Gators picked third in race for 2012 Skyline Conference Championship
SAGE MEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM PICKED THIRD IN RACE FOR 2012 SKYLINE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
New York, NY--- In the 2012 Skyline Conference Pre-Season Men's Volleyball Coaches' Poll, Ramapo College (NJ) outpointed Kean University (NJ) or the top spot in the restructured league.
This year, the Skyline Conference has added three New Jersey Athletic Conference members, Ramapo College of NJ, Kean University, and New Jersey City University as affiliate members in men's volleyball. The eight-member league will gain an automatic berth in the inaugural 2012 NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championship.
Ramapo College, coming off an 18-13 season, is led by a pair of stellar sophomores, setter Andrew Balint (9.3 assists/set) and outsider hitter Jeff Jones (2.76 kills/set, .261 hitting pct.). Kean University is a talented up-and-coming team of young players that are hungry for an NCAA berth, and The Sage Colleges also boasts a young and talented squad that is coming off a 14-12 campaign, including 7-3 in the Skyline Conference as well as a third-place finish in 2011.
Finishing out the top five in the poll are New Jersey City and Mount Saint Vincent, which had an 8-2 Skyline mark. Here is the complete listing of the Coaches' Poll:
1. Ramapo College (5) 47 pts.
2. Kean University (3) 37 pts.
3. The Sage Colleges 33 pts.
4. New Jersey City University 32 pts.
5. Mount Saint Vincent 30 pts.
6. NYU-Poly 17 pts.
7. Purchase College 16 pts.
8. Yeshiva University 12 pts.
(First place votes in parentheses)
The Sage Colleges under the direction of interim head coach Jason Wood will take to the court on January 26 when they travel to Bard College for the 2012 season opener. The Gators will open Skyline Conference play on opening weekend with a league quad-match in the Kahl Center (Albany, NY) on January 29 that features the College of Mt. St. Vincent, Purchase College, and Yeshiva University. Action commences at Noon with a second set of matches at 2 p.m.
The 2012 Gators return junior setter Kyle Ray (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads), a two-time Skyline Conference Second Team honoree and the 2010-2011 Sage Male Athlete of the Year.
As a freshman, Ray was one of six players to help launch the men's volleyball program at Sage and was named a co-captain. By season's end, he was named to the Skyline Conference All-Star Second Team for his play as an outside hitter. With the new season, Ray was once again named a captain, but also was asked to change positions and did so with ease. He helped the team improve from a 5-20 performance in the first season to a 14-12 record with a second-straight Skyline Conference Tournament bid. He led the 2011 team with his 692 setting assists and ranked among the national statistical leaders along the way. By season's end, the sophomore setter ranked 27th in Division III in setting assists per set and 89th in aces per set with his 0.23 per set average. A member of the 2011 NECVA Scholar-Athlete Team, Ray played in all 26 matches for Sage last season while appearing in 86 sets with 89 digs and 20 aces.
Senior middle hitter Spencer Hilland (Slingerlands, NY/Bethlehem Central) is also a returning leader for the 2012 Gators after a stellar start to his Sage career. He finished the year as a 2011 Skyline Conference All-Star
First Team player as a middle hitter. He was also ranked nationally in three categories, 14th in kills per set (3.75), 14th in blocks per set (0.95), and 48th in hitting (.255 attack percentage). He was named to the Skyline Conference Honor Roll once, and finished the season with a team-best 240 kills, good enough for a 3.69 per set average with a .255 attack percentage. He finished second on the team with 61 total blocks, while adding 102 digs and 14 serving aces. He led the Gators with his 296 points and 4.55 points per set average despite missing two weeks with an injury on the season. He was named the Skyline Conference Player of the Week and the NECVA Skyline Conference Player of the Week twice, while also earning a spot on the Skyline Conference Honor Roll another week. He opened his Sage career with a selection to the 2011 SUNY-IT Wildcat Invitational All-Tournament Team in January of 2011.
