December has commenced, and Christmas Break is right around the corner, which means winter sports are in full swing.  Men’s and Women’s basketball are in mid-season form and are preparing for conference play.  On the flipside of things, another team is heading into preseason, and they are ready to make the jump from “rebuilding team” to “contender” in a very tough conference.

Enter Cairn Men’s Volleyball.  Kicking off their season January 31 against Misiercordia University, the Highlanders will look to improve off a 2017 season in which they went 4-27, including a 1-13 record in conference play.  The Highlanders play in the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC), and will be tested every time they step on the court this season.

Despite the Highlanders mediocre record, they return some top talent from a year ago.  OPP Micah Godshall is a supreme talent, and will likely be the Highlanders best option when it comes to gaining kills this season.  However, the most important returner might be Ryan Ludvik, who was a stalwart for the Highlanders as a libero last season.  Ludvik moved around throughout the season and was a key piece of the Highlanders’ game plan regardless of where he was positioned. On the year he finished with 59 kills and a .054 hitting percentage, and 117 assists. On the defensive end, Ludvik led the CVC in digs (331) and digs per set (3.31) and finished fifth in NCAA Division III in digs per set (3.31).  Ludvik was also named Male Athlete of the Year at the HESPY’s last season.  The question will be how Ludvik will make the transition from libero to setter in this upcoming season.  If he can make the transition successfully, it will benefit the Highlanders greatly in the end.  Another player who will see extended playing time is Sophomore Ben Norton, who will be making the transition to full-time libero, replacing Ludvik.  Middle Blocker Joffrey Rosa will also play a big role for the Highlanders, he had this to say regarding the upcoming season: “We have great team chemistry and have each other’s backs after each play, so we’re hoping that this will fuel us on to a great season.”

The Highlanders certainly have some talent, but will need to achieve consistency if they want to contend in the very difficult CVC under first year Head Coach Nate Seidel.  The future is bright for this young Highlanders team.