Ranked fifth in the nation out of 60 teams as of last season, the ISU Men’s Volleyball Club is ready to show the student body what they’re made of.

Having just finished team selection, the club is now looking forward to building a winning season, with the help of an almost a complete-returning first team.

“This year we’re gong to have four teams, which in the past years we’ve only had three, so we’re picking up in numbers again,” said club president Mike Wessel, senior in finance, entrepreneurship and management information systems.

In the past, the size of the team and the amount of attention paid to more inexperienced members were problems. Without an actual coach, the leaders struggled in practice to pull the entire club together.

“A big thing for our club is that we’re not coached, so we may not technically be that sound,” said Don Gromala, senior in mechanical engineering. “But emotionally we all hang out together. That’s why at nationals it all came together the way it needed to be.”

Another significant change is that in the past, only the first team has been able to compete in most USAV and collegiate matches. However, this year, collegiate competition includes a Division II level, which will encompass all the second teams from competing clubs.

“This year, the big thing is to get the second team more involved, and to get them playing at a higher level and traveling around more,” Gromala said.

The club also hopes to rally more support from the student body this season.

“We could use a lot more support,” said Ed Pelds, senior in landscape architecture. “We do very well competing nationally. When we got fifth place last year, it was really important to us, but it wasn’t really publicized.”

The season is fast approaching, and the club is preparing for their first two matches.

“For the first and second team, our first tournament is going to be Nov. 11th at Iowa, the weekend after that there’s a tournament at Michigan State. So we’ve got about a month to get everything cleaned up and put together,” Wessel said.

The ISU community can see the team in action tonight at 8 p.m. at 175 Forker. There will be a scrimmage between the first and second teams to open the season.