IRVINE, Calif. – The CUI Eagles men's volleyball team will take the court for the first time of the 2021 season on the road against Pepperdine. This marks the first contest for the Green and Gold since March of 2020, when CUI won five straight regular season matches.

The 2021 season will consist of playing the six teams in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) conference.

The Eagles start the season on the road against Pepperdine on Monday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. CUI will then play their first two home matches against Pepperdine on Wednesday, Jan. 27 and Grand Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 30. Both those home games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. in CU Arena.

Fans are not allowed to attend games at this time due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. However, CUI plans to provide free live stats and video live streaming during all home volleyball games so fans can still follow the action. You can also follow our CUI Athletics main Twitter account for live updates at @cuieagles as well.

Follow HERE for coverage of the season opener at Pepperdine.
Follow HERE for coverage of CUI's home openers the following week.

For the second time in three years, the CUI men's volleyball team has been recognized nationally as a preseason power. The 2021 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Preseason Poll shows the Eagles ranked No. 12 in the rankings along with other MPSF conference members such as BYU, Pepperdine, UCLA, Grand Canyon, and Stanford.

"The expectations are really high to have fun! We are so blessed for the opportunity to play this season and realize the effort of our athletic department, athletic trainers, and the university wellness center to give us the chance to compete for a national championship," stated head coach Shawn Patchell. "The team has great chemistry, working hard on the court, classroom, and weight room and can't wait for MPSF competition!"

Returners
CUI returns six starters and has depth with a number of experienced returning players eager to mesh with a number of talented new additions.

The team returns a handful of experience which includes All-MPSF First Team and CUI Male Athlete of the Year, Raymond Barsemian and All-MPSF Second Team Jordan Hoppe. The duo are hungry and motivated to make the postseason after getting one more year of eligibility due to last year's COVID-19 shutdown. The two have made huge contributions to the team while breaking CUI records.

Seniors Jonathan Carlson, Logan Glave, and Owen Chun also return for the Eagles for the pins. That trio has shown it can contribute in multiple ways and provides the Eagles with different threats that can attack opponents in different ways.

Senior Addison Enriques will be the libero for the Eagles for the third straight year after leading the MPSF conference in total digs and digs per set with 2.53. The Ka'u Hawaii native received All-American Honorable Mention by the America Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and named All-MPSF Second Team alongside Hoppe.

Sophomores Gil Herold and McLain Mott return to the court this year after making an immediate impact on the team. Herold had 18 starts as a middle blocker and led the Eagles with 47 blocks. Mott was able to dish out 638 assists as the starting setter for green and gold with a career-high of 59 assists against Grand Canyon which placed him second in the CUI record book in a match. Mott ranked third in the MPSF conference with an average of 8.86 per set.

"The mood of the team is very high as we are very excited to start playing," said Herold, who along with his teammate, Christian Oviedo, is a product of nearby Servite High School. "We have been working very hard in the preseason and are excited to show the nation how much we have prepared. Volleyball is like a full-time job that we love to do. I feel as if Coach Patchell and the coaching staff have prepared us to go with the flow. If we are able to play, then we will play our hearts out every time we step on the court."

Newcomers
Graduate student, Jesper Schut, comes to the Eagles from The Netherlands as a versatile middle blocker or opposite. Five new freshmen come in this year as well with Liam Roberts, Cort Johnson, Will Migdal, and Devyn Zavala as pin hitters for the Eagles. Freshman Josiah Kaaa comes in as an outside hitter and is the younger brother of alumni Isaiah Kaaa, who was the setter for the Eagles from 2014-2019. Kaaa will be wearing the same number 13 as his older brother. Freshman Brock Henderson comes in as a setter from San Diego, Calif. next to sophomores Christian Oviedo and Griffin Book.