Returning from a Division III National Championship season to discover that not only have you lost a few key players, but must also now wage war in the split Division I and II playoffs in postseason play, would daunt even the most fearless of teams. Men’s volleyball coach Ron Larsen and his troops, however, are ready to meet the challenge.

“”We’re better now than we were at the end of last season, when we won the Division III championships and beat San Diego State,”” Larsen said. “”Obviously we play in a very difficult league, with all the Division I scholarship schools like UCLA, USC and Stanford, but we are a good team and we are going to be able to compete.””

The Division III championship team of a year ago now has a completely different look to it. Gone are Ernie Young, last year’s starting middle; Matt Holve, who is abroad; and Ben Vernon, who chose to focus more on his academics. Replacing these players are two key recruits who will be impact players this coming season. Sophomore Brian Foott will add height at 6 feet 6 inches tall, and hold down the middle, while Orange Coast College transfer student Griffin Cogorno, who also checks in at 6 feet 6 inches, will contribute as an outside hitter. These two players are looked upon by Larsen and his staff to be an integral part of the Triton attack.

Returning stalwarts such as Zach Hite, Jordan Hove and Donald Chen will be asked to step their game up and take the team to the next level. Hite, in particular, looks to ratchet his game up a notch.

“”Zach was a very good player for us last year,”” Larsen said. “”Now, entering his senior year, he looks even more determined and should contribute even more for us this year.””

Chris Mortimer is another player who will be crucial to the Tritons’ success.

“”Last year Chris was a starter for us and performed well, but this year he has come back a lot stronger and will play an increased role for us this season,”” Larsen commented.

With the return of these seasoned veterans and the addition of new personnel, UCSD looks to be solid on the hardwood. Larsen feels that balanced play over the duration of the season will be integral to the team’s success.

“”Our ability to compete in every match with a high level of intensity will be very important for us,”” he said. “”At this level of play, we cannot afford a letdown at any time, because all of these teams are so good that they will make us pay for it. We need to serve well and side out at a high level to be successful. Most important, though, is making sure that we continue to play with a high degree of competitive excellence and stay consistent.””

The Tritons embark on their 2000-2001 campaign this Friday in smog-choked Riverside, where they will battle with California Baptist University. Larsen sees this as an advantageous way to open the season.

“”This weekend will show us where we are at this point and what we have accomplished so far,”” he said. “”Cal Baptist has a good program, with scholarship players, but we should be able to do well against them. More important will be to keep up our level of competitiveness in the next few matches.””

Those next few matches will be the team’s initial Mountain Pacific Sports Federation games, where the Tritons will face off against their in-league nemeses. First up amongst them is their Saturday night matchup with UC Santa Barbara, in the team’s home opener at RIMAC Arena. This matchup with the Gauchos will be the team’s first true test of how far it has come since last season.

Hopefully its progress has been steadfast, because in the following weeks it will come up against such scholarship-dangling powerhouses programs as CSU Long Beach, USC and Stanford, for which the Tritons will need to be at the height of their game to be successful and notch a few in the win column.

The hard work and progression accomplished over the course of preseason practice and the added experience gained during last year’s championship run will undoubtedly facilitate the Tritons’ play this season. Coupled with the addition of the two big men, who will undoubtedly be integral in the team’s success, and the on court maturation of the players returning from the D-III championship squad, the Blue and Gold should be able to realize their preseason goals. Head on over to our very own state of the art RIMAC arena on Saturday night at 7 p.m. to see it all go down.