Mount Olive Picked to Defend Conference Carolinas Men’s Volleyball Title
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Conference Carolinas men’s volleyball head coaches unanimously selected Mount Olive to defend their conference championship in the 2021-22 preseason poll released on Friday.
The Trojans received seven-of-eight first-place votes (a team cannot vote for themselves) for a perfect 49 points. Mount Olive finished 2021 11-2 in league play and fell in the conference tournament but return reigning Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Year Tobi Azeez and the Visgitis brothers who each earned All-Conference honors last season. Belmont Abbey, last year’s tournament champion, was picked second with 42 points and collected the remaining first-place vote.
North Greenville and King were picked to tie for third with 32 points each and were followed by Barton (30), Emmanuel (15), Erskine (13) and Lees-McRae (11).
The season gets underway on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022, with the conference tournament beginning on Wednesday, April 13. The first two rounds (April 13, 19) will be held at the higher seeds with the semifinals and final being held at Mount Olive on April 22-23.
2022 Conference Carolinas
Men’s Volleyball Preseason Poll
| School |
Total (First Place) |
| Mount Olive |
49 (7) |
| Belmont Abbey |
42 (1) |
| North Greenville |
32 |
| King |
32 |
| Barton |
30 |
| Emmanuel |
15 |
| Erskine |
13 |
| Lees-McRae |
11 |
2022 Conference Carolinas Men’s Volleyball
Players to Watch
Belmont Abbey
- Andrew Kohut, Sr., OPP, Naperville, Illinois (2021 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas; 2019 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year, Third Team All-Conference)
- Matteo Miselli, Jr., OH, Reggio Emilia, Italy (2021 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas, Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team)
- Dan Cerqua, Sr., L/DS, Baldwinsville, New York (2021 Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team)
Barton
- Moses Kresch, Sr., S, Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Zach Reider, Gr., MB, St. Charles, Missouri
- Brandon Johnston, Jr., OH, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Emmanuel
- Henrik Westhoff, Jr., S, Bocholt, Germany
- Nick Eichenberger, So., L, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
- Jayden Young, Jr., OH, West Palm Beach, Florida
Erskine
- Cole Vigo, R-Jr., MB, Long Beach, California
- Edgerrin Austin, R-So., OH, Joliet, Illinois
- Kacper Rybarczyk, So., OH, Warsaw, Poland
King
- Joshua Kim, Sr., RS, Garden Grove, California (2021 First Team All-Conference Carolinas, Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team; 2019 Third Team All-Conference)
- Noah Melendez, Sr., L, Carolina, Puerto Rico (2021 Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference; 2019 Third Team All-Conference)
- JT Deppe, Sr., S/RS, Mukwonago, Wisconsin
Lees-McRae
- Michael Marsans, Jr., OH, Pembroke Pines, Florida
- Bradley Peters, Jr., S, Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Max Kuntz, Sr., MB, Chesapeake, Virginia
Mount Olive
- Tobi Azeez, Jr., OH, Melbourne Victoria, Australia (2021 Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference; 2019 Second Team All-Conference)
- Eric Visgitis, Sr., MB, Wexford, Pennsylvania (2021 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas, Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team; 2019 Second Team All-Conference)
- Luke Visgitis, Sr., RS/Opp/MB, Wexford, Pennsylvania (2021 First Team All-Conference Carolinas; 2018 & 2019 Third Team All-Conference)
North Greenville
- Brandon Baker, Gr., OH, Windsor, Connecticut (2021 Third Team All-Conference)
- Sergio Carrillo, Sr., S, Caguas, Puerto Rico (2021 Second Team All-Conference)
- Christian Phung, Sr., L, Loudoun, Virginia (2021 Second Team All-Conference)