Fort Valley State University (FVSU) will begin its first-ever season of Men’s Volleyball on Saturday, January 15. The inaugural FVSU team will take on the King University Tornado at the Student Center Complex in Bristol, TN at 4 pm ET.

FVSU is one of six historically black colleges in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) to add Men’s Volleyball to its sports curriculum. The history-making addition to the university’s athletic department is part of a national strategic initiative created by the First Point Volleyball Foundation to increase diversity within the collegiate sport. A total of $1 million has been invested in the initiative. First Point invested $600,000 while the remaining $400,000 came from USA Volleyball.

“I would like to commend Coach Jon Speraw, USA Volleyball, UCLA, and Wade Gerard of First Point Volleyball for their vision and willingness to advocate for diversity and inclusion in this sport,” said FVSU Athletic Director Dr. Anthony Holloman. “I am excited that Fort Valley State University will have the opportunity to build a championship level program and challenge its student athletes against the best competition.”

This inaugural season has been in the making for two years as the university first announced the establishment of the men’s team in 2019 when FVSU received a $150,000 donation from First Point Volleyball and USA Volleyball to support the launch of the new team.

“It’s an awesome experience because we’re making history. We get to set the tone and inspire the next generation to want to get involved in men’s volleyball,” said FVSU Men’s Volleyball Head Coach Larry Wrather. “We get to show young men that they can get involved in other sports beyond football, basketball, or track. Having the opportunity to change a generational mindset is amazing and this is what we’re trying to do.”

The 2022 Men’s Volleyball Team will field 11 freshman and one sophomore. View team roster and coaching staff.

Men’s volleyball is experiencing rapid growth in the United States, with new programs at over 80 universities in the past seven years. It is also the fastest growing sport in the world. Other HBCUs launching a men’s volleyball team in 2022 as part of the First Point initiative include: Kentucky State University, Central State University, Morehouse College, Paine College, and Benedict College.

The inaugural FVSU Men’s Volleyball team was scheduled to take on the Reinhardt University Eagles during its first match-up at the Brown Athletic Center in Waleska, GA on January 12 but the game was canceled due to COVID-19 safety precautions. Fans can watch the FVSU match-up against the King University Tornado via live-stream online Saturday at https://conferencecarolinasdn.com/king/. Spectators are welcomed in-person. Masks are encouraged.