BENNINGTON, Vt. – The New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) announced on Wednesday the results of its 2017 men's volleyball preseason poll with Southern Vermont College being selected to finish fifth in this year's league standings.

The Mountaineers return to the hardwood after having to suspend play in 2016. First-year head coach Scott Fitzgerald remains optimistic about his squad which returns one player from the 2015 team and welcomes a handful of new faces.

"Because this is the first season back on the court, I look forward to working with some athletic young men who have a desire to succeed," Fitzgerald commented. "We have a range of experience on the team, but each player has the same mentality and drive to get some wins this season. Every practice and match takes us one step closer to where we need to be."

Southern Vermont will push to make it back into the NECC playoffs where the Mountaineers found themselves for five-straight years prior to 2016. That journey will start on February 21 when SVC begins the league schedule, hosting Elms College for a 7 p.m. first serve.

"Just like every year, the team needs to stay positive and not get down on themselves," Fitzgerald added. "We will need to understand that most teams we are playing have more experience at this level; patience will be key for all of us."

The Mountaineers begin the regular season on Tuesday, January 24 with a 7 p.m. tilt at Bard College and hold their home opener on Wednesday, February 1 at 6 p.m. Additional non-conference matches see Southern Vermont take on Nazareth College (Feb. 10), The Sage Colleges (Feb. 15), and Keuka College (March 10).

2017 NECC Men's Volleyball Preseason Poll
1. Endicott – 48 (6) 
2. Regis – 41 (1) 
3. Elms – 33
4. Newbury – 25
5. Southern Vermont – 20
6. Eastern Nazarene – 17
7. Lesley – 12

(Parentheses denote first-place votes received)

– #LetsGoSVC –