Men's Volleyball | 1/4/2024 10:12:00 AM

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher University men's volleyball team are set to begin a new year after 2023 saw them lose in the UVC Championship game to then no. 1 Vassar College, but they earned an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament. They aim to use head coach, Matthew Cohen's first year as a foundation for this years success.
 
UVC Preseason Coaches Poll
The United Volleyball Conference released the UVC Preseason Coaches Poll on Thursday. Regular season play begins on Jan. 11-13 and league play begins on Feb. 17. The six-team 2024 UVC Championship will take place from April 12-14 at the site of the regular season champion. St. John Fisher, 2022 UVC Champions, 2023 UVC runners-up and two-time NCAA Division III Tournament participant, garnered one first place vote and is projected to finish third in the UVC Preseason poll with 34 points.
 
Last Season Highlights
In 2023, the Cardinals were 24-8 overall and 3-3 in conference play and finished ranked no. 10 in the AVCA Poll. They were 7-2 when playing at home, 7-4 when on the road and 10-2 in neutral site contests. They faced off against multiple top-25 opponents, including eventual national champions Stevens, three top-5 teams in Vassar, Messiah and Juniata, and no. 7 Wentworth twice.
 
They finished the regular season 9-1 in their last ten, before going on to defeat New York University in the quarterfinals of the UVC Championship, and New Paltz in the semi-finals.
 
A Big Loss
Josh Bigford produced one of the best seasons in St. John Fisher history en route to becoming one of only 15 players in Division III history to be a four-time AVCA All-American. Bigford was a versatile player for the Cardinals, playing in 86 sets across 26 matches.
 
He led the team with 337.0 points, 276 kills and 709 total attacks. On the defensive end, he had 56.0 total blocks and 102 digs. In the UVC, he was no. 5 in hitting percentage with a .339, no. 7 in kills, no. 6 in service ace average per set, and no. 4 in total points.
 
Key Returners
The Cardinals will lean on a variety of returners this season starting with AVCA All American honorable Mention and Middle Blocker, Griffin Stella. He appeared in 88 sets across 26 matches. He was second on the team with 213.5 total points, with 161 kills (no. 3 on the team). Stella led the team in blocks with eight solo blocks, 83 block assists for a total of 91.0. Stella was named UVC All-Conference second-team and Empire 8 All-Conference First-team.
 
Jake Baker and Trace La Robardiere earn Empire 8 Second-Team recognition. Baker played in 68 sets across 21 matches and was third on the team in total points with 204.5. He tallied 166 kills, 20 service ace, 85 digs and 33.0 total blocks. La Robardiere led the way defensively for the team, playing in an even 100 sets over 28 matches. To go along with 58 aces, he had 224 digs with a .950 reception percentage.
 
Second Year at the Helm.
Head coach, Matt Cohen, is entering his second season as head coach, but is hoping to establish more of his game plan after a full off-season of recruiting, practice and training. Cohen joined the Cardinals in January, 2023, after serving as the head coach of the women's volleyball team at Saint Johns River State College in Palatka, Florida. He was at the helm from 2013-15 and 2018-2022 and in that time, he collected a record of 162-98.
 
When does it all begin?
The Cardinals open the season on Friday, Jan. 12 as they travel to Wittenberg University for a 7:30p.m. season opener. They will be at home a week later for a 5 p.m. home opener against Houghton University.
 
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