MCVL Official Release

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League announced Wednesday, December 2nd that the Carthage College Red Men have been picked to win the conference in 2016.
 
Carthage received 169 points and 13 of 14 first-place votes to garner the top spot in the preseason poll.  Behind Carthage was Dominican in second with 151 points, 2015 tournament runner-up Mount St. Joseph's with 150 points and MSOE with 126 points.  Mount St. Joseph's received the final first place vote as well.
 
Coming off a 23-6 overall record in 2015, the Red Men claimed the outright regular season title in the inaugural season of the MCVL with a perfect 14-0 record.  The Red Men went on to also win the MCVL tournament, topping MSOE in the semis and Mount St. Joseph's in the championship, each in straight sets.
 
In 2016 the Red Men return two all-league players as juniors Marc Hansen and Griffin Shields.  Last year, Shields was named MCLV all-conference first team while Hansen received second team honors. 
 
 L.J. Marx will look to fill the void left by Carthage's other two all-conference performers, Matt Ciaglia (second team) and Jon Storm (first team), both of whom graduated.
 
The MCVL brings a new look to the court this season with the addition of six new programs that will be in their inaugural seasons in 2016.  Joining the eight founding members of the league in 2016 will be Adrian, Greenville, Marian (Wis.), North Central, Olivet and Wittenberg, pushing the league's membership to 14 teams.
 
The Red Men open their season January 15th in Quincy, Illinois as the Red Men take on Quincy University at 7:00 p.m. from Pepsi Arena.