Baldwin Wallace to add men's volleyball, Mars named inaugural head coach

Baldwin Wallace University will add men's volleyball to its NCAA Division III athletics program with competition starting in the spring of 2021.

BW Director of Athletics Kris Diaz '78 also announced that BW has named Kyle Mars as the team's first head coach. Mars comes to Berea after serving as the head men's volleyball coach at Hiram College for the past three years.

"BW is excited to add men's volleyball to our varsity sport offerings," stated Diaz. "Kyle has done a great job in building the men's team at Hiram, was part of a nationally recognized, championship program in college and is connected with USA Volleyball youth programs in this developing sport across the country and Northeast Ohio. We are looking forward to him building a strong, competitive program at BW."

Winning ways

Prior to Hiram, Mars served as a graduate assistant coach at Elmira College in New York where he mentored five All-United Volleyball Conference selections, including the 2016 Libero of the Year and two American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American selections.

"BW's high academic profile and track record of very successful athletic programs make it an attractive university to feature men's volleyball," said Mars. "I look forward to serving the university and joining a great culture of coaches and student-athletes."

Mars earned a degree in telecommunications from Penn State University in 2013 and a master's degree in management from Elmira in 2016. While at Penn State, he was a member of the Nittany Lions men's volleyball team that advanced to four-straight NCAA Division I final four appearances, including being the national runner-up in 2010.

Two dozen varsity sports

BW is a founding member of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), but the Yellow Jackets may compete as an independent in their inaugural season as the OAC does not currently sponsor the sport. BW becomes just the second OAC member to offer the program.

The addition of men's volleyball brings the total of athletic teams at BW to 24. BW sponsors baseball, football, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, men's and women's tennis, softball, women's volleyball and wrestling.