1-General | 2/26/2024 11:00:00 AM
MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—Barry University will add men's indoor volleyball as the program's 21st varisty sport for the 2024-25 academic year, according to director of athletic Dr. Scott Smith.
The sport becomes the eighth sport in the last two years, including men's cross country, swimming and track and women's beach volleyball, cross country, swimming and track.
"Men's indoor volleyball is one of the fastest growing collegiate sports and we aim to use our 40 years of academic and athletic excellence to be a leader in men's volleyball," Smith said. "Given Barry University's strategic priority to provide access and opportunity to students committed to academic excellence who also wish to pursue their athletic dreams, adding men's volleyball to our strong women's volleyball and newly launched women's beach volleyball program is a natural fit. I'm excited about this new program and watching future Buccaneer men grow and develop through volleyball."
There are currently 37 NCAA Division II schools which offer men's indoor volleyball and 187 overall across all three divisions. The current national championship structure for the sport, which competes in the spring, is a national collegiate championship, encompassing all NCAA Division I and Division II programs and one championship for the 123 NCAA Division III institutions. Additionally, there are just over 60 teams at the NAIA level.
"Boy's indoor volleyball in Florida is one of the strongest prep enclaves of the sport in the country," director of volleyball Leonid Yelin said. "With only four other college programs in the state, there just has not been enough opportunity for those athletes past high school and club. We are very pleased to be able to be part of making these opportunities available."
Barry becomes the fifth varsity program in the state of Florida, including D-II member Edward Waters in Jacksonville, Fla. In the Florida High School Athletic Association, there are 210 boy's teams, with 68 more competing on the club side.
