What's on Deck
The Bears begin their fourth season in the Skyline Conference with their 2019 home opener taking on Eastern Nazarene for the first time ever on January 18 at The Hill Center. The Lions are the first of six brand new opponents for St. Joseph's as part of a 24-game slate with seven home dates this year that includes one Skyline tri-match.
In 2018, the Bears landed one spot out of qualifying for the Skyline Championships, finishing with their best record as a member of the conference (3-7 Skyline). Returning last season's Skyline Rookie of the Year and All-Skyline Second Team selection Tim Driscoll along with the largest rookie class in team history, the Bears were predicted to finish in a tie for fourth—battling Yeshiva for the last playoff spot—in this year's edition of the preseason coaches poll.
In his rookie sophomore campaign last year, Driscoll posted team highs of 116.5 points, 100 kills, and 14 service aces to collect the first year-end Skyline accolades in program history.
After their season and home opener versus the Lions, the Bears head to Baruch College (picked second in the CUNYAC) on January 22 to open a four-match road stand. From there the navy and gray travel to Cairn University (Jan. 26) for a tri-match against the host Highlanders and Penn State-Behrend⏤both first-time opponents. Then, the Bears close out the month of January with another road contest at borough rival Brooklyn on January 28.
St. Joseph's welcomes Saint Elizabeth, their fourth new opponent of the season, to The Hill Center for their first game of February (Feb. 2), followed three days later by another home bout versus CCNY (Feb. 5) the first of two meetings this season with the Beavers. The Bears close out February's light schedule with a home-and-home series against Brooklyn foes Medgar Evers (Feb. 12 - home, Feb. 28 - away).
March means the beginning of league play for the Bears and they open the 12-game month with their Skyline opener at home against Yeshiva (Mar. 7). Nearly a week later they head to Patchogue to battle sibling rival and defending Skyline champion SJC Long Island (Mar. 13) as the first of 11-straight games away from The Hill Center. After facing off against SJCLI, the Bears revert back to non-league play wrapping up the home-and-home series with CCNY (Mar. 15). A day later, St. Joseph's ventures to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania for a tri-match featuring first-time foes Wilkes and Medaille.
The remainder of March is a mix of Skyline and non-conference action for SJC, highlighted by a tri-match in Bronxville with Sarah Lawrence and last year's Skyline Championship runner-up Mount Saint Vincent (Mar. 31). The regular season ends in early April and the Bears finish with three-straight matches at home capped off by a tri-match welcoming Sarah Lawrence and SJC Long Island to The Hill Center (Apr. 6). Then, the top four teams in the standings compete in the Skyline Championships on April 11 and 13.
Returners
Tim Driscoll
The outside hitter won Skyline Rookie of the Year as a sophomore and was named to the All-Skyline Second-Team as he led an SJC squad that finished last in 2017 to one spot out of the playoffs a year later. Driscoll paced the Bears with 1.72 kills per set, 14 aces, and 94 digs. Most notably, the Staten Island native put up a 12-kill, 15 dig double-double in a five-set victory over Skyline foe Yeshiva. However, his best game all year came in the regular season finale with 16 kills in 10 digs as SJC downed Sarah Lawrence in four.
Sean Salomons
Salomons, a senior, joined the men's volleyball team last season and put up impressive numbers as he led the Bears in total blocks (33) and finished second in points (109.5) and kills (76). His prowess at the net was on display all season as he finished tied for fourth in the Skyline with 0.54 blocks per set. The 6-foot-4 middle blocker's most impressive outing of 2018 came in a five-set triumph against Yeshiva in which he posted career highs of 12 kills and eight total blocks.
Stephen Eddy
The junior is a second-year men's volleyball player that led St. Joseph's with 113 digs in his rookie campaign. Eddy finished 2018 as one of the Bears' key contributors, totaling 49 kills (third), 13 aces (second), and 24 assists (second). His best match came at the end of the season in a four-set win over Sarah Lawrence with a 11-kill, 12-dig double-double.
Dejon St. Rose-Cuffy
At 6-foot-5, St. Rose-Cuffy is the tallest player on the Bears' roster and will look for an expanded role in 2019. The sophomore finished his rookie season second on the squad with 21 total blocks and fourth in kills with 34. The Brooklyn native's best game as a rookie was a win versus Yeshiva in which he posted eight kills and two block assists.
Israel Bautista
The senior defensive specialist appeared in 17 matches totaling three kills, four aces, and 31 digs in his first season on the men's volleyball team.
