St. Lawrence College (SLC) Surge is proud to announce that it will be transitioning its men's and women's volleyball programs from a club program to competing in the Ontario Colleges Athletics Association (OCAA) as a varsity program, starting in the fall 2025-26 school year.
"We are thrilled to be making this announcement as we have been working towards this day for some time now" said Kevin Biggs, Manager Athletics & Student Engagement.
"For the last 10 years, our club volleyball programs have offered our students an opportunity to play competitive volleyball while studying at SLC. In hearing from our students, and community partners, it was clear that it's time to advance the teams to the varsity level."
OCAA varsity volleyball is a two-semester sport that takes place from October - February and is a welcomed addition to the league sport portfolio for St. Lawrence College. The timing of the volleyball season aligns with the OCAA varsity basketball season which means the gymnasium on the Kingston campus will feature more programming for students to come and support the Surge.
"I do need to thank our two volunteer coaches that have put in countless hours with both teams. Socheath Keo and Ricky Cruz have gone above and beyond expectations to support our volleyball student-athletes. They've worked tirelessly and overcame multiple setbacks in getting these programs to the varsity level," Biggs said.
"I also need to thank the Student Association for their support, the multiple OCAA schools that have agreed to exhibition games, the Kingston high school and club volleyball community and the many other volunteers and alumni that have helped along the way."
This announcement marks the return of St. Lawrence College to varsity volleyball, having last played in the OCAA back in the 1997-98 season.
Recruits and prospective student-athletes that are interested in joining the volleyball program are encouraged to contact Ricky Cruz at fcruz@sl.on.ca.
More information about training camp and competitive schedule will be released in summer 2025. Click for more information on Surge Athletics.
November 30, 2024
