With the bulk of its team returning from last season, the Drew University men's volleyball squad will enter the 2026 campaign with high hopes.
 
Under third-year Head Coach Julian Diaz, the Rangers bring back 10 players from last year's team that reached the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) playoffs in their first season as a member of the league after competing as an independent in their first three years as a varsity program.
 
Drew returns ample offensive firepower this season, including sophomore outside hitter Gio Martin, who led the Rangers in kills (2.15 kps) a year ago. Classmate Matthew Adegbite is also back after finishing third on the team with 2.04 kills per set last year while sophomore middle blocker Michael Shipman contributed 1.68 kills per game while hitting .216. Shipman also made an incredible impact defensively, finishing fourth in the CVC with a school-record 0.89 blocks per set.
 
Sophomore Quinn Donahue also returns as the team's starting setter a year after dishing out 6.19 assists per set while finishing third among the Rangers with 0.53 blocks per set. Classmate Eric Forget is also back as the team's starting libero after leading the Blue and Green with 1.82 digs per set in 2025.
 
Seniors Jason Barbosa and Barend Oostdam also return and will provide the team with depth and experience at middle blocker. Barbosa led the Rangers in blocks in 2024 with 0.78 per set and is third in team history with 125 career blocks. He also leads all current Rangers in career matches played (81). Oostdam finished fourth among the Rangers in blocks (0.48 bps) last season and has appeared in 63 matches throughout his career.
 
Rounding out the list of returners are sophomore libero Gavin Cantada, sophomore outside hitter Nathaniel Fisbeck, and junior defensive specialist Pablo Stein. Cantada averaged 0.93 digs per set while finishing third on the team in service aces (14) last year. Fisbeck contributed 0.97 kills per outing while Stein returns after competing in three matches last season.
 
Five newcomers will provide additional depth: sophomore setter Jayden Huber, sophomore libero James Kovac, freshman setter Roger Chavez, freshman middle blocker Isaiah Harris, and freshman outside hitter Lucas Mondin.
 
The Rangers open their season on Friday, when they compete in a tri-match at Stevens Institute of Technology. Drew takes on Saint Joseph's-Long Island at 4:30 p.m. before facing No. 6-ranked Stevens at 6:30 p.m. The Rangers play their home opener on Thursday, Jan. 29, when they take on Bard College at 7 p.m., and the team's CVC opener is set for Thursday, Feb. 19 at home against Rutgers-Newark.