SOMERSET, NJ - The St. Francis Brooklyn men's volleyball was selected second in the inaugural Northeast Conference (NEC) preseason poll, as announced by the NEC on Thursday.
The Terriers received one first place vote.
Saint Francis (PA) was chosen as the preseason favorite with six votes; LIU was placed third with one first place vote.
The poll was voted on by the NEC coaches.
St Francis, under new head coach Justin Beaumont, returns the team's dig leader Nicola Iannelli; who received All-Conference second team honors from the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) in 2022. Beaumont also returns two of the Terriers' kill leaders in Andrea Lancianese and Jack Hershman.
Beaumont bolstered his attack with the addition of Penn State graduate transfer Canyon Tuman and a quartet of standout freshman (Tanner Dougherty, Matteo Falleri, Patrick Rogers, Simon Luka Vlahovic).
In the Terriers lone season as part of the EIVA, St. Francis finished with a 10-15 overall record and went 7-3 against opponents that are now conference mates in the NEC.
St. Francis kicks off the program's fourth season Jan. 6-7 at the JBJ Battle for the Boardwalk; hosted at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City. The NEC Men's Volleyball Tournament, presented by First Point Volleyball Foundation, is set for Apr. 28-30 at the home gym of the tournament's top seed.
NEC Men's Volleyball Preseason Poll
1. Saint Francis U (6)
2. St. Francis Brooklyn (1)
3. LIU (1)
4. Daemen
5. Sacred Heart
6. FDU
7. Merrimack
8. D'Youville
