UTICA, NY – The SUNYIT men's volleyball team will be leaving the Western Division of the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association this season to join the newly formed United Volleyball Conference (UVC), which will consist of 12 outstanding NCAA Division III athletic and academic institutions.

"On behalf of the UVC Presidents Council, we are delighted by the establishment of the United Volleyball Conference," said Dr. Catherine Hill, Vassar College President, through a press release announcing the conference's formation.  "We are looking forward to the first season of UVC play.  The conference will be a wonderful addition for our student athletes."

Along with SUNYIT, the UVC will consist of Bard College (NY), D'Youville College (NY), Elmira College (NY), Hilbert College (NY), Medaille College (NY), Nazareth College (NY), New York University (NY), Penn State-Behrend (PA), Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ), SUNY New Paltz (NY) and Vassar College (NY).

The inaugural season is prepared to commence with 10 of its members in the first competitive campaign. NYU is completing its final season with the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, while Penn State-Behrend recently added the sport and will begin competition in 2011-12. The UVC has already been recognized by the NCAA as an officially sanctioned single sport conference, an important move as the Division III membership prepares to adopt men's volleyball as an NCAA Division III Championship sport this January at the annual convention. Approval by the membership would give Division III men's volleyball an NCAA Tournament effective 2011-12.

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Contributing to this press release: Timothy Farrell, Assistant Commissioner of the Empire 8 Athletic Conference