Men’s Volleyball Set To Tip-Off 2009-10 Season

The Stevens Institute of Technology men’s volleyball program enters the 2010 campaign after arguably enjoying its most successful season to date. The Ducks, led by 2009 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III National Player of the Year Andrew Cranford (’09), finished the season as the national runner-up with a 26-7 record after falling to Juniata in the 2009 Molten Division III National Championship.

But gone are six of the team’s eight regulars, including Cranford and AVCA first-team All-American Joe Trinsey (’09), leaving head coach Pat Dorywalski with a talented group of newcomers and a core nucleus of returnees with which to rebuild and continue the program’s proud tradition of excellence on the Hudson.

“We lost six of (our) eight starters, so obviously it’s going to be a rebuilding year for us,” said Dorywalski. “But we’ve got some good recruits in, and some solid returners (coming back) that weren’t starters, but are ready to step into those positions, so I think we’ll have a good year. It’ll be a rebuilding year, but it will be strong.”

Hoping to help lead a young, but talented Ducks squad that recently finished fourth on the 2010 AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, are co-captains John Dennan (Saint Louis, Mo.) and Brandt Grobeis (Livingston, N.J.) – a 2009 AVCA second-team All-American. Last season, Dennan, a senior, appeared in 27 matches, tallying 2.00 kills per set. Grobeis, who ranks third all-time on the career assists list with 1,916, enjoyed a stellar sophomore season at Castle Point, amassing 1,053 assists on the year – good for seventh on the program’s single-season charts. His 12.54 assists per set last year rank fourth on the single season list, while his 12.29 assists per set against NECVA opponents ranked fifth in the conference.

“John (Dennan) and Brandt (Grobeis) are returning starters who are still on the squad,” said Dorywalski. “As captains we will certainly look for them to set the tone, but while they are our primary leaders, I think everyone is ready to step into some type of leadership role because they know the team is young and that everybody is going to have to contribute. We’re seeing great things from a lot of people.”

Among those hoping to take on a more pronounced role this season are seniors Chris Egebo (Staten, Island, N.Y.) and Andrew Fessler (Rochester, N.Y.), juniors Bryant DeFranco (Nesconset, N.Y.), Timothy Karl (Williamsville, N.Y.), Jonathan Landis (Sellersville, Pa.), SteFan PremDas (Hollywood, Fla.), and Aaron Ostrovsky (Simi Valley, Calif.), and sophomore setter Derek Mulvey (Greenlawn, N.Y.).

“To date one of our most impressive players has been SteFan PremDas. He’s truly been at the top of his game and if he continues on that path he’ll be in great shape and will probably be one of our number one hitters. Jon Landis will be returning to the starting lineup as well this season after taking the year off,” Dorywalski said. “We also have other strong people ready to step into new roles as well. People like Tim Karl and Chris Egebo will be two of our primary starters and should be ready to take over those positions. We also have an excellent second setter in Derek (Mulvey) who will see a lot of time as well this season, and Aaron (Ostrovsky), who was our third setter, will probably step into the role as our starting libero – which is a very easy transition for that player to move to that position.”

Last season, PremDas ranked fourth on the team in points with 306.5, tallying 243 kills (2.64), 157 digs (1.71), and 63 (0.68) blocks in 92 sets. As a freshman during the 2008 season, Landis finished fourth on the team in points with 255.0, totaling 216 kills (2.40) and 138 digs (1.57) in 90 sets, while Mulvey averaged 13.77 assists per set as a reserve setter during the 2009 campaign. Egebo, Karl, and Ostrovsky, combined for 119 assists, 39 kills, 30 digs, 30 blocks, and 14 service aces, in limited action last season.

Rounding out the Stevens roster are seven freshmen in the form of Ricky Budar (Honolulu, Hawaii), Ryan Dunham (Honolulu, Hawaii), Tom Hannum (Libertyville, Ill.), James Mataras (River Vale, N.J.), Jake Modestow (Hampden, Mass.), Jon Rohan (Aberdeen, N.J.), and Neil Slattery (Brick, N.J.) – all of whom will look to make an immediate impact this year.

“We have a good group of recruits coming in. Tom (Hannum), who is an outside hitter, will probably see a lot of starting time this year and Ricky (Budar) from Hawaii will also probably see some starting time as a libero,” explained Dorywalski. “We also have a couple of strong middles coming in, in Jake Modesto and James Mattaras, who will both also probably see some starting time. Overall, we are a formidable team. We’ve already played three scrimmages and have come out very well, so we’re definitely looking for a solid year.”

Stevens opens a rigorous 2010 season that features 11 AVCA Preseason Top-15 teams and four Division I institutions at AVCA Preseason No. 5 New York University on January 20. The Ducks will then return home to host the 12th Annual Stevens Invitational against Hunter College, Newbury College, and No. 6 Nazareth College on January 23-24.

The Ducks square off against No. 10 Philadelphia Biblical University and Mount St. Vincent College on January 27 and February 1, respectively, before embarking on a string of six-straight matches against Division I opponents and teams ranked in the AVCA Preseason Top-15 poll – facing No. 8 Vassar College, No. 15 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, No. 13 Endicott College, Division I Sacred Heart University, No. 3 University of California – Santa Cruz, and No. 7 Rivier College from February 5-12.

Stevens will also square off with AVCA Preseason No. 1 Juniata College (4/2), No. 11 Baruch College (4/5), and No. 12 Ramapo College (3/10), as well as Division I institutions Harvard University (3/5), New Jersey Institute of Technology (3/24), and Princeton University (4/7).

“We’ve got a demanding schedule with some really top teams returning onto our schedule as well as Division I institutions like NJIT, Princeton, Harvard,” said Dorywalski. “We’ve taken on an aggressive schedule that is at, or above last year’s level. The team is certainly not backing off any level of competition and the expectations remain high.”

The Ducks will wrap up the 2010 season by hosting the NECVA Tournament on April 9-11.