Jan. 9, 2008

Erie, Pa. - The Mercyhurst men's volleyball team returns six starters in hopes of seeing solid improvement in 2008. Coming off of a 2-23 campaign a year ago, the Lakers will lean on a veteran group of juniors to make noise in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA).

Although the Lakers compete in a conference with teams like Ohio State, Ball State and defending national runner-up IPFW, fourth-year head coach Ryan Patton has reason to believe his team can begin to make a mark.

With 12 returners (including seven returning lettermen), Mercyhurst has a veteran team despite being without a senior. The seven returning juniors have played in a combined 243 career matches and are ready to take the program to the next level. With four freshmen ready to vie for time as well, the Lakers have the pieces in place to surprise.

Setters
Junior David Hatten is the incumbent at the position and already ranks fifth in career assists at Mercyhurst. He is also a tremendous server, leading the team in serve percentage a year ago and ranking second in aces. A well-rounded player, Hatten was also second on the team with 85 digs and third with 50 blocks. He will be one of the center pieces for the 2008 team.

Sophomores Pete Swauger and Ian Michalski will back up Hatten and compete for time. Swauger had 61 assists against D'Youville last year, the highest single game assist total for a Mercyhurst player since 2005. Michalski gained experience by playing in six matches.

Middle Blockers
Junior Dave Newman is dynamic at the net, leading the team with 84 blocks a year ago and ranking second with 227 kills. He had at least 22 kills twice last year and is poised to have a breakout season. Sophomore Joe Montroy has already gained big game experience and had 10 kills and a .471 attack percentage against Ball State. Another sophomore, Ron Cierniakoski, also adjusted to the college game a year ago and has an opportunity to see more action this year. The team will need to replace its only senior from a year ago, Mike Palaschak, at this position.

Outside Hitters
Juniors Jeff Hartman and Bryan Ritter return with plenty of experience, but this is a spot where Coach Patton recruiting heavily. All four freshmen are listed as outside hitters. Hartman was one of three players to see action in every match a year ago, led the team in digs and ranked second in serve percentage. Ritter played in 21 matches last year and had a season-high nine kills against IPFW, which went to the NCAA National Championship. Jonathan Gurr, Vince Hunter, T.J. Hyland and Gabriel Rivera will all look to gain experience in their first season of collegiate volleyball.

Opposites
Junior Tim Wagner led the team in kills, aces and points in 2007 and should have another stellar season. He ranked eighth in the conference in kills per game and ninth in points per game and is a factor every time he steps on the floor. Gurr, a freshman, will shift from outside hitter to give Wagner a breather when needed.

Liberos
Last year's most inexperienced group is now one of the most veteran. Juniors Jordan Pierson and Gary Coad, along with sophomore Eric Schmalzried, all return to man the position. Pierson and Coad split time a year ago and each had serve receive percentages of at least .920 and combined for 123 digs. Schmalzried had limited court time a year ago. With another year of experience under their belts, those three should be steady contributors.

Schedule
Mercyhurst's 12-game conference slate is a tough road but the non-conference schedule will also test the Lakers' strengths. The team will play MIVA opponents IPFW, Loyola Chicago, Lewis, Ball State, Ohio State and Quincy twice each, while adding two non-conference games against St. Francis (Pa.). Mercyhurst also plays at Sacred Heart and at Princeton. The Lakers open with four straight home games, beginning with a Jan. 11 match against NYU before playing eight of their next 11 contests on the road. The squad returns to the Mercyhurst Athletic Center for the bulk of its conference campaign, playing six of its final 10 contests at home before the MIVA Tournament begins on April 19.