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The college men’s volleyball season is about to get underway and few conferences are more wide open than the MIVA.
Three of the eight MIVA teams received multiple first-place votes in the conference’s preseason coaches poll.
Off the Block editor Vinnie Lopes breaks down the MIVA and what to know about each team entering the 2022 season.
Loyola
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: No. 8
Preseason MIVA poll ranking: No. 1
2021 record: 15-6 (9-5 MIVA)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in MIVA Tournament finals
Notable starters lost: Luke Denton (First-Team All-MIVA); outside attacker Devin Joslyn
Notable returners/additions: outside attacker Cole Schlothauer (Preseason All-American, First-Team All-MIVA); setter Garrett Zolg (Preseason All-American, First-Team All-MIVA); outside attacker Colton Brooks; middle attacker Jimmy Meinhart; middle attacker Ben Montplaisir; libero Jack Yentz
OTB bold predictions: Outside attacker Cole Schlothauer ended last season third in the MIVA with a 3.82 kills per game average. The Preseason All-American will end this season in the nation’s top 15 for kills. – Vinnie Lopes
Lewis
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: No. 8
Preseason MIVA poll ranking: No. 2
2021 record: 21-3 (12-2 MIVA)
2021 postseason finish: Won MIVA championship and lost in the NCAA Tournament semifinals
Notable starters lost: outside attacker Ryan Coenen (MIVA Player of the Year, Karch Kiraly Award, Division II National Player of the Year, First-Team All-American); outside attacker Kyle Bugee (Second-Team All-American); TJ Murray (Second-Team All-MIVA)
Notable returners/additions: middle attacker Tyler Mitchem (Preseason All-American, First-Team All-American, Ryan Millar Award finalist, First-Team All-MIVA); setter Kevin Kauling (Preseason All-American, Second-Team All-American, Lloy Ball Award finalist, First-Team All-MIVA); outside attacker Cole Brillhart; libero Carols Jimenez
OTB bold predictions: Tyler Mitchem will have a career-high in kills, hit more than .450 and will become the first middle attacker during the rally scoring era to win the MIVA Player of the Year. – Vinnie Lopes
Ohio State
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: No. 13
Preseason MIVA poll ranking: No. 3
2021 record: 9-10 (8-6 MIVA)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in MIVA Tournament quarterfinals
Notable starters lost: libero Luke Meidel
Notable returners/additions: outside attacker Sotiris Siapanis (Preseason All-American, Freshman All-American, MIVA Newcomer of the Year, First-Team All-MIVA); outside attacker Martin Lallemand (Second-Team All-MIVA); outside attacker Jacob Pasteur; setter Michael Wright; middle attacker Samuel Clark; middle attacker Justin Howard
OTB bold predictions: Ohio State will be back in the MIVA Tournament finals for the first time since 2018. – Vinnie Lopes
Ball State
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: No. 15
Preseason MIVA poll ranking: No. 4
2021 record: 12-8 (8-5 MIVA)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in MIVA Tournament semifinals
Notable starters lost: opposite Blake Reardon (Second-Team All-MIVA)
Notable returners/additions: setter Quinn Isaacson (First-Team All-MIVA); outside attacker Kaleb Jenness (First-Team All-MIVA); middle attacker Flex Egharevba; opposite Angelos Mandilaris (former ConfCarolinas Player of the Year); libero Colin Ensalaco; outside attacker Bryce Behrendt; middle attacker Will Hippe
New head coach: Donan Cruz (previously Grand View head coach)
OTB bold predictions: If all its matches are played this season, Ball State will end the regular season with more than 15 wins. – Vinnie Lopes
McKendree
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: No. 14
Preseason MIVA poll ranking: No. 5
2021 record: 12-8 (8-5 MIVA)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in MIVA Tournament semifinals
Notable starters lost: opposite Zach Schnittker (Second-Team All-MIVA); middle attacker Lucas Galifos (Second-Team All-MIVA); middle attacker Wyatt Dimke
Notable returners/additions: setter Ryan Serrano (First-Team All-MIVA); outside attacker Patrick Ross (Second-Team All-MIVA); libero Francisco Comas; outside attacker Ethan Carroll
OTB bold predictions: McKendree will have multiple home wins against nationally ranked teams this season – Vinnie Lopes
Purdue Fort Wayne
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: Unranked
Preseason MIVA poll ranking: No. 6
2021 record: 6-9 (6-8 MIVA)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in MIVA Tournament quarterfinals
Notable starters lost: outside attacker Pelegrin Vargas (First-Team All-MIVA); middle attacker Richie Diedrich, setter Frederico Santos
Notable returners/additions: outside attacker Vicente Ibarra (Freshman All-American, Second-Team All-MIVA), libero Troy Gooch (Second-Team All-MIVA); setter Sean Califf; opposite Jon Diedrich; middle attacker Bryce Walker; outside attacker Wilmer Hernandez
OTB bold predictions: Outside attacker Vicente Ibarra will have a breakout season in 2022 and finish the year in the nation’s top 10 for kills. – Vinnie Lopes
Lindenwood
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: Unranked
Preseason MIVA poll ranking: No. 7
2021 record: 5-13 (2-12 MIVA)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in MIVA Tournament quarterfinals
Notable starters lost: libero Johnny Winkler
Notable returners/additions: outside attacker Diego Negron (Second-Team All-MIVA); outside attacker A.J. Lewis (Second-Team All-MIVA); middle attacker Alex Pappas; middle attacker Cal Werths; outside attacker Phil Swartz; libero Kyle Deutschmann; setter Connor Sheehan; setter Brian Schwob; opposite Vicente Mardones (transfer from Limestone)
OTB bold predictions: Outside attacker A.J. Lewis nearly ended last season in the nation’s top 20 for kills. This will be the season Lewis makes the top 20. – Vinnie Lopes
Quincy
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: Unranked
Preseason MIVA poll ranking: No. 8
2021 record: 5-13 (2-12 MIVA)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in MIVA Tournament quarterfinals
Notable starters lost: libero Noam Hannoun (Second-Team All-MIVA); outside attacker Michael Ladner; setter Yoran Raymaekers; opposite Omari Wheeler; middle attacker Zach Reider
Notable returners/additions: outside attacker Eddie Jakubauskas; middle attacker Cooper Coleman; libero Michal Podgorzak (transfer from Limestone, Erik Shoji Award finalist, All-Independent Team); outside attacker Francisco Salinger (transfer from Limestone)
New head coach: Caren Kemner (previously Culver-Stockton head coach)
OTB bold predictions: Quincy has not won a conference road match since 2017. That streak ends this year. – Vinnie Lopes