The University of Maryland Eastern Shore announces the addition of men's volleyball


PRINCESS ANNE, MD – Dr. Heidi M. Anderson, University of Maryland Eastern Shore's sixteenth President, and Tara A. Owens, Vice President of Athletics and Recreation, announced today the addition of men's volleyball to the stable of NCAA Division I teams sponsored by UMES for intercollegiate athletic competition.  The official announcement was made at a press conference held on campus today.  

 
With plans for a new men's volleyball team to compete starting in 2025-2026 in the NEC (Northeast Conference), UMES becomes the first NCAA Div. I HBCU to add men's volleyball and the 68^th school to sponsor the fast-growing sport at the NCAA DI-II level. 

 
In addition, it was announced that a $250,000 grant from First Point Volleyball Foundation was obtained to aide in the establishment of the UMES men's volleyball program.  The $250,000 will be granted over a period of three years to assist with start-up costs and to provide funding to UMES Athletics as they provide scholarship support, facility improvements and other services to men's and women's volleyball athletes. 

 
"We're trailblazers in many ways at UMES" said President Anderson, "and this is yet another example of us carving a new path by adding men's volleyball to our robust athletic program. With volleyball's popularity on the rise everywhere it made sense to launch men's volleyball. I think our community will join me in getting behind this dynamic sport, just as we have been strong supporters of our outstanding women's team."

 
In her second year as the leader of Hawk athletics, Owens is excited to bring a sport she has overseen before to UMES.

 
"We successfully added men's volleyball at my previous institution and went on to have great success as Central State won a conference championship. The sport has a great amount of popularity and is a growing sport. I think our community will be blown away by the athleticism of this sport and the talent on the court," said Owens.  "It is especially exciting to have the opportunity to compete in the NEC.  I would like to thank NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris for the invitation to play men's volleyball in the NEC.  We look forward to the growth of the sport on the college level and will encourage our fellow institutions in the MEAC to explore the possibility of adding men's volleyball."

 
Since 2016, First Point Volleyball Foundation has helped start 40 new college programs that are now funding 80 new scholarships in men's volleyball that did not exist before.  UMES intends to fund 4.5 scholarships which is the maximum allowed by the NCAA for DI-II men's volleyball. A nationwide search for a head coach will commence immediately. 

 
The Co-Founder & volunteer chairman of First Point Volleyball Foundation is John Speraw who is both the Head Coach of UCLA Men's Volleyball and also Head Coach of the US Men's National team.  "We started First Point to support NCAA DI programs launching men's volleyball and to provide more opportunities for young people to mature and develop through the sport… I am proud that our 25 volunteer Board of Directors has supported efforts to expand diversity and start men's volleyball at HBCUs," said Speraw.   "I want to thank all the volleyball donors who have made this grant possible.  I cannot emphasize enough the importance of philanthropy to the future of college sports especially Olympic sports."  

 
"We have been so impressed by the vision and leadership of President Anderson and Vice President Owens.  First Point is honored to partner with an institution building momentum through athletics," said Wade Garard, CEO of First Point Volleyball.  "It is a pleasure working with Tara (Owens) again to provide opportunities for young men to have a student-athlete experience at an HBCU and to compete in men's volleyball on a national stage." 
 

 
About University of Maryland Eastern Shore  –
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) is a Top-10 Public HBCU that believes in your potential and invests in your success. We're a family that values who you are, where you come from, and where you want to go. Our strong academics, affordable tuition, and mission-driven culture help students of all backgrounds Soar Above and Beyond.

 
About President Heidi M. Anderson. 
Dr. Heidi M. Anderson is the 16^th president of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.  President Anderson, herself a first-generation college student, leads a campus focused on excellence in teaching, research, and community outreach.  A collaborative servant leader, President Anderson is dedicated to student success with an emphasis on educational access and attainability.  She wishes to honor those mentors in her own life whose guidance opened the doors for her own achievements.

In addition to raising the profile of UMES as a destination campus on Maryland's Eastern Shore, President Anderson was named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women and she also received Influential Marylander Award sponsored by the Daily Record honoring those who have made significant impacts on their community.  In 2021, she was selected by the Del-Mar-Va Council as their Lower Shore Distinguished Citizen.  She is an active board member for national Association of Public Land Grant Universities (APLU), and two additional regionally focused groups, the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce and the Rural Maryland Council.  Dr. Anderson recently completed her term as Chair of the AASCU Board of Directors, and was recently appointed Chair of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Presidents and Chancellors for two years.  Dr. Anderson will also become the new Chair of the APLU's Council of 1890s Universities, beginning November 13^th for a two-year term.

 
About Tara Owens, Vice President of Athletics and Recreation
Tara A. Owens serves as the Vice President of Athletics & Recreation at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Owens was elevated to Vice President in July of 2023. She was originally hired at UMES in September of 2022 as the Director of Athletics.
 
