River Forest, Ill. – The Concordia University Chicago (CUC) men's volleyball season is set to begin, with the Cougars looking to build on a historic 2025 season that saw them reach the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Tournament for the second time in program history. Head Coach Greg Manos returns a veteran core and is poised to take the next step.
Last Season
The year began with the challenging Wittenburg Kickoff Classic in Ohio, where the Cougars dropped matches to Thiel College, Wittenberg University, and Roanoke College, but gained valuable experience fighting in multiple-set contests. They quickly responded in their home opener, falling to North Park University 3-1, but securing their first win with a clean 3-0 sweep over Westminster College (MO). The team proved its non-conference tenacity in the following weeks, achieving a respectable 3-3 record by taking down the University of Olivet, Adrian College, and Roosevelt University before the bulk of the NACC schedule.
Conference play presented immediate challenges, beginning with a vital win over Rockford University. However, the team hit a rough patch, losing the next three conference matches to Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), Benedictine University, and Concordia University Wisconsin, which was immediately followed by a non-conference split at the UW-Stevens Point Tri, including a win over Viterbo University.
Mid-season saw the team travel to Edgewood, then host the nationally ranked #10 Aurora University Spartans, resulting in losses, but the Cougars showed resilience by grabbing key home victories over St. Norbert College (3-2) and Wisconsin Lutheran College (3-1). The five-set win against St. Norbert was an early sign of their clutch potential.
The most impactful stretch of the season came during the final run. The Cougars earned a much-needed six-game winning streak in conference play to conclude the regular season. This streak included crucial NACC wins over Illinois Institute of Technology and Lakeland University (3-1).
The emotional peak of the year was the last home match against the Division Street Rivals, Dominican University. In front of an electric crowd, the Cougars clinched a 3-2 victory in an epic five-set battle that required extra points (18-16) to win, sealing their spot in the NACC Tournament. The final match of the regular season saw them fall to Marian, but their 6-6 conference record was enough to punch their ticket.
In the NACC Quarterfinals, the Cougars put up a formidable fight against the #2 seeded MSOE Raiders, forcing a demanding match before ultimately falling 3-1. This overall performance solidified Coach Manos' position as the winningest head coach in program history.
The Cougars had a fantastic 2025 season, finishing with an overall record of 12-15 and a conference record of 6-6, earning them their second NACC Tournament appearance.
Coach Manos
This season marks Coach Manos' fourth season at the helm of CUC men's volleyball. He became the winningest head coach in program history in just three years and has led the team to two NACC Tournament appearances. With a team full of proven talent, the 2026 goal is to advance deeper into the conference tournament.
Key Returners & Record Breakers
The Cougars return a wealth of talent, including all three of their 2025 All-Conference selections and all statistical leaders.
The core of the returning Cougars squad is defined by their success and record-breaking performances in 2025. Leading the offensive charge is Tyler Holubek (New Lenox, Ill.), a graduate student who earned NACC All-Conference First Team honors by leading the team with 323 total kills. Holubek was a dominant force, finishing first in the NACC in total points, second in total kills and kills per set, and also contributing defensively, ranking 15th in digs. Directing the offense is setter Elijah Mosher (Clayton, Ohio), a NACC All-Conference Second Team selection, who broke the CUC single-season record with 1,002 total assists, averaging 9.63 assists per set. Mosher led the NACC in total assists and ranked second in assists per set, while also being a strong back-court presence, finishing sixth in the conference in both digs and digs per set.
The back row is anchored by libero Van Gaetto (Darien, Ill.), who set new program records for both single-season digs and career digs, finishing the 2025 season with 518 total career digs. Defensively at the net, the Cougars are formidable with Alexander Ford (Skokie, Ill.), a NACC All-Conference Honorable Mention and the team leader with 80 total blocks, ranking seventh in the NACC in that category. Alongside Ford is Leon Gudzovski (Des Plaines, Ill.), who earned NACC Defensive Player of the Week honors and was second on the team with 74 total blocks. Key attackers Marcin Hoffman (Inverness, Ill.) (215 kills) and Jackson Stella (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) (181 kills and a team-high 26 service aces) also return to provide crucial depth and firepower on the pins.
Fresh Faces
The Cougars welcome four freshmen, Grayson Arn (Beloit, Wis.), Ares Villa (Bellwood, Ill.), Wyatt Anzenberger-Shea (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), and Aaron Dennie (Orland Park, Ill.), who will provide depth as the team pursues a high seed in the NACC Tournament.
A Glance at the 2026 Schedule
The 2026 schedule features a demanding non-conference slate to prepare the Cougars for the NACC season, followed by a challenging conference run.
The Cougars will kick off their season with a series of pre-season events in early January, which included an Alumni Match on Jan. 3, followed by scrimmages against 630 Breeze (Jan. 8) and at Governors State University (Jan. 9).
Their regular season officially begins on January 15, with a home match against Illinois Wesleyan University inside Geiseman Gymnasium. The team will then travel to face North Central College on January 22 before returning home to host Augustana College (IL) on January 24. The end of January sees the Cougars on the road for two matches in Michigan, taking on Calvin University (Jan. 30) and Adrian College (Jan. 31).
February opens with the NACC-MCVL Challenge, where CUC will host Mount Union (Feb. 7), followed by a match against Wabash College (Feb. 7). Rounding out their non-conference schedule, the Cougars will stay close to home, traveling to North Park University (Feb. 12) and Roosevelt University (Feb. 14). NACC play officially begins with road trips to Rockford University (Feb. 19) and Benedictine University (Feb. 21). The first home conference match is against Edgewood College on February 26. The month concludes with a Virginia Tri on February 28, where the Cougars will face University of Lynchburg and Virginia Wesleyan University.
March brings a heavy dose of NACC competition, starting with a significant rivalry match at home against Dominican University on March 5. The Cougars then hit the road to play Wisconsin Lutheran (Mar. 7). The team takes a quick break from NACC play to host Aquinas College on March 11th where they will also celebrate their seniors. Back like they never left, the Cougars head back into NACC competition where they will take on St. Norbert (Mar. 14). They return home to host Concordia University Wisconsin (Mar. 18), Lakeland University (Mar. 20), and Aurora University (Mar. 25). The Cougars travel for back-to-back road NACC matches March 28 and April 1 to take on MSOE and Illinois Institute of Technology.
The regular season concludes in April with a NACC matchup at home against Marian University on Apr. 4. The Cougars will work for their third NACC Tournament appearance, which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 7.
To keep up with all things CUC Men's volleyball this season head to cucougars.com/coverage.
