GCU athletes search for options after college cuts Volleyball program

PHOENIX — Grand Canyon University’s men’s volleyball team went from being the top-ranked squad in the nation to nonexistent in just two years. In late April, the university announced it would eliminate the program, citing a desire to focus resources on its 20 other varsity teams — a move that has sent shockwaves through the volleyball community.

Weeks after the cut, a groundswell of support has emerged. Local high school teams have worn purple in solidarity before matches. Even other NCAA men’s volleyball programs have voiced their disapproval.

“We’re just trying to put the word out there and not let the flame die,” UCLA player Cameron Thorne said at a recent press conference as he wore a #SaveGCUMVB shirt.

For many, it signals a troubling trend that could extend to other universities amid looming changes in college athletics.

“We won’t know the true impact for years to come,” Troy Dueling, boys’ volleyball coach at Sandra Day O’Connor High School and former GCU men’s assistant coach said. “What that program was was a pillar and beacon for this community. There are other programs in Arizona, but none at that level.”

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, boys’ volleyball added more than 8,000 participants in 2024, making it the fastest-growing high school team sport by percentage in the country. With GCU’s decision, Arizona is now left without a single NCAA Division I men’s volleyball program.

The fallout has already affected recruits. Four incoming athletes discovered the news via a GCU post on social media, losing their opportunity to compete at the Division I level in-state.

“It wasn’t super far along, but they told me I was the best fit,” said Jack Slight, a junior setter at Sandra Day O’Connor High School. Slight, whose older brother Nick was an All-American at GCU, hoped to follow in his footsteps. “Would I have played for them if they offered? I would’ve. Now that’s off the table.”

“Jack is a special kid and talent,” Dueling added. “Watching him play beyond high school would’ve been something special.”

Without a head coach for the 2024 season, GCU assistant coaches co-led the program. One of them, Bryan Dell’Amico, was recently named the 2025 AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year — and is now unemployed, but was heartbroken about all his players. Specifically, the seven freshmen on the roster and the four incoming recruits.

“Eleven kids just had the next four years of their life changed,” Dell’Amico said. “Beyond that, you have everyone else on the team who still had eligibility left.”

According to GCU’s 2024 Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act report, the men’s volleyball program cost just under $750,000 annually to operate — the sixth lowest among GCU’s 20 sports. Despite the low cost, it had the second-highest average home attendance, averaging over 1,100 fans per match — nearly 600 more than the women’s basketball team, which ranked third in attendance.

“We could debate whether it should’ve been men’s volleyball that got cut,” Dell’Amico said. “But GCU made a business decision. They’re reallocating their resources.”

That decision has raised alarms beyond Arizona, with growing fears that other smaller or non-revenue-generating sports could meet similar fates.

“This isn’t just a GCU-specific issue,” Dell’Amico added. “The House v. NCAA settlement is putting a cap on roster sizes and shifting the power to administrators. They’ll decide how many scholarships and how much revenue share goes to each sport.”

GCU declined to offer further comment on the matter. Meanwhile, advocates for men’s volleyball are exploring the possibility of a new program at Arizona State University.

According to sources, donors have approached and had conversations with ASU leadership. However, ASU tells 12 News it’s very unlikely to add a new men’s program due to Title IX constraints and is “focusing on resourcing their 26 programs.”

Still, local athletes are hopeful.

“I hope another program in the state will step up,” Slight said. “And I hope that school is ASU.”

“I do hope there is hopefully another university that’s seeing this community rally and maybe they want to take an opportunity to give this community a new team and a new home,” Dueling added. “It would be great if a school down in Tempe would like to do that.”

Arizona has a history of producing elite volleyball talent. Just this past week, Sandra Day O’Connor alum Zach Rama competed in the NCAA Division I national championship with UCLA. Two former GCU players — both Arizona natives — were recently invited to try out for U.S. national teams for their age groups.

For many in the state, the loss of GCU men’s volleyball is more than a budget decision — it’s a cultural setback for a sport on the rise.

>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.