Ramius highlighted a plethora of incoming players for the 2024 season he thought might make an impact in their freshmen Year. Since I’m smarter than Ramius, I decided to look back on those impact picks from 2024 and grade their performance for the season.
Bryce Matthews: Matthews finished 4th on the team in total points appearing in 20 of their 29 matches. Randolph-Macon appears to return the majority of the roster next season and Matthews could easily expand on his success for year two.
Prediction: Undecided
Kyle Foley: Hunter College was talked about much more frequently on these pages than the last few years. Foley was part of that resurgence, as he was second in almost every offensive category. For his efforts Foley was named CUNYAC rookie of the year.
Prediction: A
Devyn Nguyen: The only freshman starter on an NYU team that went to the Final Four, it doesn’t get much more impactful than that. Nguyen was rookie of the year in the UVC and helped NYU capture the UVC tournament. NYU is a heavy favorite to repeat and Nguyen now has a years worth of really strong experience.
Prediction: A+
Justin Jackson: Didnt appear for Elmira this year
Prediction: Shrug
Richie Ragonese: Misericordia put together a stellar year, but they did so with the libero spot being manned by upperclassmen. If you caught a match you saw his energy on the sideline, so maybe it’s just a matter of time until he breaks into the lineup
Prediction: C
Ben Heise: Carthage showed some different lineups this season switching to a 6-2 for most of the year, but Heise played in every single match. A stellar first campaign was highlighted by hitting .305 and 2nd team CCIW honors. He could develop into a future All-American.
Prediction: A
Ryder Kelley: Aurora had an interesting season, highlighted by injuries, a strong run late in the year and a ton of swings by Josh Mclellan. Kelley accounted for about half the assists this season, while other freshman setter, Luke Dwyer, had the other half. It will be interesting to see how the position battle goes in the future, but Kelley definitely made an impact
Prediction: B
Tucker Lambert: In the last match of Benedictine’s season, Lambert took 33 swings and scored the second most points. It would be hard to say he didn’t have an impact. Benedictine mixed lineups a good amount but Lambert was in lineup for over half the sets played.
Prediction: B
Ricardo Ortiz: The Libero out of Springfield didn’t garner many headlines, as another rookie on the roster collected quite a few accolades. Having said that, Ortiz started and played well for the majority of the year. He led the team in digs and was 4th in sets played. A very solid showing in his first year.
Prediction: A
Owen Huyhn: Huyhn was actually second in points and kills to rookie Daniel Latham, but that more so speaks to the strong class then it does to Huyhn not making an impact. Baldwin Wallace will look to rebound from a sub .500 season and the growth of Huyhn in his second year could be a big reason.
Prediction: B+
Matt Marusza: New Paltz had a big question mark at setter going into this year, and Marusza filled that role the majority of the time. Late addition transfer Dan Shanley took some reps there too, but 21 out of 30 starts went to the rookie. That’s impactful
Prediction: B+
Daniel Sappia: Hobart came out firing in their first year. Sappia probably would have been rookie of the year in the UVC if it wasn’t for Nguyen at NYU. 848 swings was second behind only Andrew Kim. We expect the UVC HM selection to have a strong year two.
Prediction: A
Brandon Sharp: It’s hard to follow up the only setter in program history, but Sharp did a solid job as a rookie. Fellow freshman Noah Aurdos also contributed heavily in the assist as well. Sharp was the guy down the stretch though and should have plenty of opportunity next season
Prediction: B+
Tucker Shearn: The freshman Libero for Vassar did not disappoint. If you’re a starter and a freshman AND your team is playing in the national championship match, what more can you ask for? A very strong year for Shearn who should get more recognition in years to come.
Prediction: A
Chris Radomski: Well the younger brother Radomski didn’t crack the lineup like Lambert did this season, but check back in the future
Prediction: INC
Thomas Smith: Wentworth stuck with one guy at setter all year and Josh Milke was a first team All-American. Maybe Smith’s involvement had more to do with the growth of Milke than anything else. Smith was 3rd on the team in assists and only appeared in a handful of matches.
Prediction: C
Conner Foxwell: Club and college teammate of Thomas Smith, Foxwell saw a little more time in the lineup. He had some big matches early on, but the addition of grad transfer Brandon Dunz probably ate into Foxwell’s time. He did play in 19 matches and hit .370 though. Look for the sophomore middle to get more chances this year.
Predicition: B
Ty Geshke: He went 9-1-15 in the NCAA tournament vs Cal Lu in the first round. Geshke broke into the lineup with regularity in April for Dominican. We expect to see more of him next year if he’s going to play like he did in the second half of his freshman campaign.
Prediction; B+
Ryan Schmid: Maybe picking anyone on Stevens that wasn’t a starter was a bold choice. Although it was noted Coach Buerhing mixes lineups as much as anyone, Stevens returned everyone. Schmid wasn’t able to break into the mix behind Sherman this year, only appearing in 5 matches, but similar to Smith at Wentworth, we think that’s more the product of strong depth and All-Americans.
Prediction: C-
Fantastic piece! Your deep dive into the performance of last season’s freshmen, like Ricardo Ortiz from Springfield, really highlights the emerging talent in Division 3 men’s volleyball. I had the pleasure of watching every game Ortiz played, either in person or via livestream, and I couldn’t agree more with your analysis. His solid performance as a Libero, leading in digs and contributing significantly throughout the season, exemplifies the kind of dedication and skill that makes this league so exciting. I share your enthusiasm and can’t wait for the season to start—Go Pride! January can’t come soon enough!