Pfeiffer University Cuts Men's Volleyball Program

Pfeiffer University Cuts Men's Volleyball Program

Pfeiffer University has decided to eliminate its men's volleyball program.

Jun 1, 2017 by Megan Kaplon
Pfeiffer University Cuts Men's Volleyball Program
Pfeiffer University has announced that it has eliminated its men's volleyball program. The university in Misenheimer, North Carolina, is moving from Division II to Division III and joining the USA South Athletic Conference, which does not sponsor men's volleyball.

"We've had great success in our men's volleyball program but with our move to Division III we have no alternative," Pfeiffer Vice President for Athletics Bob Reasso said. "There's no men's volleyball in the USA South Athletic Conference, and the nearest conference we can play in starts in Virginia and goes up to Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We can't ask our student-athletes to get on a bus and travel that far for competition."

The decision to move to Division III was made in November 2015, and the Pfeiffer athletic department, along with head men's and women's volleyball coach Paul Lawson, worked to try to find a way to keep the men's program going but were unable to find a solution. The main issue, according to the release from the Pfeiffer athletic department, is the lack of men's volleyball teams in the South.

Pfeiffer won the Conference Carolinas in 2015, earning the automatic bid into the NCAA championship, where it lost to eventual champion Loyola-Chicago. In his seven years as coach of the men's volleyball program, Lawson led the team to a 103-86 overall record.

Pfeiffer is the second Division I-II men's volleyball program to be cut this year, following the announcement of the elimination of the Cal Baptist men's team last month.

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