You know the drill, lets dive in!
Elmira beats NYU, NYU beats SJF, New Paltz beats Nazareth, Vassar beats everyone… give us your thoughts on the UVC.
Ramius: The UVC is a shark tank every year, and this year is no different. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Brewers go undefeated during conference play, but I still wouldn’t be comfortable predicting a conference winner. I’ve seen too many UVC Tournaments to know anything can happen during them, and I truly think any team that makes the tournament has the chance to get hot and win it all. It’s the UVC, every team in the conference flirts with a top 20 ranking weekly, it happens.
Harvey: Vassar is the best team in the UVC. I think this group has matured and plays with better competitive spirit than years past. While SJFU is their biggest challenger, I think New Paltz is the toughest matchup, but on paper I think Vassar cruises through the UVC regular season
Lindsay: While the UVC is always a challenge, Vassar has to be considered a tier above everyone right now. The Springfield win was just the beginning and they’ve been on a tear since. My major question for them is who produces the most consistent out of the OH2 spot,but plenty of guys have shown flashes. On the other end, St John Fisher has stumbled a little bit. They weren’t the one seed going into the UVC tournament in 2022 though and look what happened.
Halfway through the season, who are you picks to win each conference?
| Conference | Ramius | Harvey | Lindsay |
| UVC | Anyone who makes the tournament (seriously) | Vassar | Vassar |
| CVC | Juniata | Juniata | Marymount |
| CCIW | Carthage | Carthage | Carthage |
| NACC | Benedictine | Marian | Ask me next week |
| GNAC | Wentworth | Wentworth | Lasell |
| MAC | Stevens | Stevens | Stevens |
| AMCC | PSU-Behrend | Thiel | Geneva |
| MCVL | Mount Union | Baldwin-Wallace | Baldwin Wallace |
| NEVC | Nichols | Nichols | Nichols |
| CUNY | Baruch | Baruch | Baruch |
| Skyline | St. Joseph (LI) | Ramapo | St. Joseph (LI) |
Which first year student-athletes have popped for you so far in the season?
Ramius: I’d have to say Dylan Mulvaney at Springfield. A freshmen setter manning the reigns of a top 5 Springfield, getting Anderson and Weislo in positions to score efficiently, and bringing more attention to D3VB in one viral video than I have in the three years FrogJump has existed.
Harvey: Tyler Hoke of Stevens. Maybe I am biased because I highlighted him before the year, but he is making a huge impact on the #1 team in the country. He was 18-1-31 for the week with a total of 16 Terminal blocks and a load of other quality touches as well.
Lindsay: Take a look at the Marymount pins. Their leader in kills is a junior transfer, but he’s a “first-year” in the NCAA, does that count? They’re playing freshmen at the other pins. We talked about them a few weeks ago as maybe shaking some things up in the CVC, but maybe that was selling them too short.
Who had the best weekend, Vassar, Stevens, or Messiah?
Ramius: Odd take from Ramius, but I’m going with Messiah. Wins over Southern Virginia and Randolph Macon are going to be huge when regional rankings come around. I still have Stevens as the favorite to win the MAC, so every regional win for Messiah helps keep them in prime position for one of the Pool-C bids come April.
Harvey: Stevens had the best weekend. A huge result against a regional opponent (Juniata) where they looked dominant at times, as well as starting off MAC play at 1-0. They showcased a lot of depth and discipline throughout the week as well.
Lindsay: Conference matches are the most important, especially when you’re talking about beating teams that could factor into the NCAA tournament. My ranking is Vassar, Stevens, and Messiah. The flying falcons come in last to me because of volume. Win some matches in three or four boys and get some rest!
Matches you have your eyes on this week, any upset picks?
Ramius: Putting my home town Hawks into the hot seat, as they’ll play Rutgers-Newark this week in a match with tons of upset potential for Rutgers. Later this weekend, we have UCSC vs Marymount, and I think momentum dictates we should keep an eye on the Saints possibly defeating the Banana Slugs.
Harvey: Looking to the midwest for both my picks (my upsets have been red hot by the way). Keep an eye on Aurora over Benedictine on Tuesday in a NACC upset. Then I like Loras against NCC in a huge CCIW showdown
Lindsay: I’m paying attention to UCSC this week. Lancaster Bible, Southern Virginia, Marymount and Nichols in that order. I think they go at least 3-1. As I understand it, Nichols is now fighting for that same at large bid, so the last matchup could be the most important. I’ve been as cold as Harvey has been hot, so probably don’t listen to me. .
Who’s your personal top 5?
Ramius: Stevens, Vassar, Springfield, Juniata, Carthage
Harvey: Stevens, Vassar, Springfield, Juniata, Carthage
Lindsay: Vassar, Stevens, Carthage, Springfield, Juniata