ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Two new varsity sports will be added to the Augustana lineup, it was announced today. Men's volleyball and women's bowling become the latest additions to the athletic lineup for the Vikings. Both sports will begin play in the 2017-18 school year.
 
"Athletics plays a critically important role in the overall enrollment management process at Augustana, and following several months of discussion and review, we believe that women's bowling and men's volleyball are both strategic additions as varsity sports in terms of attracting quality student-athletes from our traditional recruitment areas plus new markets such as California," said Mike Zapolski, Augustana's director of athletics. "Our plan is to replicate the process that was used for the launch of our men's and women's lacrosse programs a few years ago with the goal of fielding highly competitive teams that represent the Augustana brand of competitive excellence."
 
The addition of men's volleyball and women's bowling will bring the number of varsity sports sponsored by Augustana to 25. Women's lacrosse and men's lacrosse were added to the varsity lineup during the 2011-12 school year and prior to that the newest sport had been women's golf, which came on board in 1996.
 
"Augustana has a long history of adding programs to meet the changing needs of our students," said President Steve Bahls. "Men's volleyball and women's bowling are both emerging sports in high schools. Adding these sports will allow us to provide new opportunities for competition for the next generation of Augie students."
 
Volleyball will join football, cross country, soccer, basketball, wrestling, swimming, indoor track & field, lacrosse, outdoor track & field, golf, tennis and baseball to giving the Vikings 13 offerings on the men's side. Bowling becomes the 12^th women's sport, joining volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, golf, basketball, indoor track & field, lacrosse, outdoor track & field, swimming and softball.
 
Men's volleyball will begin its life as an independent but Augustana will apply for membership in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League, which currently has 14 members. Women's bowling will compete as an independent and it should be noted that the NCAA sponsorship in this sport does not break down into divisions.
 
The men's volleyball season will run from January through mid-April while women's bowling goes from October until March.
 
Augustana has long been a leader in both the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin and NCAA Division III in terms of combining athletic prowess and academic excellence. The Vikings have won more CCIW team titles 184 (142 men and 42 women) than any other school and Augustana currently ranks seventh in the nation (all divisions) in number of Academic All-Americans produced with 161.
 
About Augustana: Founded in 1860, Augustana College is a selective four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences. Augustana is recognized for the innovative program Augie Choice, which provides each student up to $2,000 to pursue a high-impact learning experience such as study abroad, an internship or research with a professor. Current students and alumni include 161 Academic All-Americans, a Nobel laureate, 13 college presidents and other distinguished leaders. The college enrolls 2,500 students and is located along one of the world's most important waterways, the Mississippi River, in a community that reflects the diversity of the United States.