Men Return for New Attempt at Final Four

Outside hitters, defense specialists, setters, middles, and a libero may sound like some sort of tactical group, but it is simply the makeup of the EMU's men's volleyball team.

This year's team is ranked 10th in the 2007 CSTV/AVCA (College Sports TV and American Volleyball Coaches Association) Division III Coaches Poll heading into the 2007 season. The Royals were ranked 13th heading into last season. According to head coach Steven Benson, freshmen Luke Yoder, Colton New, and Justin Reesor "will add depth to the team." These newcomers join eight returning players to form this year's team. Benson thinks that it will turn out to be a good season. "We've added depth with a strong core of retuning players, setting us up to have a good season."

Last year the team had a goal of making the national tournament Final Four, but they lost to Rivier College in the conference championship match in five games. Winning that game would have put them in the national tournament. This year, the team is even more determined. "When you just miss your goal [the Final Four], I don't know how you're not motivated for the next year. The guys want to reach this goal," says Coach Benson.

Unlike the other athletic teams at EMU, the men's volleyball team is not part of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, because the ODAC does not offer men's volleyball. Instead the team is a part of the Western Division of the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA). Sophomore Cory Parsons said, "[The western NECVA] probably has the best teams in the NECVA ."

The team kicked off the 2007 season with a trip to North Carolina to play Lees McRae. According to senior Ryan Detweiler, EMU "barely lost to [Lees McRae] last year in an NCAA record-setting match." The rematch took place this past Saturday in the season opener for both teams. EMU was defeated in four games. Coach Benson says, "We have a tough and long schedule…we have some good matches before we start conference play, which will help us get ready for those important games."

Head Coach Steve Benson is in his second season at EMU as the head coach for both the men's and women's volleyball teams. He graduated with a degree in Physical Education from North Park University, a Division III institution in Chicago, Illinois, where he played four years of collegiate volleyball. He went on to receive his M.Ed. from Troy State University in 2004. Before coming to EMU, he coached at Lake-Sumter Community College in Leesburg, Fla., where he served as women's volleyball assistant coach for three seasons and head coach for two seasons. Benson is the first coach in EMU history to coach both the men's and women's squads.