Morningside University and Dordt University Approved as Associate Members for Men's Volleyball

The Heart of America Athletic Conference is pleased to announce the addition of Morningside University and Dordt University, as associate members for Men's Volleyball, effective for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

This expansion brings the total number of teams in the league to fourteen:

• Clarke University (Iowa)
• Culver-Stockton College (Mo.)
• Dordt University (Iowa)
• Grand View University (Iowa)
• Graceland University (Iowa)
• Kansas Wesleyan University (Kan.)
• Morningside University (Iowa)
• Missouri Baptist University
• Missouri Valley College
• Mount Mercy University (Iowa)
• Ottawa University (Kan.)
• Park University (Mo.)
• University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (Mo.)
• William Penn University (Iowa)

To accommodate the expansion, the conference will now be divided into two divisions, with teams playing within their division twice and outside their division once. The divisions are as follows:

North Division:

• Clarke University
• Dordt University
• Graceland University
• Grand View University
• Morningside University
• Mount Mercy University
• William Penn University

South Division:

• Culver-Stockton College
• Kansas Wesleyan University
• Missouri Baptist University
• Missouri Valley College
• Ottawa University (Kan.)
• Park University
• University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy

"We are thrilled to welcome Morningside University and Dordt University to the Heart of America Athletic Conference as associate members for Men's Volleyball," expressed Commissioner Nik Rule. "They are full-members of the GPAC, another great NAIA conference and we are happy to be a home for them in this sport. With the new divisional structure, we can optimize travel, minimize out-of-class time for our student-athletes, and ensure a balanced and exciting competition schedule. This growth strengthens our position as a leading conference in men's volleyball and provides greater opportunities for our teams to succeed on a national level."

The expanded roster of teams and the new divisional structure will enable schools to offer a more robust schedule and enhance opportunities for securing automatic bids to the NAIA national championships, further cementing The Heart's reputation as a premier athletic conference in the sport.