Complete 2023 MCVL Men's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) has conducted its annual preseason poll, with Baldwin Wallace University men's volleyball being picked fifth out of nine teams. 

The Yellow Jackets finished with an 8-18 overall and a 3-5 MCVL record last year in their second season as a program. BW is hoping to improve and move up in the ranks this year after finishing seventh last year, putting together a 32-match schedule for the upcoming 2023 season.

Third-year Head Coach Kyle Mars welcomes back 11 varsity letterwinners, one All-MCVL performer, and five Academic All-MCVL players.

"We are looking forward to 2023 after what was an extremely challenging 2022 season full of matches against ranked opponents," Coach Mars commented. "With the addition of another talented class of young athletes who will contribute, this is a highly motivated team." 

The University of Mount Union is selected to finish first in this year's poll, totaling 63 votes and seven first place votes. The reigning conference champion, Fontbonne (Mo.) University, is slated to finish second, tallying 58 votes and two first place votes.

Trine (Ind.) University is picked third with 49 votes while fellow third-year program Wittenberg University is selected in fourth place (39 votes). The Yellow Jackets round out the top five, close behind Wittenberg with 35 votes.

Adrian (Mich.) College and Mount St. Joseph University are tied for the sixth-place spot with 28 votes each. Third-year program Wabash (Ind.) College and Olivet (Mich.) College fill the last two spots in the league. 

Baldwin Wallace will do the honor of serving up the first MCVL match of the season, when the Yellow Jackets travel to Adrian to take on the Bulldogs about halfway through the season. The Yellow Jackets will begin the 2023 campaign on Thursday, January 19 starting at 7:30 p.m. as BW hosts Hiram College in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center.