The 2024 NCAA men’s volleyball season gets underway Tuesday when Ball State plays host to Wabash College. There are six matches Wednesday, including Loyola Chicago at Hawai’i. Defending national-champion UCLA opens at home Thursday against Fort Valley State and Morehouse.
The National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship is May 2-4 at Long Beach State.

As volleyball continues to grow at the high school level for boys, more and better athletes become available to stock college men’s rosters. That produces more quantity — in the past three years, three Division I/II conferences have been added — and more quality.

Longtime Penn State coach Mark Pavlik, whose Nittany Lions won the EIVA last year, sees it in his own conference. When asked who would present the biggest challenge to the Nittany Lions’ crown this season, Pavlik was almost at a loss.

“If you would have asked me this question 15 years ago, I could have given you one answer,” said Pavlik, who is entering his 29th year at Penn State. “Now — and I think it’s true across the U.S. — parity is getting better and better.

“Certainly in the EIVA, you have a handful of teams that can come out on any given night and, if you’re not playing well, they’ll make you pay for it. So if you ask me who’s the team you worry about, honestly, I’m worried about all of them.”

John Speraw sees it, too.

Besides being the coach of reigning national champion UCLA and the USA men’s team, Speraw is chairman of First Point Volleyball. First Point has been a prime mover in the growth of boys and men’s volleyball.

Asked who could emerge as contenders to dethrone the Bruins, Speraw’s answer is as far-reaching as Pavlik’s.

“At the end of (2023), I thought Ohio State was playing really good volleyball. They’re right there. I know Penn State loses a lot, but they do have some players return who, I think, are very high level. You’ve got to think Loyola of Chicago is going to be better.

“I know that Grand Canyon is returning a lot. Long Beach is returning a lot. Stanford is returning a lot … And I should mention Hawai’i. I know they graduated a couple of key players, but they also have some exceptional talent outside … and Hawai’i again will be in the mix.”

The depth factor extends to individual teams, too, and few know that better than Speraw. With the exception of libero Troy Gooch and middle blocker J.R. Norris, who came off the bench and emerged as a hero during the national championship match last May, the Bruins return their entire lineup.

That includes a frightening corps of hitters such as Ido David, Ethan Champlin, Merrick McHenry, Zach Rama and Guy Genis. Also back is fifth-year outside hitter Alex Knight, MVP of the NCAA Championship last season, and setter Andrew Rowan.

Rowan played with the maturity and poise of a seasoned veteran, but Speraw said there’s still more to be gleaned from the 6-foot-6 sophomore.

“There’s plenty of room for him to grow,” Speraw said. “He’s still a young player. He still has the ability to mature in terms of how he runs the offense and how he distributes and how he thinks about the tactical game.”

If UCLA is the favorite to repeat, there will be, as Speraw noted, no shortage of challengers. Perhaps the biggest threat will be Long Beach State.

Long Beach, which lost to UCLA in last spring’s national semifinals, returns many of its main players from a year ago and was picked to unseat Hawai’i atop the Big West in the conference preseason poll. Three of those returning players were selected to the preseason All-Big West team: setter Aidan Knipe, libero Mason Briggs and outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis.

Also back are 6-10 middle blocker Simon Torwie and Big West All-Freshman selection Connor Bloom.

Speraw mentioned Hawai’i among his crop of contenders, and with good reason. In the past three seasons, the Rainbow Warriors have won two national titles (2021, 2022) and lost to UCLA in last spring’s NCAA final.

But coach Charlie Wade’s team falls into the other end of the depth spectrum. Hawai’i’s depth as a program will be tested.

Gone is Jakob Thelle, who not only was the best setter in the country, he was voted the best overall player in the nation by the AVCA. Greek opposite Dimitrios Mouchlias left school early to turn pro. Cole Hogland exhausted his eligibility and is playing professionally in Japan. And libero Brett Sheward is using his final year of eligibility at rival UC Irvine.

Yet the cupboard is hardly bare. Back are senior outside hitter Spyros Chakas, senior outside hitter Chaz Galloway and middle blocker Guilherme Voss, all long on experience.

In Thelle’s place likely will be Kevin Kauling, who transferred from Lewis after a successful four-year stint there, or freshman Tread Rosenthal, the starting setter on the USA junior national team. Or perhaps some combination of both. Wade said he has run a 6-2 offense with them at times in practice.

