SEASON PREVIEW: Season opens this weekend for Frankenfield & Co.

ST. LOUIS, MO - The UHSP Eutectics open their seventh season of men's volleyball and are coming off back-to-back years of posting double-digit wins. UHSP went 13-16 last year and the 2025 team recorded the most digs (1141) and total blocks (218) than any other year in program history. Heading into this season, Xavier Gamayo sits atop the UHSP all-time digs list with 564. Dickson Colado leads the all-time aces list with 58, Cameron Werner has the best hitting percentage in program history at 30.8% and Grant Hoover has the most kills in program history at 765. All four of those player return for the 2026 campaign that sees UHSP open at home with their annual HOA Challenge Tournament this weekend Jan. 30-31. Their first road match is their Heart Conference opener at Culver-Stockton on Feb. 10 to begin a four-game road trip. UHSP has a six-game road swing from Mar. 20-28 with four of those match coming against conference foes. The Eutectics wrap up the season with three straight at home in early April with their final match coming against Central Christian (KS).

Head Coach Chris Frankenfield begins his fifth season leading the Eutectics and is 41-72 through his first four years. UHSP had a pair of winless campaigns prior to his arrival. We sat down to discuss the upcoming season with Frankenfield prior to the start of the season on Tuesday.

Q: After the winningest season in program history two years ago at 20-12, how disappointing was last year's (13-16, 7-12 HEART) finish?

A: Actually, we thought we overachieved. We were thinking 6-7 wins in this very tough conference. We lost three key senior players that had gone through all the building of the program and we filled their positions with new guys that we knew were just not going to be ready. But hard work and determination allowed us to get more victories than we expected. What was great to see that when we came out flat and lost the men took it to heart, knowing that they could do better and worked even harder.

Q: You reside in a HEART conference that has 6 of its teams ranked in the top-15 preseason poll. How tough is it to keep your guys mentally focused with such a tough slate of games?

A: David and Goliath baby! We love it and look forward to competing. We have competed with all those teams and have even won against a ranked opponent. Thay all know that they better play their best because we are gunning for them. It only makes us better to go up against them.

Q: Each of the last two years you've been able to pull off upset wins over ranked conference teams. How close are you to being able to compete and be a major player in the conference?

A: We think we still have some learning to do but also know that we have filled some gaps in our line up with some new faces and think we will compete very well. We look forward to who will be our first "upset" and if a team does it enough, it's not an upset anymore. We are becoming a household name in NAIA volleyball.

Q: Does the strength of the HEART Conference force you to change your definition of success for a given season?

A: Nope. For me, my success isn't about winning and losing. Don't get me wrong, I love to win and HATE to lose. But I know that both of those are part the game. I mean half the teams lose every night. In my 35+ years of coaching I've been at the top and at the bottom. And my goal as a coach has always been the same: I'm more interested in my men becoming better men every day. I know that if we invest in the person more than the player it makes them better at everything, including a better VB player. Our coaching mantra is "Man first, VB second". Also after taking over the program that had never won before, it's very satisfying to have a winning season or beat a ranked team.

Q: Grant Hoover, Dickson Colado, Cooper Hansen and Cameron Werner are impressive offensively accounting for 975 of your team's 1,156 kills last year (84.3%). How much versatility does that quartet offer you as far as what you try to do offensively?

A: That's pretty impressive detective work on your part, Mr. Tadych.  I think those four men will be at the forefront again this season. One thing is Dickson didn't play much last year and/or he was cautious after his shoulder surgery. But this year "DICKSON IS BACK!". Three of the four have been two-year starters. They will be again this year and they are only juniors. We hope to again have a balanced attack to where our opponents can not focus on just one guy and slow us down. I have told them all this, if you don't care who gets the glory, WE can do great things. They believe in that, each other and just want to win.

Q: What was your biggest area of concern from last year throughout this offseason and entering this year?

A: Keeping the starters healthy. The good news is that compared to when I started, we now have very high-level backups. It's not a drop in offense to put in Aidan Van Cleef or Zach Gavrick in as hitters, or Sylvan Block as the Libero, and few others. Our new freshmen are really stepping up to the challenge.

Q: You've played quite a number of shootouts and exhibitions leading up to Tuesday's season opener. What have you seen that you liked and didn't like from all those offseason matches?

A: I liked winning and I didn't like losing. All kidding aside, I was very pleased in our ability to finish and compete. This last scrimmage play date we hung in there with some heavy hitters. Georgetown College (2024 National Champions), Missouri Baptist (always in the top 10) and Missouri Valley (Final Four last season). I think we played them exceptionally well. What I didn't like was some of the miscues between setter and hitter at times. Missed opportunities for points will cost you the set in our conference. Coach Schwendemann says all the time "I don't start to get nervous until it's 20-20).

Q: Every coach comes into a season with goals. What are a few of your either for individual players or as a team?

A: Hmmmm always tough to grasp. As a coach you always want your team to go as far as they can in conference and post-season. For UHSP Men's VB our first measurable goal is to make the conference tournament at the end of the season for the first time ever. Another goal would be to get a number in front of our name in the pole. That's never been done before and honestly, some of the guys have a chip on their shoulders because they feel they have deserved some votes in the past with some of the quality wins and records that they have had. We have never received one vote. EVER. It burns a little inside. And that fire, well it's some serious motivation. For me a ranking would be nice to see, but if you wanna be the man, you gotta beat the man.

Individually I'd would love to see the individual players have great matches and continue to get recognition on the national level. Attacker of the week, Defensive Player of the Week etc. We have received a few of those but more would be nice for the men working so hard. YET "if we don't care who gets the glory, WE can do great things." That philosophy as a BROTHERHOOD will take us farther.

On a side note. I have loved this journey. I took over and they had never won. After that first win you thought that we won a championship, and we were headed to Disney World. We only won two that year and it was tough to keep them motivated. The next year six wins, and then the 20-win season. I have told all those teams and will continue to say it. "The man who loves the journey will go farther than the man who loves the destination". I'm not the first guy to say it, but man is it so true. I look forward to seeing what these men will become.