Springfield, Ohio – Wittenberg’s men’s volleyball team has achieved a feat that is a rarity at most universities.
Wittenberg has managed to retain its entire recruiting class this season, while returning all but one player in Matt Briskey, who graduated last year. Retaining an entire sports team from one year to the next is a challenge because in most cases a few student athletes will transfer to another school or decide not to play the sport at all.
“It’s really special for the men’s volleyball program here at Wittenberg,” said head coach Evan Amstutz. His Tigers finished 14-11 in 2016, their inaugural season, competing in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL), which included four of the top 10 teams in the country.
“People jump ship and transfer all the time, more so in men’s volleyball than in any other sport because of the caliber of athlete who can play men's volleyball at the (NCAA) Division III level,” he added. “It's not unheard of for a Division III school to beat a Division I or II operation. And many times an athlete is actively recruited by more than one school.”
Men’s volleyball is different than other sports, perhaps mainly because it is a fairly new varsity sport. Many colleges don’t support a men’s volleyball team, and therefore leagues are made up of schools from more than one division. As of September 2015, there were only 68 NCAA Division III, 24 NCAA Division II and 21 NCAA Division I programs in existence. That number has grown this year to 83 in Division III and 129 across all divisions. Wittenberg was only the second Division III school to sponsor a program in the state of Ohio, joining Mount St. Joseph. The Ohio State University has had the longest standing varsity program in the state and recently won the 2016 NCAA Division I National Title.
So what was Amstutz looking for in an athlete when he put together his team?
“We did our due diligence when recruiting,” he said. "We recruited athletes who would thrive in a tight-knit community, have the personality and values to go with the university, and fit in academically. We made it clear to the recruits that they are held to a really high standard with respect to grades and how they perform in the classroom. We want them to make a good impression with their professors and know what our expectations are of them. We’ve recruited some freak athletes – they are something special on and off the court - having both is really special.”
Amstutz said he and new assistant coach Wes Meyer also begin the recruiting process earlier than what other schools do.
“Male athletes traditionally make their college decision in the second semester of their senior year, but we start the recruiting conversation and bringing them out to campus as early as the fall of their junior year,” he said. “We try to engage in the really important dialogue for a full two years. So currently we are looking at recruits in the class of 2018. We like to know what type of person they are, how they learn best, what their volleyball ability is and what their interests are. Then when they get here in the fall they can get to know each other off the court before they get on the court.”
The roster includes 20 players with the eldest being a junior in Teddy Hesterman. There are 15 sophomores, and the rest are freshmen.
“My choice to come to Wittenberg was easy,” said sophomore middle hitter Isaiah Brock from Nobelsville, Ind. “Every other campus I visited had great things to offer, but Wittenberg was the only one that not only had the great things to offer, but also felt like home. The difference between going to a school with under 3,000 people instead of 30,000 people is that it's a lot easier to find the people that you can call family. It's a home away from home. Aside from athletics, other factors that have kept me at Wittenberg are the genuine relationships that I have formed, not only with friends, but also with professors. Because of the small classroom size, we have the ability to know our teachers on a first-name basis.”
Brock was also excited to be playing for a program that was just beginning.
“Playing men's volleyball was a decision that I couldn't pass up,” he said. “With my freshman year being the inaugural year of the program, it meant that we had the ability to build the foundation for the future of the entire program. Because the program is so young, we have plenty of room for growth, and we get to be the ones who set the records. I wanted to be remembered for one of the athletes that helped get this program off of the ground.”
This year’s team returns every single starter from last year, including key role players. Briskey, who was a staple of their right side offense and block, and in the top 10 in terms hitting efficiency and blocking for a majority of the season, will be missed.
“We have big shoes to fill with him graduating. We will also miss his leadership,” Amstutz said. “But we are bringing in a lot of ball control and arm speed, and we are taking a big step forward. Our new guys will be pushing the returnees. All of our guys in practice are knocking at the door for starting playing time. It’s going to be tough to make a starting lineup because any one of these guys can play. We have a lot of guys who do a lot of things well and a lot of people will see a lot of playing time.”
The Tigers have 33 matches as opposed to last year’s 25-game schedule and will face seven of the top 10 nationally ranked teams. The MCVL is a newer conference and a volleyball league only that consists of 14 teams. Of the 14, five are receiving votes for the AVCA Top 15 this season.
“We are ranked in the middle of the pack at No. 7,” Amstutz said. “But we are looking to prove them wrong and move up a few spots. We know our team has the ability to do that and be as successful as they let themselves be. It’s up to our coaches to get them all on the same page and make them better. We are young, but incredibly athletic, and the guys are piecing together a champion-caliber skillset. We, as coaches, are working as hard as we can to really make a splash and potentially break into the top 15.
“We are very fortunate here to be well supported,” Amstutz added. “Director of Athletics Gary Williams is very supportive with his time, energy, mentoring and guidance of both the athletes and of all of us on staff. We really are fortunate here. I’m thankful I’m in this place and in this community. We still have to live up to expectations, but we are very thankful for all the support.”
The Tigers are currently 4-8 and will host Dominican at 5:30 p.m. tonight followed by Cal Lutheran at 9:30 p.m. at the HPER Center. They will then play two more home matches on Saturday at noon and 5:30 p.m.
-Cindy Holbrook, Office of University Communications
