ROCKLIN, Calif. – With the move to NCAA Division II now a few months away, Jessup University continues its growth with the announcement of Men's Volleyball, the university's 17th varsity program.
 
In an official statement, Vice President of Athletics Lance Von Vogt commented, "Collegiate men's volleyball is seeing a resurgence right now, and we have the opportunity to lead the way as men's Volleyball grows across the nation. There is a plethora of talent, both here locally and regionally, who need places to play competitively in college. For the student-athlete to gain a Christ-centered educational experience at the same time of competing collegiately makes us exceptionally attractive to the right student-athletes."
 
Men's volleyball joins baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, and track and field as the eight men's varsity sports Jessup competes in.
 
Jessup University plans to compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), along with some of the top programs in the NCAA. Other men's volleyball programs competing in the MPSF are UCLA, USC, Stanford, BYU, Grand Canyon, Pepperdine, and Concordia-Irvine.
 
On the prospect of joining the MPSF, Von Vogt added, "One of the attractive things about launching men's volleyball at this time is that we plan to compete in the MPSF, which has teams such as USC, UCLA, and other name-brand universities that are well-known across the country. Jessup will be on the same floor, competing head-to-head against those schools. It's an opportunity for us to share who we are with a larger audience that may not know about the small, private Christian university that's inside the capital region of California."
 
Men's Volleyball will be joining the spring sports lineup when it makes its Jessup debut. Women's volleyball has been a staple at Jessup in the fall, dating back to the university's time in San Jose. Most recently, the Jessup women's volleyball program claimed the 2022 GSAC Tournament Championship and opened the 2023 season ranked No. 25 in the NAIA.
 
Von Vogt also added that the talent level in the Sacramento area will allow Jessup to continue this trend of success on the volleyball court when the program officially debuts. With that comes a search for the first coach in Jessup Men's Volleyball history.
 
"Right now, we are entering into a national search to find the right head coach to lead and launch this program," added Von Vogt. "We believe that with the talent that is available, we can attract a great coach that will be able to put us in a position to be competitive immediately and be a foundational blueblood name in the sport of men's volleyball."
 
Von Vogt went on to say, "One of the things that we're looking for in this search is someone we can trust with the missional value of our university, as well as the competitive spirit and the values that we have within our athletic department."
 
Jessup University is a private, Christ-centered university in Rocklin, just 20 miles east of Sacramento. Jessup competes in the NAIA but will be transitioning into NCAA Division II with the start of the 2024-25 academic year.
 
Interested candidates for the men's volleyball coaching vacancy can learn more about the position and Jessup University by clicking HERE.
   
Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).