Regis Men’s Volleyball Ready for 2020 Season
PREVIEW VIDEO | 2020 REGIS MEN'S VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE
WESTON, Mass. – With 11 players returning from the 2019 season along with four newcomers, the Regis College men's volleyball team enters the 2020 schedule with eyes on qualifying for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament for the first time since joining the league.
The Pride return two of the top three kill leaders from last season, junior Inelson Alves (Brockton, Mass.) and sophomore Matt Ferrara (Haverhill, Mass.), with Ferrara and fellow sophomore Fernando Gomez (San Juan, Puerto Rico) leading the team in service aces last year. Junior Sebastian Valdes (Diamond Bar, Calif.) and sophomore Brendan Lam (Rockville, Md.) led the way in assists for Regis, and Zabdiel Frias (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico) comes back after posting the fourth-highest single season dig total in program history in 2019.
Regis will be challenged throughout the season, as its 29-match schedule features three teams ranked in the NVA/AVCA Division III Men's Preseason Coaches Poll as well as three other squads receiving votes. Regis hosts four of those schools during the season, giving Pride fans a chance to give the team an extra edge with their support.
One of those schools receiving votes welcomes Regis to open the season as the Pride travel to face MIT Friday, Jan. 17, beginning at 7 p.m. The home opener for the Pride takes place 11 days later when second-ranked Springfield College makes the trip east Tuesday, Jan. 28, for a 6 p.m. start.
After a road match at Eastern Nazarene Jan. 30, Regis opens the GNAC schedule Feb. 1 at Wentworth, another squad receiving votes in the preseason poll. The Pride will also take on Nichols that day before hosting Dean College, a future conference opponent, Thursday, Feb. 6, starting at 6 p.m.
Regis travels to Bard for a tri-match Feb. 9 also involving Baruch before hosting Johnson & Wales Feb. 11. The Pride play their next four matches away from home, beginning at Dean Feb. 13. Regis then makes the short trip to Newton, Mass., Feb. 16, for a tri-match hosted by Lasell, with ninth-ranked Rivier serving as the third team that day.
After a quick road trip to face Sage Feb. 19, Regis hosts Eastern Nazarene Feb. 22 and travels for a rematch against Nichols Feb. 26. Following Spring Break, the Pride return to conference play with a home match against Lasell March 12 and a tri-match in New London, N.H., March 14 involving host Colby-Sawyer and Emerson.
The Pride welcome second year program Northern Vermont-Johnson to Higgins Court March 17, followed by a home match against NYU, ranked 13th in the national preseason poll, March 19. Regis once again faces Emerson and Colby-Sawyer in a tri-match, this time on Emerson's home court March 21, before hosting Emmanuel College March 24.
Regis heads west on the Massachusetts Turnpike March 28 for a tri-match at Springfield College, with Vassar, another team receiving votes in the preseason poll, also on the docket. The Pride then head to Emmanuel March 31 and to Johnson & Wales April 2 before closing out the regular season April 4 with a home tri-match featuring Wentworth and Rivier.
In the GNAC preseason poll released Tuesday, Regis finished sixth with 21 points. Rivier was the unanimous selection to win the league, with Wentworth collecting 55 points to finish second, followed by Johnson & Wales (46 points), Lasell (41 points), and Emmanuel (32 points). Emerson (17 points) and Colby-Sawyer (12 points) ended up in seventh and eighth place, respectively, in the poll.
The top six teams in the final regular season standings will qualify for the GNAC Tournament, with the top two squads receiving byes into the semifinals. The other four qualifying squads will play in the quarterfinals April 7, followed by the semifinals April 9 and the championship match April 11.
Head coach Marc Turiano enters his fourth season at the helm of the Pride men's volleyball program, leading the squad to double-digit victory totals in two of his first three years.