Heckathorn
Grove City College has selected 2019 Grove City graduate Brett Heckathorn as its first men’s volleyball head coach. Grove City will begin intercollegiate play in January 2025.
Heckathorn recently concluded his fourth season as Grove City’s assistant women’s volleyball coach. He has helped Grove City to 64 wins, four straight winning seasons and two postseason berths in that span.
Heckathorn started all four seasons for Grove City’s nationally-ranked men’s club volleyball program. He captained the men’s club squad in his junior and senior seasons while starting at libero.
Now, he will guide the club team’s transition into varsity competition.
“I am very excited for this opportunity,” Heckathorn said. “I am looking forward to developing a program that will be competitive in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference and in our region while also building upon the foundation that our club program has established over the last three decades.”
A native of nearby Butler, Heckathorn graduated from Grove City in May 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in business/economics. He also worked as assistant sports information director before taking over as Director of Student Recreation during the 2021-22 academic year.
Heckathorn has also been the club program’s co-advisor since fall 2019.
“We are very excited to have Brett leading our program through this transition and into varsity competition,” Grove City athletic director Todd Gibson said. “Brett is very familiar with our men’s program and he has been an integral part of the growth and success that our women’s volleyball program has achieved over the last four seasons.
“We have followed a similar model in recent years by successfully transitioning our men’s and women’s lacrosse programs from club level to varsity status. We feel that this plan will allow the program to be well-prepared and competitive when we begin play.”
The College has also named head women’s volleyball coach Leo Sayles as Director of Volleyball. In that role, Sayles will oversee numerous day-to-day operations of both the women’s and men’s programs. He will also work as an assistant coach with the men’s team while continuing to lead Grove City’s women’s volleyball program.
“We are very thankful for Leo’s willingness to support our men’s program while continuing to drive our women’s program to further success,” Gibson said. “We feel that combining Brett’s passion and knowledge of men’s volleyball at Grove City with Leo’s experience will allow both programs to compete at a high level.”
The Presidents’ Athletic Conference will begin sponsoring men’s volleyball in 2025, coinciding with the launch of Grove City’s program.
Men’s volleyball will be the 24th varsity sport at Grove City.