Men's Volleyball | 11/10/2022 2:06:00 PM
HOUGHTON, NY – Houghton University will be adding men's volleyball to the department's portfolio of intercollegiate sports, Director of Athletics Matthew Webb announced On Nov 10.
The department has begun a national search for the program's head coach and will soon be initiating recruiting efforts for the program, which will begin play in 2023-24.
Initial plans are to conduct a competitive season against local club and intercollegiate teams in year one with plans to join a regional NCAA Division III conference beginning in 2024-25.
The addition of men's volleyball will bring Houghton's list of varsity sports to 17. In addition, the department offers two club sports, with plans to expand those offerings in coming years.
"This is a strategic move based on a number of factors. Number one is the growing desire and interest expressed by current and prospective students in recent years. It's a popular and exciting sport, and having students who either want the opportunity to play competitively or to enjoy the sport as a fan, is important," said Webb. "Our fan support for women's volleyball is excellent, and we anticipate by adding men's volleyball, which competes in the spring semester, that excitement and support for volleyball will carry into the spring as well. Athletic participation continues to be a strong draw to Houghton, and as men's volleyball grows in popularity at regional high school and college levels we want to capitalize on that by using it as a draw for student recruitment and for satisfying student interest."
Houghton has a strong tradition of women's volleyball, and men's volleyball was an active club sport during the 1990s and early 2000s.
The competitive season for NCAA men's volleyball runs January to April.
The University will be posting a job description for the head coach position on the
Human Resources website in the coming days.
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