Men’s Volleyball Secures Conference Championship

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Davenport Panthers men's volleyball team, currently ranked No. 6 in the nation, won the first conference championship since 2019. In the quarterfinals on Sunday, the Panthers swept Toledo 25-22, 25-25. Moving onto the semifinals, the Panthers had to face a Grand Valley team that beat them earlier in the weekend. The team played with great energy as they dominated the Lakers offensively and defensively sweeping them 25-22, 25-17. Moving on to the finals, the Panthers had an opportunity to exact revenge on their first loss of the conference season against Western Michigan. After jumping out to an early lead in the first set, they found themselves on the wrong end of a 22-23 score. Following a timeout, the Panthers scored the final three points of the first set, beating the Broncos. The Panther fell in set two 21-25, taking them to the deciding 15-point third set. Again the Panthers jumped out to an early lead, and this time they did not look back, finishing off the Broncos 15-11 with a block to seal the championship. The team finished the year with a 12-2 record in conference and currently stands at 45-10 overall, heading toward the final MIVA tournament and nationals.

Team Captain Quotes
Michael Hedley
"It was a team effort from every single person on and off the court. Everyone put aside their personal goals and achievements for the shared goal of sacrificing whatever was needed to win. There was a sacrificial love on and off the court that has made this team special. I am blessed to be a part of this team and give all the glory to God. There is no one person I could point out because every single person elevated what they had to do in some way or another."

Coty Tufts
"I think our conference is full of good teams and heavy hitters, there's a lot of talented players and a lot of talented teams. I think that our drive and determination in the face of setbacks and tough battles is what set us apart and set us up for success. With a team like ours, we have a lot of young guys with half our team being freshmen. To see the work and grit they put in to make a difference on the court is what sets them apart from other teams. We worked harder, we wanted it more and in the end, we accomplished that goal."

James May
"To begin, I am very relieved to say that we are the best team in our conference. Our team went in with the mentality that every team was going to bring their best against us and that we had to match that energy. We put countless hours into practice, games and film to achieve our goals, and this is only the tip of the iceberg for us. From the beginning, I knew we had the potential to be one of, if not the best teams in the nation this year and I'm ecstatic that we proved that over the weekend. We couldn't have done it without key contributions from freshman Gavin Vandergraff, who had a chip on his shoulder and put his everything into this weekend and Coty Tufts, who brought his A game. The coaching staff, supporters and as I like to call them 'bench mob' brought us up even when we were at our lowest throughout the weekend. With all that being said, I cannot wait to see where our talent and hard work will bring us as we come to the end of this season."

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#14 Michael Hedley: S; 5' 11"; Junior

#7 James May: L; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#15 Coty Tufts: OH/OPP; 6' 0"; Junior

#10 Gavin Vandergraf: OH/OPP; 6' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#14 Michael Hedley
: 5' 11"; Junior
: S

#7 James May
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: L

#15 Coty Tufts
: 6' 0"; Junior
: OH/OPP

#10 Gavin Vandergraf
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: OH/OPP