Owens college pauses volleyball program for 2025 season

PERRYSBURG, Ohio — Owens Community College’s volleyball program won’t be hitting the court for the upcoming season due to low participation, a spokesperson for the college announced on Friday.

Rather than competing with a small roster and risking a season full of uncompetitive games, the three-time national champion Express will take the 2025 season off and recruit for a strong 2026 team to preserve the “program’s long-term standard of excellence,” spokesperson Andy Woodard said in an email.

“Despite the program’s national prominence, a combination of offseason challenges and shifting recruiting dynamics made it difficult to build the full, competitive roster that Owens volleyball is known for,” Woodard said, attributing the decision to coaching staff and college administration.

The Express won the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division III national championships in 2018, 2019 and 2021 under head coach Sonny Lewis, who still leads the team. Owens took second place in 2017 and 2022.

“As we look to uphold the high standards that have defined Owens volleyball, we will use this extra time to recruit and prepare a full roster of student-athletes capable of competing at the national level,” Owens Express athletic director Shelley Whitaker said. “This program has set the bar for success at the national level, and we are confident it will return stronger than ever in 2026—not only in competition, but also in the development of our student-athletes both on and off the court.”

In 2024, the Express lost in the quarterfinals of the national championship, ending the season with a 22-14 record.