BABSON PARK, Fla. (July 14, 2022) – Webber International University athletics has announced the move to add men's beach volleyball as its 23rd varsity sport, becoming the first NAIA school to sponsor the brand-new varsity program. The Warriors were the first in the country to offer men's beach volleyball at the collegiate level, providing both athletic and academic scholarships, while paving the way for other institutions to follow.
 
"We are very excited to announce that men's beach will be a varsity sport," said Director of Athletics Brad Niethammer. "This is a growing sport and getting involved at the start will give us a jump start on the competition and hopefully lead to more institutions adding the sport."
 
"Webber has been a pioneer in further developing the sport of beach volleyball and has quickly moved the needle for men's collegiate athletics," Megan Burgdorf, the Commissioner of the AVCA Men's Collegiate Beach Volleyball Alliance, commented on the announcement. "I am excited by their commitment to driving this emerging sport and providing scholarship opportunities for men. They join a number of programs in the Alliance igniting across the country with pairs and team opportunities to compete."
 
"It has been a few years of hard work but we are very excited to make the final transition to full varsity status," Head Men's Beach Volleyball Coach Carlos Jimenez added. "We started this project at the beginning of the pandemic, not knowing the outcome, but we have seen great results institutionally as well as for the sport nationally with schools joining the new alliance daily. We are proud to offer this option for the athletes at the collegiate level and look forward to the growth of the sport."
 
The Warriors also have the distinction of having the first beach volleyball scholarship recipient in the country, Chris Ludwig, who is graduating this year from the MBA program. "Being the first men's beach player to receive scholarship has given me so many new opportunities in life that I never expected", he said. "Now that men's beach is a full varsity sport at Webber and other institutions, it will give so many young players the chance to play the sport and get an education at the same time." Ludwig and his partner, Gunter Perea Quevedo, won the pairs event in the inaugural spring team competition hosted by Indiana Tech.
 
Webber has been sponsoring the program for the last three years, developing a competition schedule and working with USA Volleyball (USAV), as well as helping to create the Men's Collegiate Beach Volleyball Alliance through the vision and support of both the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and Beach Volleyball Consulting. The founding programs of the Alliance include Webber International University, Liberty University, Stevenson University, Indiana Tech University, Westcliff University, Irvine Valley College, and St. Katherines University. The inaugural varsity season for Webber will see 12 collegiate events, culminating with the AVCA's first collegiate national championship in the fall in Huntsville, Alabama.