (One first place vote)
4. St. John Fisher - 29 points
5. Nazareth - 25 points
6. New Paltz - 20 points
7. MIT - 20 points
8. Elmira - 7 points