By Will Gilson, Currier Times Staff///

Are you ready for this: Curry Athletics is in the process of serving up a new varsity sport to its current 16 athletic programs: Men’s Volleyball. The season will officially kick off during the 2024-25 academic year.

Vinnie Eruzione, Director of Athletics at Curry, has noted that men’s volleyball has been something Curry students have expressed interest in adding to the current athletic program.

“There has been an interest in incoming students in Men’s Volleyball on admissions applications,” Eruzione said. “It will also match up nicely with our Women’s Volleyball Program. Its always nice to have a Men’s and & Women’s team when possible.”

A coach has not been hired yet, but Curry Athletics is in the process of hiring one and hopes to have one by the end of the semester. The job description on The Chronicle of Higher Education website is looking for an applicant who has a Bachelor’s Degree in some form of sports coaching from a four-year institution, experience specifically with Intercollegiate Volleyball, and knowledge of the current rules of the sport. Being currently CPR-certified and having other First Aid certification isn’t required, but is strongly encouraged.

Applicants may apply online on the Curry College website.

The method of recruitment is still up in the air.

“We will probably survey our current student population to see who may have shown an interest in Volleyball and then the new coach will need to get out there and recruit,” Eruzione said. “Currently we have 65 applicants and that has come from a very robust social media campaign as well as our two open houses.”

Students across campus have expressed interest in joining the team when the season begins.

William Scoufaras, a junior Communication major, has experience playing volleyball in high school and has considered joining.

“I didn’t play it as a team but I remember that being a Phys-Ed game that we did in high school and I always had a bunch of fun with it,” Scoufaras said. “If I was able to join the team potentially, maybe I’d do it.”

Eruzione hopes that the addition of a men’s volleyball team will increase admission at Curry.

“Eventually it will be bringing 20 or so new students to our campus that genuinely would not be here,” Eruzione said. Increased enrollments are always good for colleges of our size.”

Students also hope that the addition of men’s volleyball will improve the college as a whole.

Alora Lima, a junior Psychology major, anticipates the sport adding to Curry’s Athletic profile.

“I think that it’s a really great move for Curry to bring more athletics because it brings in lots of money,” Lima said. “I think it’s a great new sport because there’s not lots of programs for that so I think it’s great.”

Volleyball is a team sport that involves two teams of six players on each side of a net hitting a ball. The goal of each team is to hit a ball on the ground of the opposing team’s side. Matches are played best out of five passes after someone officially serves the ball, called a set. The team who wins two sets first wins the game.

Curry will join Endicott College, Nichols College, and Wentworth College as the fourth Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) core member to feature a varsity men’s volleyball program. The traditional NCAA Division III men’s volleyball season runs from January to April.