The Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association commissioner, executive council, and member school representatives have voted that the Queens University of Charlotte men’s volleyball program will be welcomed into the MIVA effective July 1, 2023. Competition for Queens in the MIVA will begin in the 2024 men’s volleyball season. 
 
“As one of the premier men’s volleyball conferences competing for the National Collegiate men’s volleyball championship, we are pleased to welcome Queens as a member of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association,” MIVA commissioner Tim O’Brien said. “The University’s commitment to men’s volleyball through their facilities, administration, coaching staff and recruiting makes it clear they intend to keep their men’s volleyball team competitive and look to immediately compete for championships. They will be an incredibly valued member that will help strengthen and stabilize our conference as the collegiate landscape continues to shift and the sport of men’s volleyball continues to grow.” 
 
Queens men’s volleyball is led by head coach Jeremy Price, who has been at the helm of the program since its inception. A familiar face to the MIVA, Price spent five seasons as the head coach at Grand Canyon, which was a member of the conference from 2010-17. Price has been a head coach for 14 years, four at Division III Juniata, five at Grand Canyon and five at Queens. 
 
“Since we began the program in 2018, we have been pointing to this moment of affiliating with a major men’s volleyball conference,” Price said. “As a coach, I always want to associate with and compete against the very best. Joining the MIVA will allow us to do that every time we step on the court in a conference that has produced five of the past 12 national champions. On a personal note, I would like to thank and honor our ‘first generation’ of players that set the standard that allowed us to get to the MIVA. As we honor those athletes, I am extremely excited for the future of Queens University of Charlotte men’s volleyball and the MIVA.” 
 
The Royals will transition into the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association on July 1, 2023, and will be immediately eligible for the MIVA Tournament in 2024. 
 
“Queens University of Charlotte is thrilled to be joining the MIVA, the oldest men’s volleyball conference in the NCAA,” Queens Director of Athletics Cherie Swarthout said. “We are excited to engage and collaborate with the diverse group of institutions that make up the MIVA and look forward to welcoming them to our campus and our amazing city of Charlotte. The MIVA is an excellent fit for the Queens men’s volleyball program and Curry Arena will be the perfect showcase for MIVA Volleyball.” 
 
Curry Arena is the home of Queens men’s volleyball. It is in the Levine Center, a three-story, 145,000 square-foot building where the men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball and wrestling programs also compete. The five-time national champion men’s and women’s swimming teams also compete in the Levine Aquatic Center. Curry Arena seats up to 2,500 fans and has been the home of the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Southeast Regional twice. 
 
With the addition of Queens, the MIVA will be home to six Division I programs: Ball State, Ohio State, Lindenwood, Loyola Chicago, Purdue Fort Wayne and Queens. Division II programs Lewis, McKendree and Quincy round out the nine-team league. 
 
About Queens
Queens had its inaugural season of men’s volleyball competition in 2018. The Royals had their first winning season in 2021, going 14-12. They improved to 18-12 in 2022, which included a third-place finish in the Independent Volleyball Association Championships. In May 2022, Queens announced that the athletic department would move to the Division I level. The majority of Queens’ programs are set to compete in the Atlantic Sun in their first year of Division I in 2022-23. 
 
Queens University of Charlotte is a private, coeducational university located in Charlotte, N.C. The university serves nearly 2,500 students with 43 major and 63 minor undergraduate degree options and 12 graduate degrees. Students represent 44 states and 70 foreign countries. As part of the university's vision to promote educational experiences that nurture intellectual curiosity and promote global understanding, nearly two-thirds of traditional undergraduates participate in study abroad experiences and 100 percent take part in internships. The U.S. News & World Report ranked Queens 15th among regional universities in the south in its 2022 edition of Best Colleges.  
 
About the MIVA 
The Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association is the country’s longest-standing Division I/II men’s volleyball conference. The MIVA was established in 1961 and has been a home for 45 men’s volleyball programs over its 61-year history. MIVA members have won five national championships. MIVA membership includes schools from Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Ohio, and will now expand to North Carolina. 
 
MIVA Membership 
Ball State: 1961-present 
Ohio State: 1961-present 
Purdue Fort Wayne: 1981-present 
Lewis: 1994-present 
Quincy: 1994-present 
Loyola Chicago: 1996-present 
Lindenwood: 2013-present 
McKendree: 2014-present 
Queens: Joining July 1, 2023