TRAFFORD, Pa. (Jan. 9)- The Saint Vincent men's volleyball team was picked third in the first Presidents Athletic Conference pre-season poll that was released by the conference this afternoon.
The Bearcats were picked third behind Thiel, who was picked second, and Hiram who was picked to win the conference. Hiram recieved four first place votes, while Thiel received three first place votes of their own.
Saint Vincent is coming off their most successful season in the program's history. The Bearcats set program records with 19 overall wins and nine Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference victories. After winning the AMCC regular season with a perfect 9-0 record in conference play, the Bearcats went on to finish as the runners-up in the conference's championship tournament that was hosted at Saint Vincent last spring. Head coach
Kate McCauley was selected as the AMCC's Coach of the Year at the end of the season.
Last season, SVC also qualified for the ECAC Championship Tournament which was the first ever postseason berth for the fifth-year program.
Three Saint Vincent returners were selected to the conference's players to watch list as well. Sophomore
Rocco Marino, along with juniors
Shawn McSwiggen and
Zebadiah Wyant were all listed as players to watch. McSwiggen is the reigning AMCC Player of the Year and earned All-AMCC First Team honors, while Wyant earned All-AMCC Third Team honors.
McSwiggen, the 2023 AMCC Newcomer of the Year, became the first player in program history to earn Player of the Year accolades. The outside hitter finished the season as the AMCC's leader in kills per set (3.85) and points per set (4.6), while he ranked third in the league in service aces (38) and sixth in hitting percentage (.283). McSwiggen recorded 10 or more kills in 20 different matches, while topping 20 kills five times, and recording 30 or more kills twice, including a team-record 32 in a March 20 win over Penn State-Altoona. He also had two or more aces in 11 matches, and ranked second on the team with 40 blocks. A three-time AMCC Offensive Player of the Week this season, McSwiggen was also named to the AMCC Championship All-Tournament Team after totaling 30 kills and 29 digs over two matches. That marked his second All-AMCC selection in as many seasons, after earning Second Team All-AMCC laurels in 2023.
Wyant ranked second on the team a year ago with an average of 2.61 kills, while averaging 1.89 digs per set and totaling 36 total blocks and 24 service aces. Wyant reached double figures in kills 13 times, while topping 15 three times, including a season-high 18 in the Bearcats' AMCC semifinal win over Penn State-Behrend. He registered at least seven digs 15 times, notching 10 or more four times, while posting a pair of double-doubles, including a 15-kill, 10-dig effort in a Feb. 11 win over Mount Aloysius.
Marino is coming off of a season where he played in 27 matches during his freshman campaign. he recorded 96 total kills, which was good for just under a kill per set at 0.98 K/S. He also recorded nine assists, scooped up 47 digs, and totaled an impressive 58 blocks to conclude his impressive freshman season with the Bearcats.
The Bearcats get their season underway on Saturday, January 18 as they compete in the Juniata Invitational. Saint Vincent will first take on the University of Puerto Rico at 10 a.m., before taking on the host Juniata at 2 p.m. in Huntingdon, Pa.
