Rodrigo Montero goes up for a kill. (Photo Courtesy: Frank Poulin)
The Dean College Men’s Volleyball team is still searching for their first victory just over a month into their season.
The Bulldogs currently find themselves at 0-8 but are optimistic with a favorable stretch of games to come. Wednesday, March 2 will mark the first time in 11 days that Dean Volleyball will take the court. They will do so right here at Pieri Gymnasium on the campus of Dean College, taking on the Lynx of Lesley University.
Lesley is yet to complete a set this season, sitting on a record of 0-0. The Lynx will travel to Emerson College on Tuesday, just one day prior to their trip to Dean. The last time Lesley took the court was in early 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic; they would finish 0-11 in an abbreviated season.
On the other hand, Dean was able to fit 17 contests into their 2020 season, winning 3. The Bulldogs are set to turn things around this time out, with a little momentum coming their way in recent weeks. The recent additions to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) were able to steal a set from NVU-Johnson in a home match on February 19th, before eventually falling 3-1 to the Badgers.
Now, Dean looks to continue that momentum as they enter a long stretch of conference matches. Following Lesley, the Bulldogs face exclusively GNAC competition for the remainder of the regular season.
“We’re improving every day. There are still a lot of things we need to work on, but we are getting better with each set,” explained junior libero Nicolas Giglietti of East Haven, CT.
The enhancement in the Bulldogs’ play has been led by freshman outside hitter Rodrigo Montero of Praia, Cape Verde, as he currently leads the squad in both points (64.5) and kills (45). Montero stands at a staggering 6 foot 5 inches and possesses great leaping ability. It has been his presence in front of the net that has kept Dean in a number of contests.
Another key component to the team has been junior setter Tyler Martins of East Providence, R.I. The playmaking captain boasts a total of 81 assists across 25 sets played. Martins has also proven he can get it done in the classroom, as he was a member of the GNAC All-Academic squad for the 2020-21 season.
Tyler Martins sets up a teammate. (Photo Courtesy: Dean Athletics)
The Bulldogs are looking to rebound after a recent defeat to Russell Sage College in Albany, New York. Luckily, the travel will be much lighter for the next run of matches, with a 4 match homestand beginning on March 2. Further, Men’s Volleyball will only exit Massachusetts borders once more this regular season, that being a trip to Colby-Sawyer later this month.
Although not incredibly riddled by injury, one notable loss in recent weeks has been senior captain Nathan Minese of Portsmouth, R.I. The defensive specialist played a major role in the opening 3 matches before moving to the bench with an injury. Minese hopes to return to the lineup by March 9.
Elsewhere the Dean Men’s Basketball team recently saw their season come to an end in the first round of the GNAC playoffs. Now, two members of that group are set to join the bulldog’s volleyball squad. Junior Hunter Meyer of Taylor Mill, KY. and senior Traijan Powell of Sierra Vista, AZ. were both integral members of the basketball squad that made a late-season playoff push. The duo will now look to step in and make an impact in another collegiate sport. Both players will be available to play Wednesday against Lesley University.
With 16 matches remaining on the schedule, there is still more than enough time for this Bulldog side to flip the switch. Dean is just one game into the GNAC season and hope to find themselves in a playoff position by April. This season will be the first for Men’s Volleyball since leaving the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) in 2020.
Anyone that is around the Bulldog team knows that the desire to get better every day is the number one goal. The hope now is that effort will translate to results on the court.
“We’re here to work every day,” concluded Minese
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