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The EIVA is coming to New York City.
The college men’s volleyball conference voted unanimously on Wednesday to admit St. Francis Brooklyn as a member beginning in the 2022 season.
The addition of St. Francis Brooklyn brings the EIVA to nine members. It also will be the first New York school in the East Coast conference since NYU departed in 2011 with the establishment of the NCAA Division III men’s volleyball.
“We are thrilled to welcome St. Francis Brooklyn to the EIVA family,” EIVA Commissioner Russ Yurk said in a statement. “Athletic Director Irma Garcia and her team are incredibly passionate and have exciting plans for the future, which will make the Terriers a great addition to the EIVA and the entire NCAA men’s volleyball community.”
The Terriers competed as an independent without a conference affiliation during their inaugural season in 2020. The team went 5-10 in the shortened season because of the coronavirus pandemic, including a four-game victory against Urbana in March.
Among the eight freshmen slated to return for St. Francis Brooklyn in 2021 includes middle attacker James Henneberry. Henneberry finished last season with a 2.25 kills per game average on a .413 attack percentage and was selected to the Off the Block/Frisco Mo All-Independent Team.
“I am incredibly excited that St. Francis College Brooklyn has been accepted into the EIVA,” St. Francis Brooklyn coach Niko Lambert said in a statement. “It’s a tremendous honor to be able to join such a prestigious conference that has built a great legacy of men’s volleyball on the East Coast. I am looking forward to working with such a remarkable group of coaches and fellow institutions as we collectively grow the game on the national level. I know the entire Terrier volleyball family is thrilled at the prospect of being the ninth member of the EIVA, and we can’t wait to get back to work
This is the first time a team has been added to the EIVA since Charleston joined the conference in 2016.
The EIVA has won two NCAA championships and last reached NCAA Tournament semifinals in 2015. In addition, three EIVA schools — Penn State, Princeton and George Mason — ended the 2020 season ranked in the national coaches poll.