BEVERLY, Mass. — The Endicott men's volleyball program opens up its 2019 season on Friday, January 18 with a pair of matches against Wells (6 PM) and Elmira (8 PM) in the St. John Fisher Classic. Here's a quick look at the Gulls' upcoming season.
RETURNING CAST (ROSTER): Endicott returns 14 student-athletes from last year's roster that produced a 23-4 overall record and 12-0 mark in conference play en route to an appearance in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) championship match.
The returners are highlighted by Bryn Lipton (Rockford, Ill.), who was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Second Team selection and the NECC Player of the Year last season. In addition to those merits, Lipton also received Off the Block All-American Preseason Honorable Mention accolades headed into this year's campaign.
Along with Lipton, the Gulls bring back reigning NECC Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Healy (Fair Lawn, N.J.), All-Conference First Team honoree Donovan Dey (Fairport, N.Y.), and All-Conference Second Team selections Seth Braquet (Destrehan, La.) and Jeremy Doski (Sandy Hook, Conn.).
Endicott's senior class consisting of Matt Bozek (Exeter, N.H.), Braquet, Doski, Healy, Conner Holland (Derry, N.H.), Jacob Newman (Chester, N.H.), and Devin Racey (Voorheesville, N.Y.) will all be looked upon to guide the Gulls back to championship glory and mentor the program's talented group of underclassmen this season.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR (SCHEDULE): Endicott will play six matches on the road before its first home match of the season takes place against Nichols on Tuesday, February 12 at 7 PM. The Gulls' 2019 schedule will also feature a home tri-match against Elms, the defending NECC champs, and Vassar on Saturday, March 2 at 11 AM and 3 PM, respectively, and matches versus Cal Lutheran (3/19), Springfield (3/30), Hunter (3/30), and MIT (4/3).
PRESEASON PLAUDITS (NECC POLL): Endicott and Elms earned a share of the top spot in the NECC preseason coaches' poll as both teams received 60 total points and four first-place votes. Despite the tie in the poll, the Gulls have now been picked to finish first in the NECC preseason coaches' poll for eight straight seasons. Endicott also is receiving 19 votes in the AVCA preseason poll.
2018 YEAR IN REVIEW: Endicott's 23-4 record marked the eighth 20-win season in program history, while the Gulls' No. 14 national ranking marked its first appearance in the AVCA National Top-15 Poll since 2011. Endicott also won the 2018 NECC regular season title, and advanced to the league championship match for the seventh straight season. Prior to 2018, the Gulls rattled off five straight NECC title wins from 2013-2017.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)