Wentworth Institute of Technology: Athletics > Varsity Sports

In the late 1990’s, the Wentworth men’s volleyball team elevated its level of play and has become a recognized program within Division III. The program became a varsity sport in the late 1980s, with the team participating in the New England Collegiate Volleyball League against Division I, II, and III club-level teams. The Leopards fared well during that period, making numerous playoff appearances and earning several individual honors

After finishing the 1997 season with a 17-9 record, the next logical step was to upgrade the program by entering a more competitive conference. When the Northeastern Collegiate Volleyball Association was being formed by Division III schools from New England, New York, and New Jersey, Wentworth jumped at the opportunity to join this new conference. The Leopards won two consecutive NECVA New England division titles in 1998 and 1999. Although both the 1998 and 1999 editions of Leopard spikers departed the playoffs in the early rounds, the stage was set for a remarkable 2000 season.

After a 3-5 start, the 2000 Leopards won their next 16 matches and advanced to the NECVA championship match. Wentworth finished with a 19-6 record and a final national ranking of 13th. The 2001 squad would make the program’s fourth consecutive postseason appearance.

Wentworth would miss the NECVA Tournament for the first time in the program's history in 2002 and went through a coaching change at the conclusion of that season. In 2005 Wentworth would make a run at a playoff berth, but fell short and finished 12-13, which were the most wins since the 2001 season.

A coaching change took place at the conclusion of the 2007 season and after a three-win season in 2008, the groundwork was laid for a much-improved 2009 campaign

Coming off of a three-win season in 2008 and with a solid group of recruits brought in, the Leopards hoped that this season would be one that put them in contention for a postseason berth. The season got off to a slow start, as Wentworth would drop its first two matches and stood at 3-8 through 11 matches.

Beginning with a 3-2 win over Lasell, the Leopards strung together four consecutive wins and would eventually win six of seven matches to stand at 9-8 and 6-6 in conference play. However, a four-match losing streak would end any hope of a .500 or better season.

Sophomore Javier Feliciano (San Juan, Puerto Rico) had an outstanding first season with the squad, averaging 5.32 kills and 3.20 digs per game while hitting .389. He was ranked among the leaders in Division III in kills per game (second), digs per game (seventh), and hitting percetnage (seventh). Classmate Lowell Jesmer (Rochester, N.Y.) averaged 2.97 kills per game, while classmate Chuck Gregory (New Bedford, Mass.) was third in Division III, averaging 1.41 blocks per game. Feliciano was named First Team All-NECVA New England Division while, as a team, the Leopards led Division III with 3.53 blocks per game.

First-year head coach Rob Mullowney inherits a squad that loses just one player to graduation and should return a team that will be in the hunt for a post-seaosn berth in the ultra-competitive NECVA New England Division.

Distinguished Players

Former Leopard standout Jeff Garriga ’94, was one of nine charter members of the Wentworth Athletic Hall of Fame. David Rooth ’00, one of the premier players in the NECVA, was enshrined as a member of the Class of 2005, while former teammate David Hyde ’00 joined Rooth when he was inducted with the Class of 2007. Jason Jeffers ’97, an outstanding setter during his playing days, has been the head coach of the Wentworth women’s volleyball team since 1999 and coached the men’s team from 2003-2007, while former Leopard Kevin Carreiro '03 has served as Jeffers' assistant on the women's side since 2002 and was his assistant during his five seasons as the men's coach.

Schedule

Wentworth plays 14 matches against NECVA New England foes such as MIT, Endicott, Newbury and Elms. The Leopards' non-league schedule consists of matches against such local schools as Lasell, Emmanuel, as well as competing in a pair of out-of-region tournaments each year. The NECVA as a whole is an extremely competitive conference, as evidenced by the 36 matches the Leopards have played against nationally ranked foes over the last seven seasons.

Wentworth has been ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 15 during two seasons - the latter part of the 2000 campaign and the first half of the 2001 season.

Meet the Coaching Staff

Rob Mullowney (Haverford '05) is entering his first season as Wentworth's men's volleyball coach. Currently the Head Women's Volleyball Coach at the United States Coast Guard Academy, Mullowney has served as an assistant men's coach at Newbury and Elms.