As a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, the UCSD men’s volleyball team plays the permanent underdog. The MPSF is full of the cream of the crop of Division I competition and the Tritons will be squaring off against these teams all year.
Junior Stephen Shaw (left) and sophomore Eric Lesserman are two of the Tritons’ returning players hoping to improve on last season’s last place finish in the MPSF.
The conference is riddled with perennial powerhouses including the past three national champions – UCLA last season, Pepperdine University in 2005 and Brigham Young University in 2004.
This season is no different, and the MPSF currently has 10 teams in the top 15 of the Division I preseason coaches poll: No. 1 UC Irvine, No. 2 BYU, No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 University of Hawaii, No. 5 Pepperdine, No. 6 UC Santa Barbara, No. 8 Cal State Northridge, No. 10 Cal State Long Beach, No. 13 University of Southern California and No. 14 University of the Pacific.
The Tritons are picked to finish exactly where they finished the 2006 season, in the cellar of the MPSF. But this does not have many members of the team discouraged, especially head coach Kevin Ring, who believes that the Tritons’ combination of a stellar recruiting class and a solid work ethic will be able to prove the pollsters wrong.
“”We have as much chance as anybody else to win matches,”” Ring said. “”The work ethic of this team is tremendous, and if we stay aggressive and don’t back down to anybody, we can stay competitive throughout the season.””
Ring is counting on a fine recruiting class to help propel his team forward this season. The freshman class is highlighted by two intimidating middle blockers, Frank Fritsch and Adrian Guthals, both of whom stand at a towering 6 feet, 7inches.
“”We really wanted to add some size to the team this year, and we were able to do that with Frank and Adrian,”” Ring said. “”With a little experience, both of these guys will be able to compete in this league and the Division I level.””
Another valuable freshman addition is outside hitter Jason Spangler, who has impressed players and coaches with both his athletic abilities and high skill level.
“”Jason is starting for us at this point and may just be our best hitter,”” Ring said. “”Not only can he hit, but he is a good jumper and a solid passer as well.””
One of the team’s veterans who welcomes the challenge presented by playing in the MPSF is senior setter Brooks Dierdorff, who is one of the team captains and the team’s lone senior.
“”There is no doubt that this is the toughest league in the country,”” Dierdorff said. “”I love being in it because we know that we are playing at the highest level of collegiate volleyball in the country.””
Ring will rely on Dierdorff to contribute not only on the court, but also in the locker room.
“”Brooks is like having another coach out on the court for us,”” Ring said. “”He leads by example and has shown our younger players how to prepare for matches and get ready to play at this level.””
Another key returning player is sophomore libero Eric Leserman. Leserman’s position is the key defensive position for the Tritons. He is coming off of a solid freshman year and knows what it is like to adjust to such a high level of play.
“”The hardest part of adjusting for me was catching up to the speed of the game,”” Leserman said. “”This will probably be the biggest adjustment for our freshman this year, but if they continue to work hard, there is no doubt they can compete.””
Ring will also be looking for junior middle blocker Stephen Shaw to continue the rapid improvement that he experienced as a newcomer to the team at the beginning of last year.
“”Stephen worked extremely hard on his game last year and eventually became a starter,”” Ring said. “”He improved all year and he is exactly the type of player that we want as an example on this squad.””
With such a young and inexperienced team, the Tritons must rely on their solid work ethic and hustling style of play in order to stay competitive, and Dierdorff has been impressed with the team so far.
“”This is honestly the hardest-working team that I have been a part of,”” the veteran said. “”Whether it is in the weight room or in practice, every single guy is going all out.””
Leserman agrees with Dierdorff’s assessment of the Tritons’ work ethic.
“”If everybody on the team works as hard as we have so far, we are only going to continue to grow and get better,”” Leserman said.
Despite the positive outlook, the men’s volleyball team kicked off the 2007 season with an exhibition loss against Thompson Rivers University at RIMAC Arena on Jan. 7, falling in three sets, 30-24, 30-22, 30-25.
The team received strong showings from Dierdorff, who finished with six kills and 27 assists, and freshman outside hitter Will Ehrman, who finished with nine kills of his own. Leserman led the defensive attack, tallying 10 digs.
The Tritons will begin their MPSF schedule on the road against No. 10 Cal State Long Beach on Jan. 12.
