Just two years after establishing their men’s volleyball program, the Fort Valley State Wildcats are SIAC Men’s Volleyball Champions. They defeated Central State on Friday, April 19 to secure the university’s first title.
In a surprisingly short amount of time, the Wildcats have become a powerhouse in the realm of men’s volleyball. This season, they finished with a 17-8 overall record. They completely dominated the SIAC, going 10-0 in the conference, and cruised to a conference championship with wins over Kentucky State and Central State in the playoffs. Despite its later success, Fort Valley State got off to a slow start. They began the season 0-3 after losses to Pepperdine, UCLA, and Southern California. Immediately after those losses, however, the men went on a three-game winning streak. The Wildcats eventually closed out their season on a six-game winning streak, securing both their first regular season and postseason titles.
Back in early 2022, Fort Valley State became the sixth school in the SIAC to create a men’s volleyball program. The university received $1 million in program investments: $600,000 from the First Point Volleyball Foundation, and the remaining $400,000 from USA Volleyball.
“It’s an awesome experience because we’re making history,” said Fort Valley State head coach Larry Wrather in a quote obtained by Yahoo. “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.”
Wrather coaches both the men’s and women’s volleyball teams at the university. He played at Ball State in college and has also coached as an assistant at the University of Charleston in West Virginia.
“I would like to commend 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 Fort Valley State 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 students against the best competition.”
Holloman likely didn’t expect a championship-caliber team this early in the process. In the program’s first two years, the men, predictably, struggled. The team was exceedingly young with 11 freshmen and one sophomore. They won eight games in both seasons, though last year, they defeated Kentucky State in the first round of the SIAC Tournament. They fell to Edward Waters in the semifinals, but the Wildcats used that momentum to propel them forward into the 2024 season.
The postseason, however, is not over for the SIAC Champions. Their elite play earned them a spot in the 2024 NCAA National Volleyball Championship in Long Beach, California. As the #8 seed, the Wildcats match up against the top-seeded UCLA Bruins for a rematch. Fort Valley State lost 3-0 to UCLA on Jan. 4, but now they’ll get another chance at redemption. The quarterfinal round begins with their game at 2:00 p.m. on April 30. Fans can watch on NCAA.com.
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