Benedictine University to add men’s volleyball beginning in fall 2014

Lisle, Illinois ~ Benedictine University has announced plans to add men’s volleyball as an NCAA Division III sport beginning in the fall of 2014.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our University,” Director of Athletics Mark McHorney said. “We feel that there is amazing potential for growth in this sport and we want to capitalize on the incredible talent of student-athletes in the Chicago metropolitan area.”

Men’s volleyball becomes the 20th NCAA Division III sport offered by Benedictine – the fastest-growing university in the country – which with the addition of men’s volleyball now offers 10 men’s and 10 women’s sports. Men’s and women’s lacrosse began play in the spring of 2013.

Benedictine becomes the third member of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) to offer men’s volleyball and will be the third Division III program in Illinois. The Milwaukee School of Engineering has been sponsoring the sport for several years while Dominican University will begin play in spring 2014.

Currently, seven other Illinois schools offer men’s volleyball at various levels. Last spring, 61 schools throughout the country competed in men’s volleyball at the NCAA Division III level.

Most of the growth in collegiate men's volleyball in the last 20 years has been at the NCAA Division III level. The NCAA established a separate volleyball championship for Division III schools in 2012. Springfield College (Mass.) has won both of the first two NCAA Division III championships.

Men’s volleyball at Benedictine will participate as an independent for the 2014-15 season.

Benedictine is currently conducting a national search for a head coach.

Benedictine University provides a private, values-based education grounded in history, heritage and Catholic tradition. Applications are being accepted for spring and fall 2014 enrollment. Classes resume January 13.