Springfield, Mass. - December 13, 2011 - The Springfield College men's volleyball team will kick off the 2012 season over 5,000 miles away from campus as it competes in the Outrigger Invitational hosted by the University of Hawaii on January 12-14.In its 18th season, the Outrigger Invitational is considered one of the premier early season tournaments in the country. This year's field includes the host University of Hawaii, UCLA, Springfield, and Lewis. The five-time tournament champion Bruins will make their 11th appearance while Lewis returns for its fifth trip. Springfield will be making its first-ever appearance and is the first-ever Division III program to compete in the field.
Last season, Springfield was the runner-up in the final Molten Division III National Championship and finished the season with an 18-15 record after falling to Penn State in the EIVA Championship match. The Pride will be competing for the inaugural NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball Championship in this season after the Division III Championships Committee approved the Championship. The 2012 finals will be held April 27-29 at Springfield College's Blake Arena.
Springfield returns a pair of AVCA All-Americans, in first-team selection Nick Ferry and two-time second-team honoree Greg Falcone. A year ago, Ferry 262 digs, which was the third-highest single-season total in program history. Falcone was remarkably efficient on the offensive side of the ball, totaling 240 kills at a .524 clip, while racking up a team-best 123 blocks.
With seven national championships to his credit, Charlie Sullivan will enter his 15th season as head coach of the men's volleyball team in 2013. In 14 previous years at the helm, Sullivan owns an overall record of 224-155 for a .591 winning percentage. Read more.