FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Indiana Tech men's volleyball head coach Jordan Rosenberg announced the addition of fourteen student-athletes for the 2024-25 season, including eleven freshmen and three transfers, on Tuesday.
  
Joining transfers Amir Taylor, Kristian Kold and Logan Gieseke are freshmen AJ Piner, Alex Whalen, Daniel Mitsin, Jacory Schneider, Jensen Yarosh, Loni "Lucky" Lacanienta, Max Venema, Owen Elliott, Samuel "Sammy" Lapinski, Shane Hemphill and Zack Karns.

"We are really excited to be bringing in this recruiting class, the largest in program history, with these fourteen newcomers. They bring in a lot of experience and passion that will help continue to guide Warrior Men's Volleyball through the WHAC and the NAIA. We can't wait to see what impact they make on the court, in the classroom and in the Indiana Tech Community." - Head Coach Jordan Rosenberg
 
Amir Taylor - Transfer

• 6'6" Middle Blocker from Goldsboro, NC
• Sophomore Transfer from Community College of the Air Force 
• Major: Undecided

"Amir is someone that is just scratching the surface of volleyball. He's an athletic high-flyer touching well above 11 feet who will be coming in with 4 years of eligibility from the Air Force. We are really excited to get him in the gym, surrounded by high-level volleyball and to see how he can develop. Really high energy, eager to learn and clicked so well with the team on his visit. Pumped to add him to the Middles!" - Coach Rosenberg

Kristian Kold - Transfer

• 6'7" Outside Hitter from Slagelse, Denmark
• Redshirt Freshman Transfer from Ohio State University 
• Played Club for Hvidovre Volleyball where he was #2 for Points Scored in 2022-23
• Played for Denmark U22 National Team and in CEV 2023
• Major: Mechanical Engineering

"Kristian brings in a ton of experience to the program as an Outside Hitter who is older than a typical redshirt freshman. Transferring in from Ohio State and the MIVA, along with his international experience is something we are really excited about. Having National Team experience will help with replacing the outside hitters who graduated. Can't wait to get him in the gym with the rest of the Outsides!" - Coach Rosenberg

Logan Gieseke - Transfer

• 6'4" Opposite/Middle Blocker from Joliet, IL
• Junior Transfer from Quincy University
• Played Club for Uno Volleyball Club
• Major: Sport Management

"Logan spent the last two seasons as a starter for Quincy in the Division I MIVA, bringing a great amount of collegiate experience into our program. Watching Logan and his development from club and high school to college, it's really exciting to add him into our gym. Incredibly hard worker that is ready to continue the grind. He has a cannon of an arm, and it will be exciting to see him back on the Opposite. " - Coach Rosenberg

AJ Piner - Freshman

• 6'6" Opposite/Middle Blocker from Hebron, IN
• Graduated from Boone Grove High School
• Played Club for KeAloha Volleyball Club
• First Team 1 West Region and Indiana North All-Star
• Major: Business Administration - Financial Services

"AJ is another member of this class that brings versatility, able to play multiple positions. Having more guys in our gym that bring his size will help enhance our offensive and defensive net presence. From the start of the recruiting process, it was clear AJ wanted to be here, and that passion and work ethic is exactly what we want in this class. Coming off a great high school season, it'll be exciting to add AJ to our family!" - Coach Rosenberg

Alex Whalen - Freshman

• 5'8" Libero from Sellersberg, IN
• Graduated from Silver Creek High School
• Second Team 3 East Region
• Major: Mechanical Engineering

"Alex is someone who made it clear they wanted to be at Indiana Tech from our first conversation. As a libero, he is going to bring a defensive scrappiness while continuing to develop his first contact on receive. He is a very hard-working player, playing multiple positions for his high school team. We are excited to get him into or gym and get him training in the Libero group!" - Coach Rosenberg

Daniel Mitsin - Freshman

• 6'4" Setter from Razlog, Bulgaria
• Graduated from Petar and Ivan Kanazirevi High School
• Played Club for Pirin Razlog Volleyball Club
• Member of Bulgarian U17, U19 and U20 National Teams
• Major: Business Administration - Financial Services

"Daniel is an intense competitor that is very excited to come over to Indiana Tech from Bulgaria. He has great international experience playing for Bulgaria's U17 and U19 National Teams, and in the Bulgarian Cup and SuperVolley this year with his City team. He comes from a volleyball family, where he has been training from a very young age. Coming to the states to play is a dream for him, and we can't wait to add him into our gym as a Setter!" - Coach Rosenberg

Jacory Schneider - Freshman

• 6'1" Outside Hitter from Fort Wayne, IN
• Graduated from Homestead High School
• Played Club for Empowered Volleyball Academy
• 1 East Region First Team and Indiana North All-Star
• Major: Business Administration - Entrepreneurial Studies

