Fisher To Add Men's Volleyball
St. John Fisher College will add a new men's volleyball program to its athletic offerings in fall 2017.
This much-anticipated program will bring an NCAA Division III men's team to the roster of sports offered at the College, including a well-established women's volleyball team. Fisher's program will join the 77 other NCAA Division III men's programs nationwide, and will compete in the United Volleyball Conference alongside Bard College, Elmira College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nazareth College, SUNY New Paltz, New York University, Penn State Behrend, The Sage Colleges, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Vassar College.
Fisher's athletics department is now in the recruiting phase, with plans to celebrate the team's first serve in early 2018. At the collegiate level, the men's volleyball season runs from January to April. The men's team will compete in the Manning & Napier Varsity Gym in the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Athletic Center.
"The popularity of men's volleyball is growing at both the high school and collegiate level, providing an opportune time to add the sport to our roster," said
Bob Ward, athletics director at Fisher. "We believe that our location, academic offerings, and facilities will allow us to successfully recruit student-athletes to Fisher, and deliver the resources they need to be competitive on the court."
In recent years, Fisher's athletics program has seen immense growth. With the addition of men's volleyball, the College will offer 25 athletic programs, with total team rosters including more than 700 student-athletes.
Fisher's athletic facilities have also seen expansion over the last two decades, including the addition of Growney Stadium, Dugan Yard, and Polisseni Track and Field Complex, and upgrades and enhancements to the Coaches Corridor, locker rooms, and fitness center.