Men's Volleyball adds six to the Class of 2022
Head Coach Curtis Madson is excited to announce the addition of six members to the Concordia University Wisconsin Men's Volleyball team. The CUW Falcons grew and developed in their inaugural season, and this class is going to be leaned on to continue that trend and push the program forward even more in the 2019 season. The class is comprised of five players from the state of Wisconsin and one player from Nevada. "We looked to address some positional needs as well as creating competitive depth on our roster," said Madson. "When tasked with starting a program from the ground up there are many ways to construct a roster, and it is a process and we feel like this class helps us stay on track and continue to grow the program in the direction we wish to go." The class includes James Althoff, Hunter Carpenter, Turner Fuhrer, Ryan Hoefs, Connor Muff, and Cody Sciabica.
James Althoff - Kenosha, WI
Opposite
James Althoff comes to Concordia from Kenosha Tremper High School where he had a standout career on the volleyball court. "James was one of the top seniors in the state of Wisconsin this year, he is a dynamic and versatile player," Madson commented. In Althoff's senior year, he was named to the AVCA/Under Armor All-American Watch List, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Male Volleyball Player of the Year nominee, as well as a Holy Rosary Male Athlete of the Year nominee. James earned the nominations from compiling Second Team All-State, Southeast Conference Player of the Year, First Team All-Southeast Conference, and First Team All-Kenosha County honors. These come after a breakout junior season at Tremper where he was named High Honorable Mention All-State, First Team All-Southeast Conference, and First Team All-Kenosha County. "James is a very decorated player, who has played at a high level for a long time. We are hoping that James can come in and continue his elite level of play and be a large contributor for the future," said Madson. Althoff also has a successful club background with three top 20 finishes and one top 10 finish in the USA Volleyball National Championships Open Division, the highest level of club play in the country. He has played for Southport Volleyball Club and has teamed up with two other members of this class to be the most successful class in Southport's almost 10-year history. James was also a member of the 2017 Badger Region High Performance Team that placed 13th in Fort Lauderdale, Florida against domestic and international competition.
Hunter Carpenter – Abbotsford, WI
Middle
Hunter Carpenter joins the Falcons from Abbotsford High School, where his school did not offer Boys' Volleyball. "Hunter's situation is a unique one due to his high school not offering the sport. He is not the first player to be recruited without a high school program, and it is not impossible to do, but his path is for sure more difficult than the traditional path," Madson said. "Hunter is a very athletic and raw talent, but more than that what drew us to Hunter is his clear passion and drive to play the sport. He is an athlete that did not give into his circumstances to pursue his passion; he found a way to get it done. Those are not teachable traits, those are great points of character to look for in an athlete," praised Madson. Though Hunter did not have a high school team, he did compete with Wisconsin Volleyball Academy's Nightmares 18s team, which placed 8th in the Badger Region Championships this season.
Turner Fuhrer – Kenosha, WI
Libero
A Kenosha Indian Trail High School graduate, Turner Fuhrer joins the Falcons class of 2022. Turner comes in with a history of winning. Turner and his Indian Trail teams qualified for the WIAA State Tournament in 2015 and 2016. "Bringing in players that know what it takes to be part of a winning culture is big for any program, but especially for one like ours that is still trying to build and develop that culture here. Turner is a winner, and that is something we need in our gym," said Madson. For Turner's efforts in the 2017 season, he earned team MVP honors. 2017 saw Turner break the school record for aces, along with earning Second Team All-Southeast Conference honors. "To be a Libero and earn MVP honors just shows what type of asset Turner is to a team," commented Madson. To go along with his high school winning ways, Fuhrer also has a successful club background with three top 20 finishes and one top 10 finish in the USA Volleyball National Championships Open Division, the highest level of club play in the country. He has played for Southport Volleyball Club and has teamed up with two other members of this class to be the most successful class in Southport's almost 10-year history.
Ryan Hoefs – Greendale, WI
Defensive Specialist
Ryan Hoefs was a four-year member of the Greendale High School team before making his way to Concordia. Ryan earned Honorable Mention All-Woodland Conference in 2016 and Second Team All-Conference in 2017. "Ryan is a solid all-around volleyball player. He has hit some outside, he was a very solid setter for his high school program and has quality ball control skills. We look to put those skills, plus his great work ethic to work this season as a solid all-around back row option for our program," stated Madson. Hoefs was awarded the Team Hustle Award, along with the Team's Best Setter Award in both 2016 and 2017. "Ryan is an athlete with high character and work ethic, that is the type of athlete we want to build our culture's foundation around. I feel that Ryan will fit our culture nicely," Madson added. Finally, in 2017 Ryan also earned the honors as the Panther Award recipient as well as the Outstanding Leadership Award.
Connor Muff – Bristol, WI
Setter
Connor Muff comes to Concordia after a four-year standout career at Westosha Central High School. A highly decorated setting recruit, being named to the AVCA/Under Armor All-American watch list as a senior. He has also earned All-Conference and All-Kenosha County recognition for three straight years from 2015 through 2017. "Connor is a seasoned setter; he makes great decisions and has the ability to translate his skills to the collegiate court quickly. We are expecting Connor to come in and compete for our setting position on day one," said Madson. Muff was named twice to the First Team All-Southern Lakes Conference team (2016 and 2017), and his sophomore season he was named to the Second Team All-Southeast Conference Team. Following those accolades, he also earned First Team All-Kenosha County Twice (2016 and 2017) as well as Second Team honors in 2015. "Connor has experience setting at an elite level in junior ball and has had great success. He has played against not only talent domestically, but he has had the opportunity to display his talents against international talent as well. Having a player with that type of experience and volleyball IQ is going to be big for us going forward," Madson said. Muff was a two-year member of the Badger Region High Performance Team in 2016 and 2017, with a 6th place finish in 2016 and a 13th place finish in 2017. Connor has a successful club background with three top 20 finishes and one top 10 finish in the USA Volleyball National Championships Open Division, the highest level of club play in the country. He has played for Southport Volleyball Club and has teamed up with two other members of this class to be the most successful class in Southport's almost 10-year history.
Cody Sciabica – Henderson, NV
Outside Hitter
Cody Sciabica is the class of 2022's only out of state recruit; he comes to Concordia from Henderson, NV and Coronado High School. "Cody comes from a successful volleyball background; he knows what it takes to be part of a winner. I have said it many times, we are trying to infuse winners into our culture and Cody fits that role perfectly," Madson said. Sciabica and his Coronado High School team have made back-to-back Nevada State Semi-Finals in 2017 and 2018. "Cody is versatile and can play on either pin for us, which makes him very valuable to us moving forward as he gives us multiple options in one. We look for him to come in, push our outsides, and compete for court time early. I think with his high-level high school experience as well as club he is ready for the challenge," stated Madson. Cody plays for Vegas United Volleyball Club who has had great success in the 2017-18 club season. They compete in the newly formed USA Division. They have shown themselves to be a top team winning the Winter Championships in Chicago and taking third in the SCVA bid tournament.
