Welcome to the first Pond Talk of 2025! For those who are knew to the pond, this article is a roundtable discussion amongst the frogjump contributors (Harvey, Lindsay, and myself) about D3VB. We’re all given the same set of questions to answer, and each writer speaks from their own point of view, providing individual insight and opinions regarding the storylines of men’s D3VB.
Who do you have favored to win each conference?
| Conference | Ramius | Harvey | Lindsay |
| UVC | NYU | NYU | NYU |
| CVC | Southern Virginia | Southern Virginia | Southern Virginia |
| MAC | Stevens | Stevens | Stevens |
| GNAC | Wentworth | Lasell | Lasell |
| AMCC | Buffalo State | Buffalo State | Buffalo state |
| CUNYAC | Baruch | Baruch | Baruch |
| NACC | Aurora | Aurora | Dominican |
| CCIW | Carthage | Carthage | Carthage |
| UEC | Lancaster Bible | Lancaster Bible | Lancaster Bible |
| MCVL | Mount Union | Baldwin Wallace | Wittenberg |
| Skyline | St. Joes (LI) | St. Joe’s (LI) | St. Joe’s (LI) |
| ODAC | Randolph-Macon | Randolph-Macon | Randolph-Macon |
| NEVC | Nichols | Nichols | Nichols |
| PAC | St. Vincent | Saint Vincent | St Vincent |
Who are some of your candidates for breakout players in the 2025 season?
Harvey: I’m going to include my top two picks here.
- As you’ll see in a bit, I am very high on Juniata this season. One reason is, I know a thing or two about being a big, physical setter who had to wait 3 years for their opportunity on the floor. I think Grant Lorelli is poised for a year where he transforms what this Juniata offense can look like.
- While the jump from good to great is hard, the jump from great to elite is the true challenge. I think Owen Otto is going to launch himself into the “elite outside hitter conversation” where he will be in the discussion as Region IV Player of the Year.
Lindsay: Well since Harvey picked two, I guess I will do the same.
- A pin attacker for Springfield. Maybe this is cheating but I could see it happening where
a) Sam Levinson goes from national rookie of the year to one of the top attackers
b) One of the other young pins/first year guys makes a massive impact.
c) Both and now Springfield is a team that goes much deeper than the last two years.
- The UVC lost plenty of impact players: MIT, Vassar and New Paltz all lost their top scoring option, if not more. Those schools are far too good academically, athletically or both not to attract top level talent. I’m going to bet the Oh brothers carry the load for MIT. Grant’s numbers as an attacker have been solid, but I expect him to get some of the volume Gustafson got last year and push him into the next tier. Riley I believe had some injury concerns last year but the other setter he split some time with has since graduated.
Ramius: A couple kids come to mind honestly.
1. Owen Otto and Ben Heise out of Carthare were both All-Freshmen FrogJump team selections on a team that is primed for a solid NCAA run this year. I can see both of them being considered as elites at their position in the D3VB landscape this year.
2. Jake DesLauriers from Springfield will be a transfer I have my eye on to make some waves in D3 for the Pride, and fellow Long Island stand out Nikko Tenedorio out of New Paltz has looked the part of an impact freshmen based on the fall season.
What are some of the best matches to keep our eyes on as we head into this opening weekend?
Ramius: Hobart’s matches vs Lasell and Misericordia will be the ones I have my eye on. Many see Hobart as a potential dark horse for the UVC finals this year with Andrew Kim in his last year of eligibility. Lasell and Misericordia have both solidified themselves as top 20 programs over the last few seasons, so wins for any of these programs over the other are huge statements to begin the 2025 season.
Harvey: Marymount & Messiah duke it out on Friday at 4:00 PM – Messiah had a lot of young pieces that returned including freshman setter Brandon Sharp who had really come into his own by the end of the regular season. Excited to see what a summer of weight training and another fall of tutelage do for the maturation of his game.
Lindsay: Misericordia vs Lasell on Saturday is what I’m looking forward to the most. Two offenses with a huge RS presence. Both teams return the majority of their playmakers and both have very real opportunities to make the NCAA tournament. The GNAC and MAC are more open than they’ve been in awhile.
Which teams have the biggest question marks around them for the upcoming season?
Ramius: I’m interested in the NACC race this year, as I think this is the year Aurora is the favorite in the conference. Josh McClellan is likely one of the two best players in the Midwest, combined with potential impact transfers at the setting position and the return of Solomon Dail as the teams opposite theoretically gives Aurora all the pieces they need to take the next step. The question is will they execute?
Harvey: I am really curious to know what Vassar’s offense will look like. While the entire serve receive is back, they only return 33% of their point scoring from the national championship match and graduated both of their primary setters in the 6-2 system. I trust Coach Gary and the depth of the roster, but it leaves a lot of questions to be answered.
Lindsay: North Central is an interesting one for me. Kyle Exline has moved down the road and they’ve lost a few key contributors. They were in the national championship just two seasons ago and it seemed like they were poised to run the CCIW but it didn’t pan out that way last year. I’m interested to see how they rebound this year. Do they have a coach? With a little better health, can they challenge Carthage and Loras?
Who’s your pre-season Final Four pick?
Ramius: Southern Virginia, NYU, Carthage, Cal Lu
Harvey: Southern Virginia, NYU, Springfield, Juniata
Lindsay: Southern Virginia, Cal Lutheran, NYU, Springfield