A new season is just around the corner, and the Marquette men's club volleyball team is poised and ready.

"Last season we ended on a really high note, finishing in the top five in the country," head coach Brian Sharkey said. "But we could have finished higher … that gives us goals for this year."

In addition to taking fifth at the 2004 National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association Tournament in Charlotte, N.C., the Golden Eagles won both the Wisconsin Volleyball Conference and the Midwest 10 Volleyball Conference. With a 14-2 record in the WVC and 6-2 record in the Midwest 10, Marquette has established itself as the dominant team in both conferences.

"We want to win the WVC regular season and tournament and repeat as Midwest 10 conference champions," senior Chuck Warner, club president and one of last season's NIRSA All-Americans said. Beginning his fourth year in the WVC, Warner, an outside hitter, leads the team along with fellow officers vice president Tom Liszka, treasurer Josh Biros, and sergeant at arms Matt Zwolski.

Another goal of Warner's is to make another push at nationals, and he knows that will take hard work and improvement, especially in blocking, a potential problem area for the team that he attributes to the loss of starting middle blocker Steve Austin.

Sharkey agreed, adding that a lot of teams have more height than the Golden Eagles but that with some effort, they can become one of the better blocking teams in the country. And with tryouts approaching, Sharkey is excited about what that could mean for the team.

"From what I've seen, there is a lot of talent and athleticism out there, so it is going to be pretty intense," Sharkey said.

He estimates that there are about a dozen players who hope to return, which leaves a range of six to eight spots open.

Tryouts are Friday from 8 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rec Center.