Men's Volleyball Selected Second in Preseason EIVA Coaches' Poll

NJIT has been selected second in the 2021 Preseason Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Coaches' Poll, according to the conference coaches the league office announced on Monday.

The Highlanders stood at 9-5 overall, 4-3 in the EIVA, when play was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.  NJIT returns all seven starters led by Alvaro Gimeno, who shared Co-Player of the Year honors in the EIVA.

Penn State is the favorite to return to the top of the EIVA this season and were a near-unanimous selection, earning five of the six votes from the coaches. 

NJIT picked up the other first-place vote while George Mason captured third.

Penn State had posted an 11-8 overall record last season, and a 7-0 conference mark, when play was halted nationally as a precaution for the Covid-19 pandemic. They return five starters from that team, including Uvaldo Acosta Memorial EIVA Co-Player of the Year Brett Wildman.

The poll was rounded out with Saint Francis (PA) in fourth, Charleston fifth and Sacred Heart sixth. 

In November, 2020, the Ivy League announced play in all sports, including teams that are not in the Ivy League, would be suspended until March 1, 2021. The decision meant EIVA members Harvard and Princeton would be unable to play a match until after that date at the earliest, and they are not scheduled to play any matches as the season begins. Because of that, the coaches of both programs chose not to participate in this year's poll.

In addition, coaches selected two student-athletes from their programs as Players to Watch.

Players to Watch
Charleston: Maarten Bartels, Ismael Sneed
George Mason: Hayden Wagner, Jack Reese
NJIT: Alvaro Gimeno, Luca Berger
Penn State: Brett Wildman, Cal Fisher
Saint Francis (PA): Michael Fisher, Blake Liprando
Sacred Heart: Tim McIntosh, Shawn Tishler