BOSTON, Mass. – Coming off its best season in program history, the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team sees itself nationally ranked once again as the Leopards are ranked 10th in the 2018 AVCA Division III Men's Volleyball Preseason Poll. The Leopards finished the 2017 campaign at 28-7, which included its second straight NCAA Tournament berth where Wentworth, which finished last season ranked fourth, advanced to the semifinals for the first time in program history.

Springfield took the top spot in the preseason poll after avenging its 2016 title match loss to SUNY New Paltz, and captured its 10th national title by a 3-1 score against the Hawks. New Paltz, which defeated Wentworth in the national semifinals, checked in at No. 3 in the poll.

The Leopards were crowned Great Northeast Athletic Conference Champions for the second consecutive season in 2017, battling Lasell to a 3-2 victory inside Tansey Gymnasium. The triumph gave Wentworth its second automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament where the Leopards earned a bye to the quarterfinal round where they defeated Juniata, 3-0. During its stellar 2017 campaign, Wentworth posted its winningest record against ranked opponents, 8-5, which included a 3-1 upset against second-ranked UC Santa Cruz in March.

Head coach Evin Giglio returns for his seventh season with the Black & Gold, after receiving his second conference coach of the year award following last year's campaign. Giglio has coached the Leopards to a pair of GNAC Regular-Season and Tournament Champion titles, and has steered Wentworth to 20 or more wins in five straight seasons. In his six seasons with the Leopards, Giglio holds a remarkable 134-60 record.

While the Leopards graduated six GNAC All-Conference selections from 2017, senior setter Collin Ritter (Feeding Hills, Mass.) returns to the court for his final season with Wentworth. Ritter was named the 2017 GNAC Offensive Player of the Year, and capped his junior campaign as a Second-Team AVCA All-American. Ritter will chase the career assists record this season, as his 3,011 through three seasons ranks him second all-time in program history.

The Leopards will commence the 2018 season on Friday, January 19 at the SUNY Poly Wildcat Invitational. Wentworth will play Nazareth at 4:00 p.m. in its season opener in Utica, New York.

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