Seeking A Conference Tourney Repeat

Susquehanna Men's Volleyball Club Back from Third Appearance at Nationals,
Seeks Middle Atlantic Conference Tourney Title Repeat Saturday at Millersville

SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) - The Susquehanna University's Men's Club Volleyball will try and repeat as champions at the Middle Atlantic Club Volleyball Conference (MACVC) Championship Tournament this Saturday, April 24, at Millersville University. The squad recently returned from participating in the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Men's Club Volleyball Championships for the third time in seven seasons under head coach Bill Switala.

Switala's squad made the recent national club championship event at the University of Maryland despite graduating four starters from his 1998 team, which placed fifth at nationals. Susquehanna completed its regular season at 10-1, with its only loss coming in a five-game match at 13th-ranked Lehigh.

Seeded 11th entering the national tournament, Susquehanna finished 37th out of 64 teams while going 5-4. Among their victories were wins over such bigger schools Northeastern (15-10, 12-15, 15-11), Columbia (15-8, 15-13) and the University of Rhode Island (15-6, 15-4).

The success of this season's team is surprising to Switala because of his team's general inexperience. His starting lineup includes two pure freshmen, as well as one senior who has never played before.

The Susquehanna starters include its co-captains in senior Ian Botts (Susquehanna/ Susquehanna Community H.S.) and sophomore Scott Trumbauer (Breinigsville/Parkland H.S.) at the setter positions. Joining them in the lineup are junior middle hitter Ryan Szuch (Apollo/Kiski Area H.S.) and freshman middle hitter Jim Mistler (New Freedom/ Susquehannock H.S.). Starting at outside hitter are freshman A.J. Fick (Moscow/North Pocono H.S.) and junior Chris Killinger (Lawton/Elk Lake H.S.), while junior Glenn Lester (Johnstown/Conemaugh H.S.) and senior Toby Gearhart (Selinsgrove/Selinsgrove Area H.S.) are the defensive specialists. The starting six depends on whether the team opens the match by serving or receiving -- with Misler playing the front row and Lester the back, and Killinger and Botts alternating in the lineup between front and back respectively. Gearhart is the senior who didn't play before this season and Switala calls him "the cornerstone of our defense."

Senior outside hitters Glenn Hunsinger (Lawton/Elk Lake H.S.) and Scott Stackhouse (Easton/Wilson Area H.S.) round out the roster. Switala also believes the work by senior student assistant coach Randy Arnold (Selinsgrove/Selinsgrove Area H.S.) "to also be invaluable to the team."

"I hope the guys use their finish at nationals as motivation this weekend at MAC's," said Switala, who is also head coach of Susquehanna's women's volleyball team. "I now feel like we have something to prove, and hopefully the guys do too. It will be a chance for us to prove we deserve respect.

"If we block well, we can beat any team out there. We have the best offense of any Susquehanna team I have ever coached."

Additional information about the Susquehanna Men's Volleyball Club Team may be obtained by contacting Switala at (717) 372-4080 (office) or (717) 374-4688 (home).

 1998-99 Susquehanna Men's Volleyball Club Roster

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