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2024 record: 6-6 (2-0)
Head coach: Noah Marasco-Ayau (Briar Cliff)
• Marasco-Ayau is the interim coach of the Mustangs.
Morningside vs Ottawa (Kan.)
Where: Allee Gym, Rosen Verdoon Sports Center, Sioux City, Iowa When: 6 p.m. Watch: msidemustangs.com/ gameday/allee-gym-video-stream
The Mustangs are 3-9 against Ottawa all-time, but went 2-0 last season against the Braves.
Morningside won both matches 3-1 in 2023.
2024 record: 4-8 (2-0)
Head coach: Ashan Jordan (Ottawa, 2022)
• Jordan is in his first season as the head coach of the Braves.
Morningside hosts their third straight conference game Thursday night against Ottawa.
Thursday, Feb. 29
Jamestown at Kansas Wesleyan
Friday, March 1
Dordt at Kansas Wesleyan
Jamestown at Central Christian
Saturday, March 2
Dordt at Central Christian
Central
Kansas
Tuesday, March 5
Friday, March 8
Last weekend, the Mustangs took both matches of the GPAC opening weekend, defeating Kansas Wesleyan in four sets and Central Christian in three.
Jacob DePauw earned his second GPAC Setter of the Week award of the season for his performance last weekend.
Ottawa also enters Thursday’s match with a 2-0 record after sweeping Central Christian and Kansas Wesleyan.
Morningside is looking for their second straight 3-0 start to GPAC play after going 3-0 in 2023.
A win Thursday puts Morningside one win away from last season’s win total of 8.
1. The Master’s (Calif.)
2. Park (Mo.)
3. Vanguard (Calif.)
4. OUAZ (Ariz.)
5. William Penn (Iowa)
6. Menlo (Calif.)
7. Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.)
8. Missouri Baptist
t-9. Grand View (Iowa)
t-9. Georgetown (Ky.)
11. Saint Xavier (Ill.)
12. Jamestown (N.D.)
13. Cornerstone (Mich.)
14. Lawrence Tech (Mich.)
15. Mount Mercy (Iowa)
Noah Marasco-Ayau brings a new perspective to Morningside’s men’s volleyball program, leading the program as the first coach to have played at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics level. He also has a wealth of experience coaching, having held positions at the club and high school levels.
Marasco-Ayau spent his playing career in the blue and gold of Briar Cliff, spending time on the floor as a defensive specialist and pairing his playing time with strong academic involvement, landing on the BCU Dean’s List, the Athletic Director’s honor roll, and serving in an editor role of the Briar Cliff Review in both 2019 and 2020.
On the court, Marasco-Ayau tallied 872 digs, 172 assists, and 28 service aces, averaging 2.84 digs per game. He was named to the 2019 and 2020 American Midwest/Great Plains/Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference all-conference first team, taking the title of Libero of the Year in 2019, the final year it was offered, and second team honors in 2018.
The Honolulu, Hawaii native was an assistant coach at Dakota Valley, where he also teaches, in the fall of 2023. Previously he was a varsity assistant and head JV coach at Le Mars High School, was part of the Arena Volleyball Club’s coaching staff, and was a varsity assistant at Andes Central High School in Lake Andes, S.D.
Marasco-Ayau’s coaching philosophy places an emphasis on promoting teamwork, hard work, and passion for the sport of volleyball while molding individuals into the best people they can be, on and off the court.
1 Jacob Baynes
2 Owen Anderson
4 Ferdinando Vinti
5 Jonah Cislo
Minn.
JR 6-0 South Beloit, Ill.
SO 6-4 Perugia, Italy
FR 5-10 Boca Raton, Fla.
6 Isaiah Baynes OH JR 6-1 Mankato, Minn.
7 Natan Alves OH SO 6-3 Vila Velha, Brazil
8 Sam Benick MB FR 6-4 Minneapolis, Minn.
9 Michael Padilla OH FR 5-11 Santa Ana, Calif.
13 Erik Krenz MB GR 6-4 Mankato, Minn.
15 Kirby Schmalz OH JR 6-6 Rogers, MInn.
16 Tucker Juhnke L FR 5-10 Lamberton, Minn.
22 Donavon Chandy L SO 5-4 Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
23 Tharen Cox MB JR 6-3 Norton, Kan.
24 Jacob DePauw S JR 6-0 South Beloit, Ill.
25 Branton Jones MB FR 6-4 Belgrade, Minn.
Pronunciation Guide
First Last Pronunciation
Ferdinando Vinti Vin-tee
Kirby Schmalz Sch-mahl-z
Tucker Juhnke Jun-kee
Jacob DePauw Duh-Paw
Andrew Salinas Salina-us
Kade Zrna Zar-nuh
Alex Galvan Gal-VAN
Grant Younie U-nie
Nazmi Bayoglu Naz-me Bio-loo
Akeil Williams Uh-keel
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3 Max Baumann DS 6-1 JR Tulsa, Okla. Lourdes University
4 Andrew Salinas
6 Daniel Campbell
S 5-11 SR Honduras Goshen College
L 5-8 FR Kingston, Jamaica Wolmer Boys School
7 Kadeem Morris MB 6-1 SO Barbados The Lodge School
8 Francis Rivera OH 6-2 SO Humacao, Puerto Rico Kennedale
9 Kade Zrna S 5-9 FR Mildura, Australia Mildura Senior College
11 Alex Galvan
L 5-8 SO Littleton, Colo. Red Rocks C.C.
12 Grant Younie OH 6-3 SO Pratt, Kan. Pratt
13 Nazmi Bayoglu OH/S 6-0 FR Ankara, Turkey TVF Sport
14 Trevan Johnson OH/L 5-11 JR Tuscon, Ariz. Mountain View
16 Akeil Williams MB 6-6 JR Barbados St. Leondards
17 Kennard Issac, JR DS 5-11 SR Huntsville, Texas Huntsville
19 Tim Schutzbach OH 6-2 FR Singer, Germany Ambrosius-Blarer
20 Isaac Rollenhagen OH/L 5-11 JR Topeka, Kan. Cair Paravel
21 Derrick Hajka OH 6-0 SO Littleton, Colo. Cardinal Stritch Univ.
23 Norberto Dominquez DS 5-9 FR Glendale, Ariz. Glendale
Head Coach: Ashan Jordan
Assistant Coaches: Lee Ragland