KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Coming off of the most successful season in the short history of the program, the Campbellsville University men's volleyball team will open the 2021 season ranked No. 2 in the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Top 15 Poll.
The Tigers received 201 voting points and two first place votes in the poll as they trailed No. 1 Grand View by 10 total points as the Vikings received the remaining 10 first place votes. Both Grand View and Campbellsville were the only teams to be ranked No. 1 in all of the in-season 2020 polls as the Tigers owned a head-to-head victory over the Vikings in a 3-0 sweep back on Jan. 17, 2020.
The remainder of the top five consists of Park University at No. 3, Missouri Baptist University at No. 4, and Benedictine Mesa University at No. 5. The only other Mid-South Conference team in the top 15 of the poll is Life University as the Running Eagles start the season ranked No. 13, with Webber International University in the receiving votes category after earning 7 voting points.
Campbellsville finished the incomplete 2020 season with a 23-2 record with their only two defeats coming against NCAA DII teams and wins against teams ranked No. 2, No. 3, and No. 9 during the year.
With men's volleyball being classified a spring sport, all players from the 2020 team retained their eligibility from the previous season. That includes seniors
Rafael Cruz,
Jeremy Hernandez, and
Max Stotridge, who have all returned to the Tigers for 2021.
Also returning is the reigning Mid-South Conference Player and Libero of the Year and All-American
John Montalvo, as the redshirt junior is coming off of a season with 210 digs, almost 100 more than the next highest player for CU. Another standout junior back for the Tigers is middle blocker
Ramon Matos as his 2020 ended as an All-American where he led the team with 82 total blocks and was third on the team in kills with 141 and the team leader in hitting percentage at .384.
Cruz was also an All-American from 2020 who will get this extra year of eligibility to add to his numerous school records after finishing the shortened season with a team-leading 209 kills.
The 2021 season will start up for the Tigers this Friday and Saturday when they head to Indiana to face Goshen College on Friday at 7 p.m. ET and Indiana Tech on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET before opening their home schedule the following weekend.
Full 2021 Preseason Coaches' Poll:
| RANK |
LAST TIME |
SCHOOL [FIRST PLACE VOTES] |
2020 RECORD |
POINTS |
| 1 |
1 |
Grand View (Iowa) [10] |
22-1 |
211 |
| 2 |
2 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) [2] |
23-2 |
201 |
| 3 |
4 |
Park (Mo.) |
12-1 |
194 |
| 4 |
5 |
Missouri Baptist |
22-3 |
177 |
| 5 |
6 |
Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.) |
15-7 |
165 |
| 6 |
7 |
Lourdes (Ohio) |
17-4 |
163 |
| 7 |
8 |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
10-8 |
157 |
| 8 |
NR |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
11-2 |
132 |
| 9 |
10 |
Aquinas (Mich.) |
14-6 |
128 |
| 10 |
RV |
Saint Xavier (Ill.) |
11-7 |
123 |
| 11 |
RV |
Mount Mercy (Iowa) |
16-7 |
115 |
| 12 |
RV |
Ottawa (Ariz.) (AZ) |
13-5 |
113 |
| 13 |
NR |
Life (Ga.) |
11-6 |
78 |
| 14 |
NR |
Siena Heights (Mich.) |
17-8 |
63 |
| 15 |
NR |
Hope International (Calif.) |
6-10 |
61 |
Dropped from the Top 15: Menlo (Calif.), Briar Cliff (Iowa)
Receiving Votes: Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) 58, Graceland (Iowa) 54, Warner (Fla.), 43, Missouri Valley 36, Goshen (Ind.) 19, UC Merced (Calif.) 14, Ottawa (Kan.) 13, Trinity Christian (Ill.) 8, Webber International (Fla.) 7