Junior Austin Buchanan also could be in the mix at setter. But the 6-8 Buchanan also is listed as an opposite, and that’s one of the big holes Wade will need to fill with Mouchlias’ departure.

In terms of replacing Sheward at libero, Wade believes he has his man in junior Eleu Choy.

“He’s just such a good kid and a hard worker and a really exciting player,” Wade said. “Really fast. Really dynamic … There were times last year (in practice) he not only was the best libero, there were almost times he was the best player on the floor.

“He’s had a great fall. I think the (team’s offseason) trip to Japan was really good for him to kind of play in high-leverage moments. That’s the only thing that was kind of lacking with him.”

The same can be said for a few players who will enter Penn State’s lineup this winter. Pavlik has the unenviable task of replacing his “big three” of setter Cole Bogner, opposite Cal Fisher and outside hitter Brett Wildman.

We’re back to depth again. Penn State has had it as a program for pretty much the entirety of Pavlik’s tenure, but, in 2024, it will be tested like few other years.

Setter is the biggest hole, where inexperienced players Luke Snyder (senior), Mike Schwob (freshman) and Josh Rosenblum (redshirt sophomore) will battle it out.

The good news is, the new setter will have the benefit of experienced passers, particularly sophomore Ryan Merk, the EIVA freshman of the year in 2023. Michal Kowal also returns as a dual threat, averaging 1.26 digs per set and ranking second behind Fisher last season with 2.47 kills per set.

Michael Valenzi (2.33 kills per set in 13 matches in 2023) is a leading candidate to fill Wildman’s role. John Kerr filled in admirably during the early part of last season when Fisher was injured and likely will assume the spot at opposite.

The other good news for Penn State is it has arguably the best 1-2 middle combination in the country with junior Owen Rose and senior Toby Ezeonu.

“Toby has been around now and because of his summer experiences with USA Volleyball, his volleyball and athletic curve is still on the way up,” Pavlik said. “If we can get Toby the ball, hopefully, he can do some things with it. And Rose can also. We’ll see if we can make some people worry about those two more than they need to.”

Meanwhile, the Division II SIAC enters its third year of competition and should continue to produce better quality. The Northeast Conference is in its second season after LIU was the surprise winner of the inaugural conference tournament, upsetting top-seeded St. Francis (Pa.). And the East Coast Conference debuts this season with five teams.

Next season, Maryland Eastern Shore and Northern Kentucky will add to the Division I roster of teams.

The depth gets deeper.

“With the men’s game, we’ve had that physicality level,” Pavlik said, “but I think over the next five, six, seven years, we’re going to see more and more teams get better and better guys on the court. And I don’t mean just the top 15 teams.

“I think there’s going to be enough guys playing the game that everybody’s going to have an opportunity to develop some of their own players’ physicality.”

But while the gap between the perennial powers and their chasers might be inching shut, Wade said he can see the upcoming season playing out in familiar fashion.

“I don’t think there’s really anybody coming out of the woodwork,” he said. “Obviously, there will be someone who comes out of it that has a significantly better year than we can predict right now. But when it comes down to it, I think you’re going to see kind of the same four or five teams.”

Conference breakdowns

Big West

Schools (with 2023 conference record): Hawai’i (9-1), Long Beach State (9-1), UC Irvine (6-4), UCSB (3-7), UC San Diego (2-8), CS Northridge (1-9)

Players to watch: L Mason Briggs (Long Beach), OH/OPP Spyros Chakas (Hawai’i), OH Chaz Galloway (Hawai’i), OH Hillir Henno (UC Irvine), OH Kyle Hobus (CS Northridge), S Aidan Knipe (Long Beach), S Brett Sheward (UC Irvine), OH Sotiris Siapanis (Long Beach), MB Simon Torwie (Long Beach), MB Guilherme Voss (Hawai’i)

Noteworthy: Sheward, who won two national titles with Hawai’i, is playing his final year of eligibility at UC Irvine … Hawai’i must replace mainstays Jakob Thelle and Dimitrios Mouchlias … Young UC San Diego squad returns four who were on the all-freshman team.

