CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Trine University men's volleyball team was selected to finish third in 2023 in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) Preseason Poll released on Thursday. The Thunder received 49 points.
Last year's MCVL Tournament champions in the University of Mount Union were voted the preseason favorite to win their first regular season title. They received 63 points and seven first-place votes. Behind them was Fontbonne University, who have won two consecutive regular season titles. The Griffins gathered 58 points and the final two remaining first-place votes.
Head coach William Dowdy embarks on his second season at the helm of the Trine men's volleyball program. In 2022, the Thunder had a record of 12-14 overall, and tied for fourth-place in the regular season standings with a 4-4 conference record.
Returning to the court for Trine in 2023 is two-time MCVL Defensive Player of the Year, Hunter Haas. The junior from Cincinnati, Ohio led the league with 3.05 digs per set and had 198 total digs in 19 matches. His classmate Ted Hofmeister, who was also a member of the First Team All-MCVL, rejoins him and the Thunder squad. The Powell, Ohio native led the team with 299 kills and was fourth in the league at 3.48 kills per set. Sophomore Kevin Boncaro and junior Matt Stillman make it the top three scoring members of last year's team returning to the court in 2023.
The team's lone senior in Dominic Saenz is surrounded by eight juniors, six sophomores and eight freshmen. Eleven different states are represented on this year's roster, including newcomers from Virginia, Nevada and Hawaii.
The Thunder open the 2023 season at home against Marian University (Wisc.) on Friday, January 20 beginning at 5 p.m.