Flames graduate middle hitter Jared Vazquez (center) flexes between team captains Josh Culpepper (left) and Tyler Wemple.
Men’s volleyball set to come out swinging in 2024 with full schedule in February
1/4/2024 5:20:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
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The Flames ended the fall semester by sweeping Eastern Mennonite, Stevenson, Virginia Tech, and Virginia in match play and will open the spring by hosting UVA at the Liberty Arena on Jan. 30.
Second-year Head Coach Josh Knapp anticipates an action-packed New Year for Liberty University's men's volleyball team, with the Liberty Arena hosting a total of five Division I matches in four weeks against ECVA South opponents, starting with the University of Virginia on Jan. 30.
The Flames will also host the Feb. 10 ECVA South Play Date at the LaHaye Multipurpose Center — with 10 Division I and 10-15 Division II teams vying for East Coast Championship bids with top-two finishes — before traveling to Indiana for the Feb. 17-18 Hoosier-Illini Tournament.
Knapp
"The schedule gets pretty busy in the spring semester here," said Knapp, whose Division I team will host conference opponents on Feb. 5, 15, 23 (against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the annual Midnight Mayhem match) and 27. "February will be the busiest time of the year for us."
The Flames' Division I and II teams will travel to James Madison University for the March 23 ECVA South Championships with the top two teams in both divisions there also qualifying for the East Coast Championships, likely set for April 6 at Penn State. That will help set the seedings for the April 18-20 NCVF National Championships in Kansas City, Mo.
Liberty wrapped up the fall semester with match victories at Stevenson (Md.) University on Dec. 2 and Eastern Mennonite University on Dec. 5 before sweeping Virginia Tech and Virginia in a preseason tournament hosted by Stevenson.
"That was a great finish to the fall semester for our top team, which came out with a lot of confidence and started really seeing the potential they have for our actual season," Knapp said, noting that the players have maintained a rigid strength and conditioning regimen throughout the preseason. "The athletes are shaping up nicely, training pretty hard in the gym, with four practices and three lifting sessions per week (in the fall). They are ready to hit the ground running, once they come back on Jan. 15, and we are looking to come out swinging in the spring semester."
With plenty of newcomers on both the DI and DII squads this season, the Flames have elevated their collective games and found team chemistry quickly, providing them with potential to surprise opponents throughout the semester.
"Overall, we have young team, which helps with their bond," Knapp said. "They are all fresh in mindset and respond very well with the changes we've made in our offense and with our systems. A lot of teams may expect us to have a longer rebuilding year, but we have picked up our speed of play, changed things up and really worked on the foundation of our team on the court so far this year."
Josh Culpepper, a sophomore setter, is one of three team captains along with senior libero Mason Ellenberger and opposite hitter Tyler Wemple.
"The pieces of our offense within our middle hitters are looking quite nice with the speed they're running off our setter," Knapp said. "Josh Culpepper runs the offense well, and he is able to extend our offensive hitters toward the pins. Mason (Ellenberger) is in the back row setting a foundation as a senior on the court for our serve receive and defense. Tyler Wemple on the right side has been one of our primary weapons and (sophomore) Zach Lamoureux has been another good weapon for us this year as we switched him to the outside."
At the middle hitter and blocker position, the Flames return graduate Jared Vazquez and sophomore Jayden Rice, who are equally dangerous offensive and defensive weapons, with the discipline and hustle needed to set up double blocks on the outside.
"They are very dominant pieces in our system and foundational pieces in our team," said Knapp, who has set high aspirations for a team that will look to be contenders at both the East Coast and National Championships.
"We have a lot of dynamic players able to combine together to make a really solid team," Knapp said. "We have been able to find our footing early and are excited to see what we can put together for the spring semester."
