Follow
The college men’s volleyball season is about to get underway and few conferences are unpredictable than ConfCarolinas.
There has been a different conference champion each of the last three seasons a conference tournament has been held (Belmont Abbey – 2021; Barton – 2019; King – 2018)
Off the Block associate editor Jonathan Bates breaks down the ConfCarolinas and what to know about each team entering the 2022 season.
Mount Olive
Preseason ConfCarolinas poll ranking: No. 1
2021 record: 13-4 (11-2 ConfCarolinas)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in ConfCarolinas Tournament finals
Notable starters lost: opposite Iyanu Adebisi (Third-Team All-ConfCarolinas)
Notable returners/additions: outside attacker Tobi Azeez (Preseason All-American, All-American Honorable Mention), middle attacker Eric Visgitis (Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas), Setter Jarrod Ferguson (Third-Team All-ConfCarolinas)
OTB bold predictions: Outside attacker Tobi Azeez will repeat his trifecta from 2021 (All-American, ConfCarolinas Offensive Player of the Year, national leader in kills per game). In fact, he will be the first player from the conference since Angelo Mandilaris to be named to the All-American Second-Team – Jonathan Bates
Belmont Abbey
Preseason ConfCarolinas poll ranking: No. 2
2021 record: 15-8 (9-5 ConfCarolinas)
2021 postseason finish: Won ConfCarolinas championship and lost in the NCAA Tournament play-in match.
Notable starters lost: setter Brennan Davis (First-Team All-ConfCarolinas), middle attacker Brian Long (Third-Team All-ConfCarolinas)
Notable returners/additions: outside attacker Matteo Miselli (Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas), opposite Andrew Kohut (Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas)
New head coach: Derek Sullivan
OTB bold predictions: Rookie head coach Derek Sullivan will ride a break out season by Matteo Miselli to a ConfCarolinas Coach of the Year award. – Jonathan Bates
North Greenville
Preseason ConfCarolinas poll ranking: No. 3
2021 record: 13-5 (7-4 ConfCarolinas)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in ConfCarolinas semifinals
Notable starters lost: outside attacker Jackson Gilbert (First-Team All-ConfCarolinas)
Notable returners/additions: setter Sergio Carrillo (Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas), libero Christian Phung (Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas), outside attacker Brandon Baker (Third-Team All-ConfCarolinas), middle attacker Emanuel Adames (Third-Team All-ConfCarolinas)
OTB bold prediction: While North Greenville returns most of the team from a year ago, they lost their best player. Jackson Gilbert led the Crusaders with 4.30 kills per game; the next closest on the team only had 2.10. There will be some growing pains early on in the season, as they were so used to Gilbert being their go-to player last year. By year’s end, they will be a much more balanced team than last year. – Jonathan Bates
King
Preseason ConfCarolinas poll ranking: No. 4
2021 record: 12-13 (7-7 ConfCarolinas)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in ConfCarolinas Tournament semifinals
Notable starters lost: middle attacker Douglas Florencio
Notable returners/additions: Noah Melendez (ConfCarolinas Defensive Player of the Year), opposite Joshua Kim (First-Team All-ConfCarolinas)
OTB bold predictions: Last year was a down year for King by Ryan Booher standards. I expect a bounce back season with at least one win versus a top-two conference school. Melendez will lead the nation in digs per game, after finishing second last year with 2.69 digs per game. – Jonathan Bates
Barton
Preseason ConfCarolinas poll ranking: No. 5
2021 record: 9-10 (7-6 ConfCarolinas)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in ConfCarolinas Tournament quarterfinals
Notable starters lost: outside attacker Adrian Iglesias (Second Team All-ConfCarolinas), libero Edwin Montaruli (Team All-ConfCarolinas
Notable returners/additions: setter Moses Kresch
OTB bold prediction: This will be the toughest challenge that Coach Jeffrey Lennox has had in a while at Barton with the roster turnover. The Bulldogs lose their top two attackers from last year, so the Bulldogs will count on Kresch to run the offense featuring so many new faces. – Jonathan Bates
Emmanuel
Preseason ConfCarolinas poll ranking: No. 6
2021 record: 10-13 (6-8 ConfCarolinas)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in ConfCarolinas Tournament quarterfinals
Notable starters lost: middle attacker Don Thompson (First-Team All-ConfCarolinas), outside attacker Aleksa Lakic (Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas)
Notable returners/additions: outside attacker Jayden Young, middle attacker Carlos Guerrero, setter Henrik Westhoff, libero Nicklas Eichenberger
OTB bold prediction: The Lions also lose their top two attackers from 2021, but they return five starters. Outside attacker Jayden Young will lead the Lions in kills per game and be named Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas. – Jonathan Bates
Erskine
Preseason ConfCarolinas poll ranking: No. 7
2021 record: 9-15 (4-9 ConfCarolinas)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in ConfCarolinas Tournament first round
Notable starters lost: Opposite Jacob Whyte (transferred to Tusculum)
Notable returners/additions: setter Juan Alcoba, outside attacker Kacper Rybarczyk, outside attacker Austin Edgerrin
OTB bold predictions: This is one of the deepest teams in program history with 22 players on the roster. They will start the season with at least four losses in their first five matches after the California swing in mid-January. Don’t be fooled by that record at the end of the season as I expect the Fleet to be near the .500 mark by season’s end. – Jonathan Bates
Lees-McRae
Preseason ConfCarolinas poll ranking: No. 8
2021 record: 2-19 (2-12 ConfCarolinas)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in ConfCarolinas Tournament first round
Notable starters lost: middle attacker Ethan Gardner
Notable returners/additions: libero Steven Nalls, middle attacker Max Kuntz, outside attacker Michael Marsans
New head coach: Pono Yin
OTB bold predictions: The Bobcats are on their third coach in as many years. They will endure some growing pains as Yin puts his handprints on the program, but Lees-McRae will double their win total from last year. Steven Nalls will be named to all-conference. – Jonathan Bates