CALEDONIA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — For the first time in program history, the Davenport University Men's Volleyball team is a national champion.
On Saturday, April 4, the fourth-seeded Panthers defeated second-seeded Tartans of Carnegie Mellon University, avenging a loss from earlier in the season to win the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation Division II National Championship. After splitting the first two sets (25-22, Davenport; 25-23, Carnegie Mellon), the Panthers took the final set (15-8) and the victory.
"To be honest, it still doesn't really feel real," said senior outside hitter Jackson Palmitier.
"Everybody works together and that's the biggest part of this team and that's what it feels like at the end of the day — ultimately teamwork and a sense of family," said sophomore middle blocker Logan Sowers.
"Pretty special to do it with such a great group of guys," said freshman setter Tristan Whitman.
These three and their teammates are trendsetters. When they were in high school, boys volleyball had yet to be recognized by the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) as an official sport. So, they played for their school's club teams, where coaches made the schedules and parents coordinated transportation. It wasn't always easy. It certainly wasn't always cheap.
"Yeah, it was very new," said Palmitier, who played on the first boys volleyball team for Hudsonville High School. "We got killed everywhere, but were still like, ‘Hey, this is cool. It will maybe turn into something.'"
Turn into something, it did.
This spring, more than a hundred high school teams in Michigan will compete for the first-ever MHSAA state championship for boys volleyball. A newly-sanctioned sport, its players and coaches now benefit from a structured season, qualified officials and, perhaps most importantly, school funding.
"Yeah, it's been incredible to be part of the growth,' Davenport University Men's Volleyball Head Coach Jason Palmitier said. "Just being able to be around the growth of boys club and the growth of boys high school, parents and kids are super thankful for the opportunity."