Quoteworthy: “I think the play at our opposite position will determine whether we are (a national title contender) or not.” — Charlie Wade, Hawai’i

EIVA

Schools (with 2023 conference record): Penn State (10-0), Princeton (7-3), Charleston (5-5), George Mason (4-6), Harvard (2-8), NJIT (2-8)

Players to watch: OH Ras Jesse Delancy (Charleston), MB Toby Ezeonu (Penn State), OH Ben Harrington (Princeton), OH Omar Hoyos (George Mason), OPP Johnny Kerr (Penn State), OH Michal Kowal (Penn State), L Ryan Merk (Penn State), OH Alessandro Negri (NJIT)

Noteworthy: Charleston gets a big boost from the addition of outside hitter Delancy, who was the 2023 SIAC Player of the Year at Benedict … Penn State will break in a new setter. The three setters on the Nittany Lions’ roster have a combined one match of college experience … Princeton’s Harrington was second in the conference in points per set to now-graduated Cal Fisher from Penn State.

Quoteworthy: “We will have a newbie (at setter), so it will be an interesting first half of the year where I’m sure we will go through some growing pains.” — Penn State coach Mark Pavlik, on replacing five-year setter Cole Bogner

NEC

Schools (with 2023 conference record): Saint Francis (Pa.) (12-2), Daemen (11-3), LIU (10-4), St. Francis Brooklyn (5-9), Fairleigh Dickinson (4-10), D’Youville (3-11)

Players to watch: S Sean Califf (Daemen), OPP Jamal Ellis Carballo (Fairleigh Dickinson), OH Livan Moreno (LIU), Ryan Parker (SFPA), OH Patrick Rogers (SFB), OPP Zach Schneider (Daemen)

Noteworthy: Merrimack and Sacred Heart left the conference as their athletic programs joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference … LIU was the surprise winner of the NEC’s first men’s volleyball title, upsetting Saint Francis (Pa.) in the final. The Sharks are the preseason pick to repeat … Saint Francis (Pa.) coach Mike Rumbaugh enters his 26th season at the helm of the Red Flash … Maryland Eastern Shore will join the conference for 2025.

Quoteworthy: “I’m curious to see who the darkhorses are … who comes out of the NEC.” — Penn State’s Pavlik

MPSF

Teams (with 2023 conference records): UCLA (12-0), BYU (8-4), Stanford (6-6), Grand Canyon (6-6), Pepperdine (5-7), USC (3-9), Concordia (2-10)

Players to watch: MB Akin Akinwumi (Concordia), OH Ethan Champlin (UCLA), OPP Ido David (UCLA), OH Dillon Klein (USC), OH Alex Knight (UCLA), OH Kevin Lamp (Stanford), OH Merrick McHenry (UCLA), OH Trent Moser (BYU), OH Miks Ramanis (BYU), S Andrew Rowan (UCLA), S Nick Slight (GCU), MB Rico Wardlow (GCU)

Noteworthy: Concordia is under interim coach Chris Seiffert, who was hired in November … Pepperdine must replace conference player of the year Jaylen Jasper. … UCLA has the bulk of its roster back from last season’s national title team … Grand Canyon earned an at-large bid to the NC Tournament last season, the ’Lopes’ first trip to the tournament.

Quoteworthy: “We return a lot, but we also graduated a couple of players who had a significant impact on our season last year, especially with the way J.R. (Norris) came off the bench and played in that championship match. We’re going to have to find those points.” — UCLA coach John Speraw

MIVA

Schools (with 2023 conference record): Ball State (11-3), Loyola Chicago (11-3), Ohio State (11-3), Lewis (7-7), Purdue Fort Wayne (7-7), Lindenwood (7-7), McKendree (1-13), Quincy (1-13).

Players to watch: OPP Raje Alleyne (Quincy), OH John Diedrich (PFW), OH A.J. Lewis (Lindenwood), MB Nicodemus Meyer (Loyola), OH Tinaishe Ndavazocheva (Ball State), OH Jacob Pasteur (Ohio State), L Tommy Poole (Ohio State), OH Max Roquet (Lewis), OH Parker Van Buren (Loyola), MB Bryce Walker (PFW), OPP Shane Wetzel (Ohio State), S Michael Wright (Ohio State)

Noteworthy: Queens (Charlotte, N.C.) joins the MIVA, bringing the conference up to six Division I programs … Ohio State’s MIVA title last season was its 18th … Loyola Chicago’s John Hawks was the conference coach of the year in his first year with the program … Ohio State was picked to repeat as MIVA champ in the conference’s preseason poll … Ball State lost to Ohio State in five in the conference title match, denying the Cardinals back-to-back titles.

