May 29, 2008

Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst College athletic director Craig Barnett has announced that the school is discontinuing its men's volleyball program, effective immediately. The program began in 1997 but has had only three winning seasons.

The NCAA does not sponsor Division II for men's volleyball and Mercyhurst has been competing in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA), which consists of national powers like Ohio State, Ball State, Loyola of Chicago, IPFW, and Lewis. Most of Mercyhurst's athletic teams compete in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) at the NCAA Division II level.

"With the economy and budgets the way they are today, we were forced to take a hard look at some of our non-PSAC sports," Barnett said. "We have enjoyed success and recognition in many of those sports, such as men's and women's hockey, men's lacrosse, and our rowing programs. We want to continue to make the same commitments to those sports."

Ryan Patton, who compiled a four-year mark of 20-78, will be retained as the head coach of the women's volleyball team. He is 38-47 in three years as the head coach of that program, including a mark of 18-14 a year ago, the program's first winning season since 2003.

Mercyhurst went 110-207 in 12 seasons of volleyball and only 34-137 in MIVA play, peaking with a 5-11 conference mark in 1997, 2004, and 2005.

"We will provide support to assist all of our men's volleyball student-athletes to stay and graduate from Mercyhurst," Barnett said. "If they choose to transfer, we will assist them in that process. We will honor all athletic scholarships for our men's volleyball student-athletes through graduation."

Following the discontinuation of the program, the Mercyhurst athletic department will have NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey to go with 21 NCAA Division II sports -- 11 for women and 10 for men. Mercyhurst also sponsors men's rowing, which is not an NCAA-sanctioned sport, for a total of 24 varsity sports.