Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez
CBU Serves Up Season Friday
12/20/2016 8:30:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Fresh off one of its best seasons in the NCAA and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, California Baptist University looks to build on that success in 2017 under second-year Coach Derek Schmitt.
Boosted by a 3-0 start, CBU finished on the verge of a top-eight finish and what would have been its first-ever MPSF Tournament berth in 2016. The Lancers went 14-16, 6-16 in conference to take 10th, just one win shy a top-eight finish when all was said and done.
"Our expectation is to be better than we were last year, and if we can do that, we have a shot to get into the postseason," Schmitt said. "It's not going to be an easy road, but this is what we have worked so hard for."
It all begins with the Lancers at home against Lindenwood on Friday at 12:30 p.m. It is part of the first-ever CBU Ayres Hotels Invitational, as Lindenwood, Saint Francis and Concordia will visit the Van Dyne Gym for the six-match event played out over Jan. 6-7.
Schmitt knows how key a fast start was for his group in 2016 and will look to duplicate that 3-0 start with some home cooking.
"We have to take care of business at home, so those are going to be big matches for us," he said. "School isn't in session, so we need everyone who's local to come out and support us."
There will be certainly obstacles to overcome in 2017 for the Lancers, who are receiving votes in the preseason NCAA Division I-II top-15 poll released by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and projected to finish 11th in the MPSF. For starters, the MPSF, which is made up of 12 teams – 10 of which hold Division I membership – is a gauntlet run, with nine of the conference's teams ranked in the top 14 and four in the top five.
"It's going to be ultra-competitive," Schmitt said. "There's definitely a way for us to move up from where we were last year to get into the top eight and make the tournament, but there's no easy night in this conference."
Twelve letter winners and four starters return to help CBU reach its goal of qualifying for the MPSF Tournament in 2017. The Lancers also bring in plenty of size, with five upperclassmen who stand from 6-foot-5 to 6-7 back in the fold.
"We are going to be bigger than we've been in my couple years here," Schmitt said. "We will have a little more physicality out there, so I think that's going to be good for us."
It starts with 6-5 middle blocker Enrique de Diego Garcia, who earned All-MPSF and AVCA All-American honors last year. The junior's .481 hitting percentage in 2016, with 209 kills and 27 errors on 378 attacks, won him the NCAA Division I-II statistical championship. He also ranked 18th in the NCAA in blocks per set a year ago (1.04).
"Enrique will be a big part of our team out there," Schmitt said. "We will look for him to score points for us offensively and to score points for us in blocking. He is going to be a key guy for us out there."
CBU also returns its starting libero from last year in Emmett Enriques. The sophomore averaged 1.93 digs per set as a true freshman in 2016 to rank 37th in the NCAA.
"Emmett has had a really good fall and has been pretty solid in both aspects of the position," Schmitt said. "A large part of our success will be determined on how we pass and how we execute out of that pass."
Just like any other year, CBU will need to overcome some losses in 2016, including both setters from last season and pin hitters Rocky DeLyon and Roy Powell.
Cody Jackson and Jacob Tarabetz have helped fill the void at setter. After playing as an outside hitter last year, Jackson has transitioned back to setter, where he was originally recruited to play in 2014.
"I was confident they could do it, I knew they would work hard and they've done that," Schmitt said about both setters. "We feel confident in either of those guys out there."
The 6-2 Jackson brings in plenty of match experience, logging 65 matches over the last three years. He has a versatile skill set after playing outside hitter, and fits into the Lancers' overall strength of aggressiveness at the serving line after specializing as a server the last two years.
"We expect Cody will make an impact for us not only in the setting game but serving and blocking," Schmitt said. "He has a really strong serve and has done a really good job blocking in the fall, and we think he is doing a nice job running the offense."
DeLyon and Powell's departure mean there are a lot more points to go around for the Lancers, with that duo combining for 628.5 points last season. They both ranked top-two in kills, aces and were second and third in digs and blocks for CBU in 2016.
Luis Palos and Kevin Vaz, who stand at 6-7 and 6-6, respectively – have emerged as the two likely candidates to take on bigger roles this season.
Palos, an outside hitter, earned Western State Conference MVP and All-State honors as an underclassman at Santa Monica College. Vaz, an Irvine Valley transfer, played at opposite hitter or middle blocker last year and will give CBU a lot of versatility, along with 6-7 senior Jackson Burge who's also played at the pin and in the middle over his career.
"We have a lot of flexibility with our group," Schmitt said. "We have a lot of guys with playing experience at the middle and pin positions this year."
It will once again be all hands on deck for CBU in 2017. Schmitt showed in his first season as the Lancers' head coach that he expects everyone to contribute, as 12 players competed in 13 or more matches for CBU in 2016.
Rohit Paul, an outside hitter, drew praise from Schmitt for his superior passing ability and comes into his junior season having already played in 54 matches and logged 270 kills and 121 digs for CBU. Caleb Miller gives the Lancers another formidable force at middle blocker. He's played in 44 matches and averaged nearly a block a set (0.92) over his career.
All these pieces will come together and look to help CBU build up to its goal of qualifying for the MPSF Tournament. It will be the Lancers' last chance to do so, as the MPSF will go down to eight teams in 2018, meaning all eight MPSF teams will automatically compete in the conference tournament.