"Jacory is someone who is on the newer side to volleyball. Having only started playing in 2023, I was able to coach him in Club this year. The first thing you notice about Jacory is his athleticism, with an approach jump of 11'8"! He grew a ton as an athlete over the past 8 months and decided late to pursue college volleyball. Once he is exposed to continuous high-level volleyball, we are excited to see where his ceiling is. Excited to keep homegrown talent in Fort Wayne!  - Coach Rosenberg

Jensen Yarosh - Freshman

• 6'2" Outside Hitter from Jefferson, OH
• Graduated from Jefferson Area Senior High School
• Played Club for A2 Volleyball Club
• Member of Ohio Valley All-Stars
• Major: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

"Jensen comes to Indiana Tech with the most youth experience out of any freshman, playing club volleyball since he was 10. Being a football, tennis and volleyball athlete, Jensen has a broad athletic background, with a cannon of an arm. He has been playing for a Top 25 club team in the country on top of it this season, commuting 3 hours each way for practices. We are very excited to add him to our Outside group going into 2024-2!  - Coach Rosenberg

Loni "Lucky" Lacanienta - Freshman

• 6'4" Outside/Opposite Hitter from San Diego, CA
• Graduated from Del Norte High School
• Played Club for Seaside Volleyball Club
• Major: Business Administration - Entrepreneurial Studies

"Lucky was a late addition to our 2024 recruiting class, but someone we are really excited about. Coming from California, he is playing high-level volleyball on both the Outside and Opposite, with a basketball background. He continued to impress us through the recruiting process with his athleticism and character. With good size and a good vertical, we are excited to see his development. Can't wait to add Lucky to our gym! - Coach Rosenberg

Max Venema - Freshman

• 6'6" Opposite Hitter from Enschede, The Netherlands
• Graduated from Bonhoeffer College Burggertstraat
• Played Club for Twente '05 Volleyball Club
• Member of U17 and U19 Dutch National Teams
• Major: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

"Max is going to bring a ton to our opposite position as a 6'6" lefty. Bringing in size and international experience with the Dutch National Teams and Twente '05, he has been playing at a high level for a while. Could tell with every interaction with myself and the team, that this is the place Max wanted to be. Excited to add Max into our group of European players coming over, especially as a lefty Opposite!" - Coach Rosenberg

Owen Elliott - Freshman

• 6'3" Outside Hitter from San Antonio, TX
• Graduated from Brandeis High School
• Played Club for Paradox Volleyball Club
• Major: Exercise Science - Strength and Conditioning

"Owen was one of our early commits and you could tell from the start he and his family were excited about Indiana Tech. He comes from an area where there isn't a lot of boys volleyball, but he has been grinding to get to the point he is at. Being a leader on his Paradox club team this year, he continued to grow throughout the season. Owen is a perfect fit for what we were looking for in this class, adding depth to our Outsides, and we are excited to add him!" - Coach Rosenberg

Samuel "Sammy" Lapinski - Freshman

• 6'2" Outside Hitter from Warren, MI
• Graduated from Paul K Cousino Senior High School
• Played Club for L2 Volleyball Club
• Major: Undecided

"Sammy comes to us from the same club as Albert Garbacik and Ron Young, adding to the Michigan group we have. Early on in the recruiting process, you could tell the passion Sammy has for the sport. Coming from one of the top club teams in the region, Sammy brings experience as a pin hitter playing against top talent in the country. He has a big vertical with a big arm, and he will be working into a competitive environment to help him grow. Excited to add Sammy to the team!" - Coach Rosenberg

Shane Hemphill - Freshman

• 6'3" Outside Hitter/Setter from Michigan City, IN
• Graduated from Michigan City High School
• Played Club for KeAloha Volleyball Club
• First Team 1 West Region
• Major: Exercise Science - Pre-Professional

"Shane is a player that brings so much versatility, playing three positions for his club team. Really long athlete with a good vertical, Shane's passion for volleyball is clear the minute you talk to him. Watching him through the club season, you can see how coachable he is and the leader he is. He will be a great addition to the Indiana Tech family, especially once we can train him in one or two positions. Can't wait for Shane to join us!" - Coach Rosenberg

Zack Karns - Freshman

• 6'7" Middle Blocker from Mount Vernon, OH
• Graduated from Mount Vernon High School
• Played Club for A2 Volleyball Club
• 2023 Member of Ohio Valley All-Stars
• Major: Child Development

"Zack was our very first commit in the class and continues the pipeline of players from A2. Being one of the largest middles in the region at 6'7", he has a ton of high-level experience playing for some of the top club teams in the country. The minute he stepped on campus, you could tell he fit in with the team. Knowing his personal and volleyball sides, he is going to be a great addition to the Middle position group and Indiana Tech. Excited to add him to the family!" - Coach Rosenberg