The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has recently made a huge splash in the volleyball community. They will be the first historically Black NCAA Division I university to offer men’s volleyball (there are many more that have programs at the D II level) in the 2025-2026 school year. UMES is located in Princess Anne, Maryland, on the Delmarva Peninsula. It is part of the University System of Maryland and is a member institution of historically Black university (HBCU). UMES is about 40 minutes from the beach (Ocean City) and centrally located in major cities, including Washington, D.C., New York City, Philadelphia, and Wilmington, Delaware. This prime location offers a great balance of access to urban amenities and a relaxed, scenic environment. UMES is a public university. As of Fall 2024, UMES has a total enrollment of 3,163 students, comprising 2,467 undergraduate and 696 graduate students.
Tara Owens, the Vice President of Athletics & Recreation at UMES played a key role in creating a men’s volleyball program. Owens is clearly a huge fan of men’s volleyball. She started a program at her previous institution, Central State University. Owens will bring that invaluable experience at UMES as the men’s volleyball program is launched.
While building the UMES program, Owens made an impressive head coaching hire. During her time creating the Central State program, Owens brought on Dr. Anitra Brockman. Brockman did a fantastic job building a respected NCAA D II team. When Owens moved to UMES, she had the opportunity to start a men’s program at the NCAA D I level. She saw what a stellar job Brockman did at Central State and brought her on board to UMES.
I am incredibly excited and honored to lead the inaugural men’s volleyball program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). This is a historic opportunity to build something special, and my vision is to develop a competitive, disciplined, and high-character team that represents the academic excellence and tradition of UMES. Our goal is to grow the game, inspire future athletes and establish a strong foundation for long-term success. We are the first HBCU, Division 1 to have men’s volleyball. This opportunity would not be possible without the support of First Point Volleyball Foundation, Vice President of Athletics & Recreation Tara Owens, and President of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Dr. Heidi Anderson. Their commitment to expanding opportunities for men’s volleyball has been instrumental in bringing this program to life, and I am truly grateful. I can’t wait to get started,” said Brockman.
The UMES men’s volleyball program will compete in the Northeast Conference (NEC), a respected and competitive league in NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball. “Joining the NEC provides our athletes with an exciting opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the region, furthering the mission of UMES to build a strong and competitive program. The NEC’s commitment to excellence in athletics aligns perfectly with the UMES vision. We look forward to making an impact on the court and contributing to the conference’s continued growth. We’re excited about the journey ahead and the challenges and opportunities that come with competing at this level,” said Brockman.
First Point Volleyball Foundation has been incredibly involved in helping get the UMES men’s volleyball program off the ground. Their support has been invaluable, from providing guidance and resources during the planning stages to offering expertise in the development of the program. Brockman was especially grateful to John Speraw, Wade Garard, and the First Point Volleyball Foundation’s Board of Directors for their dedication, support and hard work in continuing to grow the game. Their commitment played a crucial role in making our program a reality.
UMES has signed 18 players for the inaugural 2025-2026 season. The 18 signed players for the UMES men’s volleyball program’s inaugural 2025-2026 season represent states from all over the U.S. as well as international countries, including Belize, Illinois, California, Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Ohio, Georgia, Maryland, Florida, New Jersey, and Hawaii. This diverse group of athletes brings a wealth of talent and experience to the program. “We’re thrilled about this group and can’t wait to see them in action as we build a strong foundation for the program. All of their names can be found on our Instagram, the middle hitter website, and Twitter/X pages @umeshawksmvb. Be sure to follow us for updates,” said Dr. Brockman.
I have had the pleasure of being on numerous zoom calls with Dr. Brockman to help grow the game. Character and building a strong culture are important to her. She modeled that behavior when she attended the First Point Inaugural High School Boys’ Tournament in Austin, Texas. The magical event lasted long hours for three straight days. Brockman was there for the whole event. Brockman represented UMES well, supported First Point to grow the game and was evaluating student-athletes to potentially join her program.
Brockmann got to show off her volleyball IQ by joining me on the livestream at the First Point Inaugural tournament. She was a natural on the mic. Her trip to Austin was filmed and will be part of the ESPN documentary that is coming out before the 2025-2026 volleyball season. The documentary will highlight UMES starting a program and give the viewer a front row seat on how Dr. Brockman is building her team.
I will make sure to have Brockman on the KP HERE Podcast this summer. We will get updates on the UMES program and discuss how she is making an impact in the volleyball world. I remain a huge fan of Brockmann. John Howard III is a Kevin Pratte Foundation Scholarship winner. Howard will be attending UMES as an outside hitter and will be studying engineering. I hope to continue sending student-athletes Dr. Brockman’s way, she is a great coach and an even better person!
Make sure to follow UMES and Dr. Brockman on social media. Dr. Brockman is constantly giving motivational posts and is a good follow. You can find Dr. Brockman on Instagram @drcoachabrockman and the UMES program @umeshawksmvb.
About the Author
Kevin Pratte has enthusiastically been involved in volleyball for over 23 years. Pratte started playing in middle school and was fortunate enough to play NCAA Division 1 volleyball at The University of the Pacific. After his playing career, Pratte got involved in coaching volleyball. In 2009, Pratte was the graduate assistant coach for the University of Nebraska women’s volleyball program. Later in his career, Pratte made coaching stops at University of the Pacific, multiple community colleges, and coached at WAVE Volleyball Club for seven years. Currently Pratte is a physical education teacher in the San Diego Unified School District, San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary member, a college volleyball recruiting coordinator, hosts a volleyball podcast show, the owner of the Middle Hitter website and runs a non-profit organization to help raise funds to give boys’ high school volleyball students scholarships to play club volleyball.
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