ALL-TIME RECORD VERSUS LAKELAND

Although the Duhawks are just in their second year of varsity competition, Lakeland is one of the program’s most familiar foes. With both teams participating in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League, Loras matched up with the Muskies twice last season. The Duhawks dropped both contests to the Muskies last season, coming up on the losing end of a 3-1 decision in Sheboygan on Feb. 22 and then suffered a hotly-contested 3-2 home defeat on Senior Night, Mar. 21.

LAST TIME AGAINST LAKELAND

The last matchup between the Duhawks and Muskies occurred on Mar. 21, which was Senior Night for last year’s graduates, Michael Kreiser and Tyler Beauchamp. The Muskies got out to a fast start winning the first set 25-15, but Loras stormed back to take the next two sets (25-17, 25-19) and carried a 2-1 lead into set four. However, Lakeland used a few key runs in sets four (25-19) and five (15-9) to regain control and eventually dispatch the Duhawks 3-2 in five sets. The game leaders for the Duhawks were TJ Esporas, who tallied 16 kills, while Shayne Marquez chipped in 24 assists. Defensively, Blair Anderson posted 15 digs and Jimmy Combs added 4 blocks in the middle. For much of 2015, the Muskies were receiving votes or ranked in the Top-15 AVCA Division III Poll.

SCOUTING THE MUSKIES

The 2016 Lakeland squad will be comprised of a much different group than the one which posted a 7-7 MCVL record and earned a conference tournament berth in 2015. In addition to dealing with the loss of First Team All-Conference performer Alec Redlich and First Team All-American Cole Aiazzi, the Muskies have also experienced a change at the head coaching position. Following former head coach Chris Brandt’s acceptance of a job with USA Volleyball, Lakeland’s current women’s head coach Ryan Schopf stepped in to the role of head coach for both sides. Although the loss of two of the key 2015 players will certainly leave a void in the Muskie attack, Lakeland will still return some key contributors from 2015. Offensively, Juniors Tim Robbins (240 K) and Matt Stolz (233 K) return to pace the Muskie frontline while Robbins will also be relied on for his strong defensive presence as last year’s overall MCVL leader in blocks (117.0).

SCOUTING THE SCARLET HAWKS

In what will be the inaugural year for the Illinois Institute of Technology Men’s Volleyball program, the Duhawks will have very little to go off of in 2016’s first contest. The Scarlet Hawks roster features a majority of players from the state of Illinois (7) and are mostly freshman as is to be expected with a first-year program. IIT’s Head Coach Katie Zulandt also coaches the Scarlet Hawks women’s program and is a graduate of George Washington University, where she was an all-conference performer. IIT will play as a Division III independent school without a conference affiliation for the 2016 campaign. The Scarlet Hawks inaugural match, which will occur before their matchup with the Duhawks, will be at 4 p.m. at Lakeland in Sheboygan, Wis.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MCVL THE GOAL FOR 2016

On Friday, the Duhawks will begin their second season as part of the MCVL. Loras finished with a 1-13 record in their inaugural campaign a season ago. This year, the team was picked to finish eighth in the conference by the preseason coaches poll. Now having a year of experience, the Duhawks’ focus this season is to be more competitive among their opponents. The team has three weeks of tough non-conference matchups to prepare them for competition in the MCVL.

ROSS LOOKING TO RAISE THE BAR IN 2016

Sophomore Dylan Ross is looking to make his mark as a Duhawks once again this season. In the 2015 season, as a freshman, Ross took a lead role on the team. He appeared in 23 matches and started in 22 of them. He finished the season with 117 kills, having a kills per set ratio of 1.46 and a .126 hitting percentage. Ross was also a key member of the team defensively, finishing the 2015 season with 41 blocks and a 0.51 blocks per set ratio. With the 2016 season opener against Illinois Institute of Technology coming up this week, Ross looks to prove himself once again this season.

COMBS SET TO BUILD ON STELLAR 2015

In 2015, now-sophomore Jimmy Combs was named to the All-Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League Second Team for his strong play throughout the Duhawks’ inaugural campaign. Combs was a force in the middle for Loras, playing in every set in 2015. As a freshman, he boasted a team-high .278 kill percentage, recording 128 kills. Combs continues to develop into a more complete player by affecting the game on the defensive end using his 6-foot-4 frame to his advantage. Last season, Combs recorded a team-high 13 solo blocks and 51 assisted blocks. In 2016, he will look to continue the success of his freshman season while facing the challenge of being many of the Duhawk opponents’ main focus in his sophomore year.

NO LONGER A FIRST YEAR PROGRAM

Last January, history was made in Dubuque when the 2015 Loras men’s volleyball team took the court for the first time in school history. Never in the 176 year history of Loras College did a men’s volleyball team exist as a varsity sport on campus. Despite a 3-20 record, the building blocks for the future of the program began coming together with Head Coach Jeremy Thornburg and the roster he assembled. Now in his second year at the helm along with the return of last season’s core, which includes Danny Krasich, Blair Anderson and Shayne Marquez, Loras will be a much improved side and turn heads in the process. With another large recruiting class, that features fourteen new freshman, the present and the future for Loras men’s volleyball is bright and full of promise.