[Men's Volleyball] Men's Volleyball tabs spot in NAIA Preseason Top 10 Poll
LAURINBURG, N.C.– The NAIA released the 2020 NAIA Men's Volleyball Coaches' Top 10 Poll placing St. Andrews as the 9th ranked team, clinching a spot in the Top 10 Poll for the second consecutive year.
St. Andrews tabbed the final spot in the 2019 Top 10 Poll but moved up a ranking after coming off a 20-8 overall record in the 2019 season and 15-0 in conference play. The Knights have traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, in back-to-back seasons as they've reached the NAIA National Championships in 2018 and 2019.
The 2020 roster for the Knights holds several returning dominant players, including senior Jackson Stark who is coming off a strong 2019 season where he recorded 34 service aces, 915 assists, 55 kills, and 52 block assists.
Senior outside hitter, Jacob DeSouza, is returning from his strongest season yet as a Knight where he led the team in kills with 246 while also recording 27 service aces and 130 digs in 2019.
The Knights lost a big factor at the net with Ben Twigger's departure as he was the team leader in blocks with 20 and 92 block assists but another strong force, Nate Blackwell, will be returning. Blackwell assisted in 62 blocks in 2019 while recording 174 kills with an impressive .306 hitting percentage.
Edgar Huerta, a senior outside hitter from Salinas, CA, returns for his senior season after picking up 228 kills for the Knights while also collecting 8 solo blocks and 33 service aces in the previous season.
The Knights have several skillful players that have joined the program this year and will help St. Andrews compete as a strong contender at the conference and national level this 2020 season.
The 2020 season will begin on January 24th as they battle Randolph Macon for their first meeting in program history.
St. Andrews University is a branch of Webber International University located in Laurinburg, NC. The University's mission is to offer students an array of business, liberal arts and sciences, and pre-professional programs of study that create a life transforming educational opportunity which is practical in its application, global in its scope, and multi-disciplinary in its general education core. Students will acquire depth of knowledge and expertise in their chosen field of study, balanced by breadth of knowledge across various disciplines, while pursuing a degree at associate, bachelor, or master level. Special emphasis is placed on enhancing oral and written communication, and critical thinking skills. The international quality of the student body enriches personal experience and promotes understanding of international cultures and influences. Through an atmosphere in which self-discipline, creativity and cultivation of ethical standards are enhanced, the University is dedicated to teaching its students the "how to learn, how to think, and how to apply method" to each new challenge.