Season Preview: Men's Volleyball Opens 2026 Season At Home Saturday

About The 2026 Cardinals 

2025 Season In Review: The Cardinals went 24-9 overall with a 4-3 mark in United Volleyball Conference regular-season play last season. They had the No. 4 seed for the UVC Tournament and were eliminated by No. 5-seeded New Paltz in a five-set, first-round match. 

The Cardinals had two players earn All-America honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) after the season – Griffin Stella (first team) and Ian Rauh (honorable mention). Both also earned AVCA All-Region honors, with Stella being named to the first team and Rauh to the second team. 

Head Coach: Matt Cohen (4th season at St. John Fisher)

Assistant Coaches: John McCarty and Henry Gorton 

2025 Graduated Players: Gavin Newman, Trace La Robardiere, Sam Shutt, Ian Rauh, Evan Ingerick, Griffin Stella and Jake Baker

2025 Statistical Leaders: Kills (Ian Rauh, 251), attacking percentage (Griffin Stella, .493), assists (Gavin Newman, 819), service aces (Newman, 42), digs (Trace La Robardiere, 285), block solos (Stella, 26), block assists (Rauh, 74), total blocks (Rauh, 90) 

Returning Players: Coleton Welter (So., OH), Connor Carwile (So., L), Evan Hernandez (So., S), Connor Holmes (Jr., MB), Sonepith Keoviengsamay (Jr., OH), Nick Tartaglia (Jr., DS), Alex Quinn (Jr., MB), Guillermo Perez (Jr., MB), Casey Jackson (Sr., OH), Gabe La Robardiere (Sr., OH), Jimmy Roberts (Sr., OH), Aiden Calhoun (Sr., S), Jack DeMaria (Sr., DS) and Tyler Cohen (5th yr., OH). 

2026 Freshmen: Archer Mist (S), Dylan Leong (OH/L), Giancarlo Martinez (OH), Avery Kielbasinski (OH), Luke Zimmermann (L)

Transfers: Nathan Dreger (OH from Sarah Lawrence College), James Barone (S from Fairleigh Dickinson University) and Bryce Nickson (L/S from Finger Lakes Community College)

Preseason Rankings: St. John Fisher was picked to finish fourth in the UVC preseason coaches poll, announced by the conference office last week. Additionally, the Cardinals will open the season ranked No. 17 in the AVCA Division III Top-20. 

Six Players To Watch

#3 Coleton Welter, So., OH – Welter played in 72 sets over 27 matches as a freshman last season, pounding 120 kills to go with 59 digs, 28 total blocks and 10 service aces. He earned Empire 8 Rookie of the Week honors twice. 

#5 Casey Jackson, Sr., OH, Spencerport, NY/Spencerport – Jackson played in 88 sets over 27 matches in his 2025 season. He finished third on the team with 154 kills and fourth with 93 digs. He also amassed 21 service aces and 21 total blocks on his way to second-team All-E8 honors. 

#6 Gabe La Robardiere, Sr., OH – La Robardiere posted 120 kills while hitting .238 while playing in 28 matches last season. He also recorded 38 digs, 30 total blocks and five service aces. La Robardiere had a career-high 18 kills while hitting .294 against New Paltz in the UVC Tournament. 

#7 Sonepith Keoviengsamay, Jr., OH – Keoviengsamay, the 2024 Empire 8 Co-Rookie of the Year, earned second team all-E8 honors last season after slamming 155 kills while hitting nearly .250 across 68 sets over 23 matches. 

#17 Evan Hernandez, So., OH/S – Hernandez had 123 kills, 95 digs, 18 assists, 14 service aces and 13 total blocks as a freshman. He had 16 kills and hit .600 in a three-set sweep over Nichols and 16 while hitting .273 in a five-set loss to Vassar. 

#19 Nathan Dreger, So., OH – Dreger played his freshman season at Sarah Lawrence College and slammed 134 kills while posting a .257 hitting percentage. He also had 47 blocks, including 18 of the solo variety, and 45 service aces.