The Park University Gilbert men's volleyball team was picked to finish sixth in the Great Southwest Athletic Conference preseason poll released by the conference office. The defending national champions, The Master's University was picked to repeat as conference champions.

The Buccaneers enter year three of a rebuild under head coach Vince Zanzucchi. The team boast a strong pair at outside hitter featuring sophomores Dominic Smith and Azzlyn Potts. Smith not only rewrote the freshman record book last season, he set season records which were better than any other player in program history.

Smith led the team in kiils (213), attempts (540), hitting percentage (.206) and total points (234.5). He also posted matches with third (22) and fourth (21) most kills in school history. He also had 10 or more kills in 11 matches a year ago. Potts finished 10^th on the single season list for kills (120) and sixth for attacks (378).

The Bucs also feature a new quarterback at the setter position in 6-1 senior transfer Damon Leavitt who gives the team a strong presence on the court and his size allows him to stay on the floor and not be subbed out when he comes to the front row. Freshman Brandon Leyva is another talented setter who will have the opportunity to learn under Leavitt's veteran leadership.

The Bucs also boast a veteran in the middle in junior Jonah Baich and talented youth in 6-7 sophomore Christian Brooks who missed time last year due to injury. Baich led the team in block assists with 43 and aces with 20 which was second most in a single season in program history in both categories.

The Bucs have a veteran back row with junior liberos Zac York and Jeff Agcaoili who have anchored the back row for the past two seasons. They will be joined by freshman Andrew Kennedy who will also push for time.

The Buccaneers open their season next week as they travel to Indiana to play in the Saint Mary-in-the-Woods Invitational at Saint Mary-in-the-Woods University, The Bucs will play six matches in two days (January 30-31) in the tournament before finishing out the weekend with a match at Indiana University East on Feb, 1.

The Buccaneers will have nine matches this season against teams in the NAIA preseason top 15 or receiving votes as they will take on No. 1 The Master's (2), No. 10 Benedictine Mesa (2), No. 12 Hope International (2), No. 14 Westcliff (1) and RV OUAZ (2). 

Saturday, Jan. 24.