Story Courtesy of Lebanon Valley College Athletics 

Lebanon Valley College Athletics will add women's flag football and men's volleyball as its newest Division III varsity sports, boosting the number of Flying Dutchmen teams to 28. The two teams are expected to compete in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC).

Women's flag football and men's volleyball mark the first additions to LVC Athletics since 2018, when the College launched the first varsity esports teams in Pennsylvania. Before that, women's ice hockey began competition in the 2016–2017 season, along with the return of men's ice hockey from a club team to Division III.

"We are excited to add two of the country's fastest-growing high school sports to our academically and athletically successful offerings for our current and future student-athletes," said Pat Ratke, LVC Director of Athletics. "Women's flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., growing by over 55% in recent years, and high school boys' volleyball grew by over 10,000 competitors from 2023 to 2024. These additions are a perfect fit for Flying Dutchmen Athletics."

Ratke announced plans to hire a men's volleyball coach this winter to begin building the program with an anticipated first competition season of Spring 2028. An already established sport in the Middle Atlantic Conference, nine schools sponsor men's volleyball teams and compete for an automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship.

Women's flag football, a sport gaining popularity across the NCAA, will begin full competition starting in Spring 2029. Ratke plans to hire a coach during the 2026–2027 academic year and anticipates the MAC sponsoring a women's flag football championship by the time the Flying Dutchmen join the conference.

There are 143 high schools competing in girls' flag football in Pennsylvania, with the greatest concentration of teams in the southwestern and southeastern corners of the state. More than a dozen states have sanctioned girls' flag football as a high school sport, and there are also numerous club and travel programs.

LVC boasts more than 600 student-athletes, many of whom also excel academically in the classroom, serve in leadership roles, and participate in other clubs and activities on campus. The Flying Dutchmen led the MAC with a record 158 student-athletes on the Fall Academic Honor Roll last season and placed nearly 350 student-athletes on the Winter/Spring Honor Roll. Three LVC student-athletes earned Academic All-America accolades last year.

Student-athletes interested in men's volleyball and women's flag football can visit www.godutchmen.com or contact the LVC Athletics Office at athletics@lvc.edu or 717-867-6264.