HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Hastings College is adding men's volleyball and women's wrestling teams to its athletic program beginning in 2020-21.
The school will increase its sports offerings to 26 teams, and all will be affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and Great Plains Athletic Conference.
Athletic director B.J. Pumroy said in a statement Monday that men's volleyball is a natural because the sport is popular in the state. In 2020 there will be 50 NAIA schools competing in men's volleyball, up from 42 in 2019.
There are 63 colleges and universities sponsoring women's wrestling. At the NAIA level, 20 schools competed in the inaugural NAIA National Invitational Women's Wrestling Championship in 2019.
Women's wrestling competes in the traditional winter season, while men's volleyball competes during the winter and early spring.