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Wildcats Men’s Volleyball Set to Take off in Second Year

1/18/2023 4:31:00 PM

By: Chris Myers
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2022 Statistics
FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats inaugural campaign saw some literal bumps in the road, but it laid the foundation for what year two can become. Fort Valley State men's volleyball's more experienced returning group and deep pool of new talent has the excitement level sky high, and a young program set to take off in the 2023 season.

FVSU battled its way through a lack of depth among a full roster of freshmen and a new level of playing in the world of NCAA Division I/II collegiate men's volleyball. In the opening year, the Wildcats finished 8-15 and third in the newly formed six-team Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference field. The Wildcats also navigated past a team bus accident and its repercussions of injuries from the crash, various ensuing schedule changes and mental adjustments as a result.

The 2023 Wildcats are ready for a fresh page and successful start in a new campaign, which gets underway this Saturday, January 21. FVSU travels to Due West, S.C., for a 3 p.m. match at Erskine College to begin the 26-match docket.

"I am super excited and anxious to get started," admits FVSU head coach Larry Wrather. "We have added some good talent with a group of nine new guys, who bring a gym culture for us. The team performed very well this fall in our preseason tournament as we looked good from the top to the bottom. We are anxious to fight someone other than our own brothers."

Leading the second edition of FVSU men's spikers, All-SIAC Preseason Second Team trio of outside hitter Oshane Farquharson, setter Justin Yates and middle blocker Rashaun Wright guide the squad. After having as few as seven to eight available players for many matches last season, the Wildcats boast a full contingent of 20 at Coach Wrather and his staff's disposal to turn to for this year's matches.

"Our returners have matured, picked up more muscle and have shown more court and mental maturity. This has helped our incoming guys get acclimated quickly to our program," pointed out Wrather.

The FVSU kills leader, Farquharson, downed the third-best kills average of 2.89 per set in the SIAC (223 in 77 sets). The Hollywood, Fla., native also contributed 122 digs, 41 total blocks, nine assists and nine aces.

Yates (Carlsbad, Calif.) returns to run the offensive attack where he led the SIAC with 8.43 assists per set (649 assists in 77 sets) along with 51 kills, 10 aces, 86 digs and 26 blocks.

Wright will stand again at his middle blocker position and ready for a full season. The D'Abadie, Trinidad & Tobago product tied for the Conference lead at 0.88 blocks per set (57 blocks in 65 sets) despite getting a late start to his season. He also hit a team-best .383 with 88 kills along with rating eighth in the SIAC with 0.32 aces per set (15).

"Oshane took hard to the weights and added muscle to be tougher on the front line this season. Yates needs to run a smooth offense as he tries to acclimate the new players and try to do more, while Rashaun was left out of the All-SIAC ranks due to getting a late start, but his impact will continue to be felt," said Wrather. "I also feel our incoming guys will surprise people too."

"Going into year two, I get real excited for what all this team can accomplish after what all we started last season with an all-freshman team."

After opening on the road Saturday and again next Tuesday (Jan. 24) at Emmanuel College, FVSU will play four in a row at the HPE Arena to begin its balanced schedule of 13 home and 13 away matches. FVSU welcomes fans to see them for a full weekend of its first home matches next Friday (Jan. 27) against King College (Tenn.) at 6 p.m., Saturday (Jan. 28) versus the University of Mount Olive at 5 p.m. and against Campbellsville University on Sunday (Jan. 29) starting at 4 p.m.

With a highly competitive schedule ahead, what does the FVSU coach see as challenges for his second men's squad?

"We are still young as a team. Our ability to change mid-game without any drop off will be key. They will need to take the scouting report and make changes on the fly and control the momentum of our own style in the match," added Wrather.

After a challenging opening campaign on-and-off the court, the Wildcats are ready to make their mark and set a new standard of success in year two.
 
 


 
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