Prior to UMES, Owens spent four years as the Director of Athletics at Central State University. 
 
During her time at CSU, Owens saw student athlete growth by 110% and secured $2.5 million in funding for renovations to athletic facilities.
 
CSU thrived under Owen's leadership. Despite the pandemic, CSU received continued philanthropic support of all sport programs and auxiliary units. Owens was crucial in securing funding and providing planning and management to multiple facility upgrades to McPherson Memorial Stadium, Beacom/Lewis Gymnasium and Walker Gymnasium.
 
Owens also implemented a variety of improvements to the Department of Athletics overall staffing as well as promoting efficient and sustainable protocols and practices.
 
She led a realignment of the athletic department to enhance staffing and programming dedicated to student-athlete health, well-being, sports performance and leadership development. The realignment included the hiring process in identifying five new head coaches and adding additional assistant coaching, academic services, and athletic training positions.
 
At CSU, Owens also increased student-athlete engagement in both department policy decisions and university committee projects and teams. Under Owens, CSU athletics created an academic center dedicated specifically to student-athletes and hired the department's first student-athlete academic coordinator.
 
Prior to accepting the position at CSU, Owens spent eight years serving as the athletic director at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC). As the athletic director, Owens was responsible for managing all aspects of BCCC's athletic program which included business operations, staff development, compliance, recruiting strategy, scholarship allocation, scheduling, marketing, and fundraising.
 
Beginning in the 2013 season, Owens also served as BCCC's head women's basketball coach. Owens was named the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year as she compiled an overall record of 22-8 and an 11-1 record in the conference to win the 2017-18 regular-season conference championship. In five seasons at BCCC, Owens compiled an overall record of 104-46.
 
Before going to BCCC, Owens spent two seasons (2007-09) as the head women's basketball coach at Norfolk State University (NSU) in Norfolk, Va.
 
Prior to NSU, Owens served as the head coach at Elizabeth City State University for three seasons, compiling a 58-31 record and leading the Lady Vikings to the finals of the CIAA Tournament on two occasions (2005, 2007).
 
In 2006-07, Owens led ECSU to a 21-10 record, one of two 20-win seasons during her three-year tenure. After falling to North Carolina Central in the CIAA Tournament championship game, the Lady Vikings earned an at-large berth to the NCAA South Atlantic Regional.
 
Owens began her coaching career at NCAA Division II program Cheyney (Pa.) University. She served as an assistant coach for two seasons prior to taking over as head coach from 1998-2004. At Cheyney, Owens also held the title of senior woman administrator and project administrator/activity director for the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP).
 
A 1993 graduate of Virginia State University (VSU), Owens played for the Trojans from 1988-1991. She received her bachelor's degree from VSU in physical education/health and completed her master's degree in administration and supervision at Cheyney University in 1998.
 
Owens holds memberships in the National Association of Female Executives, Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the Black Coaches Association. She is also one of 13 members serving on the NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee.
 

About First Point Volleyball Foundation –
Founded in 2016 by John Speraw, Head Coach of the USA Men's National Team and UCLA Men's Volleyball, First Point Volleyball Foundation exists to provide opportunities for young people to mature and develop through volleyball.  Specifically focused on growing boys' and men's volleyball in the United States, First Point Volleyball Foundation initiates and celebrates FIRST POINTS whether that is a first point of a new collegiate team, or a new high school team, or a first point of competitive volleyball for a 12-year-old.  First Point Volleyball has raised $5 million in seven years and has helped start 40 new collegiate men's volleyball programs.  The Foundation has three strategic initiatives: (1) Growing collegiate opportunities; (2) Growing high school boys' opportunities; and (3) Extending our Reach Diversity Initiative – expanding volleyball opportunities to boys and men of color. www.firstpointvolleyball.com.

 
 
About Boys' and Men's Volleyball in the United States
Boys' volleyball is exploding.  It is the fastest growing team sport in the United States for high school boys, growing at 20% over the last 6 years and 34% over the last 10 years.  The 2^nd fastest growing sport grew by only 7% and football decreased 11% over the same ten-year period.  With 77,287 boys playing high school now it is projected that 100,000 boys will be playing by 2028.  State high school federations continue to sanction high school boys' volleyball including 10 more states in the last five years.   New Men's Volleyball programs have been initiated in 100 universities in the last five years alone – mostly at the DII, DIII, and NAIA levels. NCAA Men's Volleyball has grown 44% over the last six years and 79% over the last 10 years.  

 
The following data was compiled by the AVCA American Volleyball Coaches Association from numbers collected from National Federation of High School Associations.  AVCA collected Collegiate information from NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Reports.