Quoteworthy: “There are a lot of teams that are returning a lot. Ohio State is returning a lot … Loyola is returning a lot … A lot of teams seem to be returning their main group of players.” — UCLA’s Speraw

SIAC

Schools (with 2023 conference record): Edward Waters (10-0), Central State (8-2), Benedict (6-5), Fort Valley State (4-6), Kentucky State (2-8), Morehouse (0-1)

Players to watch: L Diego Cardona (Fort Valley State), S Kenyon Haynes (Edward Waters), OH Jaxon Hicks (Fort Valley State), OH Kaelen Ingram (Edward Waters), MH Joelvi Jimenez (Edward Waters), MH Taviian Martin (Fort Valley State), OH Bryan Pepen (Edward Waters), L Victor Scherer (Central State), MH Rashaun Wright (Fort Valley State), S Justin Yates (Fort Valley State)

Noteworthy: The Division II conference made up of historically Black schools gets an automatic NCAA bid this year … In two seasons, the conference has had two different champions: Central State (2022) and Edward Waters (2023) … Of the six teams in the conference, four are coached by women. Edward Waters’ Lauren Ford was coach of the year.

Quoteworthy: “There has been a strong push by national leaders to grow the sport of men’s volleyball, especially among HBCUs. As commissioner, I can tell you there is a positive energy in the league and on our campuses about competing in men’s volleyball at the highest level.” — SIAC commissioner Anthony Holloman (via thesiac.com)

Conference Carolinas

Schools (with 2023 conference record): North Greenville (11-3), Erskine (9-5), King (8-6), Belmont Abbey (8-6), Lees-McRae (7-7), Mount Olive (6-8), Barton (4-10), Emmanuel (3-11)

Players to watch: MB Emanuel Adames (North Greenville), OH Edgerrin Austin (Erskine), OPP Nicholas Brewster (Lees-McRae), OH Warren Davis (King), MB Michael de la Cruz (North Greenville), L Nick Eichenberger (Emmanuel), MB Thomas Fanic (Barton), MB Kellan Kennedy (King), S Jackson Lahey (Mount Olive), S Francisco Pomar (Erskine), MB Ethan Rehmann (Belmont Abbey), OH Diego Rosich (North Greenville), OH Kacper Rybarczyk (Erskine)

Noteworthy: As the third seed, King won the conference tournament and the NCAA bid that cane with it … King now is under the direction of Marquis Clark, who was hired less than three weeks ago … North Greenville will host Pepperdine on March 9. The Waves return for the first time since 2015, when they helped the Crusaders inaugurate their program … The past four seasons, excluding the canceled 2020 season (COVID) have produced four different conference tournament champs: King (2023), North Greenville (2022), Belmont Abbey (2021) and Barton (2019).

Quoteworthy: “This was the right opportunity at the right time in the right place for me and my family. I’m humbled by the trust placed in me by this team and the administration and I can’t wait to get to work.” — Marquis Clark (via kingtornado.com)

East Coast

Schools: Alliance, American International, Dominican, Roberts Wesleyan, St. Thomas Aquinas

Noteworthy: This is the first season for the East Coast Conference in men’s volleyball … Roberts Wesleyan and St. Thomas Aquinas are full-time members of the conference, with Alliance, American International and Dominican as affiliate members for men’s volleyball … The five schools will play a double round-robin schedule and conduct a championship tournament at the end of the regular season … American International is battle-tested, having played against a number of Division I programs (mostly NEC) in its two previous years of existence … Dominican is the most established program of the group, having existed since 2014 … According to the ECC website, “The ECC plans to seek additional membership with hopes of reaching the minimum of six members needed to pursue an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championship.”

Quoteworthy: “Men’s volleyball is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, and we are happy to help organize this as a conference sport for some of our regional colleagues. We look forward to continuing to grow men’s volleyball in the coming years.” — ECC commissioner, Dr. Robert Dranoff (via eccsports.org)