IRVINE, Calif. – With the men's volleyball season just around the corner, the Eagles are prepared for their tough 2020 slate.
 
Concordia is looking to continue to make waves as it enters its third season in the MPSF. The conference bolsters seven teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA Preseason Poll that was released in December, which has the Eagles just outside the top fifteen.
 
In the MPSF Preseason Coaches Poll, coaches have selected CUI to finish seventh with third-ranked BYU to claim the conference crown followed by second-ranked UCLA. The Eagles have been in this position before: picked last in 2018 and sixth in 2019, but have changed the narrative, with a fourth-place spot in its first season to host a first-round match in the league tournament and tying for sixth with Grand Canyon last season.
 
2020 Schedule:
CUI is set to face 10 teams who are nationally ranked, including match-ups with the two-time defending national champions Long Beach State, and current top ranked Hawaii.
 
Concordia opens the season with a match against Saint Katherine, where the teams will meet for the second time in as many seasons. Following that, the Eagles will head on the road for their third trip to the UCSB Asics Invitational to take on host fifth-ranked UCSB, fourth-ranked LBSU, and 13th ranked CSUN.
 
The Green and Gold will stay on the road for eight of the next nine matches including the conference opener at USC, a home-and-away series with UC San Diego, a tournament in Hawaii, and a trip to Pepperdine before the conference home opener against UCLA.
 
For the month of March, Concordia fans will have an opportunity to support the Eagles as all seven games will be at home with powerhouse programs like BYU, Stanford, and USC will come into CU Arena along with Harvard, NJIT, and the first-ever match-up with Jamestown.
 
Rounding out the season, CUI will head to UCLA, host Pepperdine and end with a road trip to Phoenix to take on Grand Canyon before the MPSF Tournament in mid-April.
 
Returning Squad
Despite losing key players from last year's squad, the team returns a handful of experience which includes two All-MPSF honorees in outside hitters Raymond Barsemian and Jordan Hoppe. Both have made huge contributions to the team, already etching their names in the CUI record books with one year left to play.
 
The duo is joined by pin hitters Parker Maki and Darcy Taig who are the other two senior leaders on the team competing for starting spots. Juniors Owen Chun, Jonathan Carlson, Logan Glave, and Zachary Meyer also return on the pins.
 
Returning Noah Lassandro played in 30 of 31 matches last season and is the only middle blocker on the roster with college experience, after the graduation of All-American Hunter Howell. Lassandro, who hit .327 and was in on 70 blocks for second most on the team, will guide lead the newcomers in the middle as he enters in his third season with the program.
 
Junior Addison Enriques is set to hold down the libero spot for the second straight season after leading the MPSF in digs per set. The Ka'u, Hawaii native was selected to the Off the Block Erik Shoji Award Watch List that was recently released, highlighting the top liberos in the nation, an award won by former Eagles libero Jacob Weiser in 2018. Another contender for the libero position is sophomore Erik Boisvert, who can also play at outside hitter at 5-11 after an impressive fall camp performance.
 
Newcomers
The 29-man roster has increased its depth at each position after adding nine freshmen to the 2020 squad and has five players coming off redshirt seasons.
 
Noah Taitano joined the team midseason of 2019, after playing two years at Long Beach City College, where he had 187 kills and 57 blocks as an opposite hitter. The Carson, Calif. native's team made it to the CCCAA playoffs in both seasons.
 
Another redshirt junior college transfer is Blake Omartian, who was teammates with Barsemian at Pierce College and Crescenta Valley High School. Omartian played in 34 matches and had 238 digs and 48 aces, including a team-high 147 digs and 30 aces in 2017.
 
After redshirting their first season, outside hitter Miles Dewhirst, opposite Keegan Carey, and middle blocker Mason Mullins are looking to make an impact and see the court for the first time this season.
 
As part of the nine-man recruiting class, at least one of the three frosh setters will make an impact as they are the only setters on the roster. These setters are Griffin Book, Christian Oviedo, and McLain Mott, all of whom will look to replace all-MPSF and Concordia assists leader Chandler Gibb and Isaiah Pono Kaaa.
 
A pair of middle blockers join the team in local player Gil Herold out of Servite High School and Ryan Wheeler, coming all the way from St. Louis, Missouri. New pin hitters Caden Perkins, Caden Pack, and AVCA High School All-American JT DeMure all add depth to the loaded roster and will look to compete right away. Lastly, the Eagles add another Hawaii libero to its team in Kawika Simon out of Kamehameha Schools on Oahu.
 
First serve for the 2020 season is at 3 p.m. on Monday, January 5th in CU Arena against Saint Katherine.