Listen Here
By Erin Moran
morane@findlay.edu
Only one year after its inaugural season, the University of Findlay men’s club volleyball team is showing significant growth in skill, competitiveness, and culture.
The team was formed in the fall of 2024 out of great interest but little experience in the sport.
“Most of the players never even touched a volleyball before coming to school here,” said Dominiq Reagh, setter and president of the club.
“I played on the sand courts twice, but I thought, ‘ Why not? ‘ and was convinced by Frankie Bartolec, who was my roommate,” said sophomore and outside hitter Jake Kemmery.
“Everyone didn’t know how to pass, set, or hit, and then we started practicing, and we got better slowly,” said Reagh. “When we came back this year, I don’t know, something changed, and there was a huge difference in skill levels and just abilities in general.”
Despite being in the early stages of the program, five players were nominated for the All-Conference Team under the Motor City Men’s Volleyball Conference within the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA). Jackson Wright, Frankie Bartolec, Dominiq Reagh, Jake Kemmery, and Graham Askins all received nominations based on their skills shown throughout tournaments.
The team is primarily student-led, with players organizing practices, scheduling competition opportunities, and coordinating travel. Unlike some competing programs, Findlay does not have a full-time coach or recruiting system.
“We all have to pay to play,” Reagh said. “Because of that, we know we have to put in the work.”
While results on the court are developing, the players say the team’s biggest strength is sourced from their chemistry.
“During the first year, we were so disorganized. I don’t even think I knew half their names, but we have grown so much, and now these people are my best friends,” said Frankie Bartolec, a sophomore opposite hitter. “These are the people I call to when I’m in need or if I’m really just having a good day, a bad day. I turn to them for everything. Playing volleyball, winning, and losing, it always brings us closer, and at the end of the day, I’m out of breath laughing.”
“I don’t think there’s another team, at least in our conference, that has as much fun as we do,” said Kemmery.
“There are so many fun moments with this team, and I just have the best time,” said Jackson Wright, a sophomore libero.
“We are, by far, the shortest team in the conference volleyball clubs. I’m the tallest person at 6’4, and other teams have probably an average of that,” said Reagh. “But we make up for the height with our, like, athleticism and team culture.”
Players emphasized that compared to other teams they have faced, Findlay stands out through its energy and positive environment.
“Every time guest coaches from Tiffin or Bowling Green come in, they tell us that they have the most fun coaching and playing with us, just because of our attitudes and our chemistry that we have,” said Reagh. “It’s all laughing, having fun, and that we’re still putting in the work and getting better.”
Like many club sports, the team faces challenges as they are not funded directly by the athletic department, and scheduling has been another one of the team’s biggest challenges.
“We can’t ever practice in the Malcolm Athletic Center (MAC) because of varsity sports getting priority, and then at the rec center, we are only allowed to practice on specific days at specific times,” said Jenna Ditmer, the student coach of the team.
“We have the rec center courts, but it’s usually only 4 to 6. So we only have two hours, and most of the time, we have people showing up late or leaving early because of classes,” said Reagh. “But if we were able to have the Malcolm Athletic Center (MAC), we’d be able to actually schedule our times, pick times where everyone would be there, and actually run a real practice.”
Despite these obstacles, the team has continued to grow, both in numbers and performance.
“All the other teams that are in the conference have been at least around for 5 years or more,” said Reagh. “For a two-year-old program, and most of the guys only playing ball for a year to a year and a half, being where we are right now, it’s incredible.”
Reagh shared how incoming freshmen have reached out with interest in joining the team.
“Three high school seniors reached out and mentioned they were interested in coming to Findlay to play men’s volleyball. One of those recruits we were able to interview, and he joined a practice,” said Reagh. “So after being a club for 1.5 years, we already have recruits interested in coming here and playing.”
For the program is about more than just volleyball, the team is the center of their enjoyment and has been so important in their time at UF.
“Even when we lose, no one is an individual; we are one team, and everyone has the same mindset,” said Graham Askins, a sophomore outside hitter.
“We just want to bring everything together,” Reagh said. “Volleyball is big in this area, and we want to be part of that.”
As the program continues to develop, players remain focused on improving and expanding the team’s presence, hoping to establish men’s volleyball as a lasting part of campus life.
“To build a relationship like ours is the only reason you really need to join, and at the end of the day, we want to become a collegiate sport again,” said Bartolec. “The community around volleyball is huge, and we just want to reestablish that for the men’s team”.
The team will host its final home game of the season on April 11 at 3 p.m. against Ohio Northern University in the MAC