"The landscape is changing and starting next year everyone is going to make the tournament, this is our last chance to earn it and I want to earn it," Schmitt said. "I don't want to get in just because we are in the conference, I want to earn it – that's a major goal."
Boosted by a 3-0 start, CBU finished on the verge of a top-eight finish and what would have been its first-ever MPSF Tournament berth in 2016. The Lancers went 14-16, 6-16 in conference to take 10th, just one win shy a top-eight finish when all was said and done.
"Our expectation is to be better than we were last year, and if we can do that, we have a shot to get into the postseason," Schmitt said. "It's not going to be an easy road, but this is what we have worked so hard for."
It all begins with the Lancers at home against Lindenwood on Friday at 12:30 p.m. It is part of the first-ever CBU Ayres Hotels Invitational, as Lindenwood, Saint Francis and Concordia will visit the Van Dyne Gym for the six-match event played out over Jan. 6-7.
Schmitt knows how key a fast start was for his group in 2016 and will look to duplicate that 3-0 start with some home cooking.
"We have to take care of business at home, so those are going to be big matches for us," he said. "School isn't in session, so we need everyone who's local to come out and support us."
There will be certainly obstacles to overcome in 2017 for the Lancers, who are receiving votes in the preseason NCAA Division I-II top-15 poll released by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and projected to finish 11th in the MPSF. For starters, the MPSF, which is made up of 12 teams – 10 of which hold Division I membership – is a gauntlet run, with nine of the conference's teams ranked in the top 14 and four in the top five.
"It's going to be ultra-competitive," Schmitt said. "There's definitely a way for us to move up from where we were last year to get into the top eight and make the tournament, but there's no easy night in this conference."
Twelve letter winners and four starters return to help CBU reach its goal of qualifying for the MPSF Tournament in 2017. The Lancers also bring in plenty of size, with five upperclassmen who stand from 6-foot-5 to 6-7 back in the fold.
"We are going to be bigger than we've been in my couple years here," Schmitt said. "We will have a little more physicality out there, so I think that's going to be good for us."
It starts with 6-5 middle blocker Enrique de Diego Garcia, who earned All-MPSF and AVCA All-American honors last year. The junior's .481 hitting percentage in 2016, with 209 kills and 27 errors on 378 attacks, won him the NCAA Division I-II statistical championship. He also ranked 18th in the NCAA in blocks per set a year ago (1.04).
"Enrique will be a big part of our team out there," Schmitt said. "We will look for him to score points for us offensively and to score points for us in blocking. He is going to be a key guy for us out there."
CBU also returns its starting libero from last year in Emmett Enriques. The sophomore averaged 1.93 digs per set as a true freshman in 2016 to rank 37th in the NCAA.
"Emmett has had a really good fall and has been pretty solid in both aspects of the position," Schmitt said. "A large part of our success will be determined on how we pass and how we execute out of that pass."
Just like any other year, CBU will need to overcome some losses in 2016, including both setters from last season and pin hitters Rocky DeLyon and Roy Powell.
Cody Jackson and Jacob Tarabetz have helped fill the void at setter. After playing as an outside hitter last year, Jackson has transitioned back to setter, where he was originally recruited to play in 2014.
"I was confident they could do it, I knew they would work hard and they've done that," Schmitt said about both setters. "We feel confident in either of those guys out there."
The 6-2 Jackson brings in plenty of match experience, logging 65 matches over the last three years. He has a versatile skill set after playing outside hitter, and fits into the Lancers' overall strength of aggressiveness at the serving line after specializing as a server the last two years.
"We expect Cody will make an impact for us not only in the setting game but serving and blocking," Schmitt said. "He has a really strong serve and has done a really good job blocking in the fall, and we think he is doing a nice job running the offense."
DeLyon and Powell's departure mean there are a lot more points to go around for the Lancers, with that duo combining for 628.5 points last season. They both ranked top-two in kills, aces and were second and third in digs and blocks for CBU in 2016.
Luis Palos and Kevin Vaz, who stand at 6-7 and 6-6, respectively – have emerged as the two likely candidates to take on bigger roles this season.
Palos, an outside hitter, earned Western State Conference MVP and All-State honors as an underclassman at Santa Monica College. Vaz, an Irvine Valley transfer, played at opposite hitter or middle blocker last year and will give CBU a lot of versatility, along with 6-7 senior Jackson Burge who's also played at the pin and in the middle over his career.
"We have a lot of flexibility with our group," Schmitt said. "We have a lot of guys with playing experience at the middle and pin positions this year."
It will once again be all hands on deck for CBU in 2017. Schmitt showed in his first season as the Lancers' head coach that he expects everyone to contribute, as 12 players competed in 13 or more matches for CBU in 2016.
Rohit Paul, an outside hitter, drew praise from Schmitt for his superior passing ability and comes into his junior season having already played in 54 matches and logged 270 kills and 121 digs for CBU. Caleb Miller gives the Lancers another formidable force at middle blocker. He's played in 44 matches and averaged nearly a block a set (0.92) over his career.
All these pieces will come together and look to help CBU build up to its goal of qualifying for the MPSF Tournament. It will be the Lancers' last chance to do so, as the MPSF will go down to eight teams in 2018, meaning all eight MPSF teams will automatically compete in the conference tournament.
"The landscape is changing and starting next year everyone is going to make the tournament, this is our last chance to earn it and I want to earn it," Schmitt said. "I don't want to get in just because we are in the conference, I want to earn it – that's a major goal."
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