Gym Rats Volleyball takes the court for 2024-25 club season

Gym Rats Volleyball, Fort Wayne’s newest club volleyball program, is set to hit the courts at SportONE/Parkview Fieldhouse starting with the 2024-25 club season. Backed by the partnerships and expertise of Gym Rats Basketball, Empowered Volleyball Academy and Parkview Sports Medicine, Gym Rats Volleyball is an independent club that emphasizes player development through the same expectations of excellence, quality and success as shown by Gym Rats Basketball over the last 25 years.

Gym Rats Volleyball will include high level-training, national-level tournaments, a full-time recruiting coordinator on staff, Nike uniforms and gear, full access to Balltime video highlights and play analysis, and an exclusive partnerships with Sports Performance, Peak Performance and Sports Nutrition from the region’s most-accredited sports medicine team, PSM. The 2024-25 club season is for girls only.

Additionally, Gym Rats Volleyball is thrilled to announce Ivan Matos as its Club Director.

“I am excited to lead Gym Rats Volleyball as its first Club Director,” Matos says. “There is so much great volleyball talent in the region that I am looking forward to working with great players and coaches to help them progress on and off the court.”

Matos has been a staple of volleyball in Northeast Indiana since being recruited to Indiana University Purdue University-Fort Wayne from 2009 to 2012. Matos was named to All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association 1st Team, selected as MIVA Player of the Week and selected as Men’s Division I-II National Player of the Week during his senior season with the VolleyDons. An outside hitter, Matos tallied 735 kills, 280 digs, 124 blocks, 30 assists and 25 service aces. He earned Academic All-MIVA honors three times, as well.

Matos played professionally in his native Puerto Rico and in the Premiere Volleyball League. Following his playing career, Matos served as a graduate assistant for the IPFW men’s volleyball team before being named head coach of the women’s program at Manchester University, where he’s been since 2018. He also has been a club coach at Empowered Volleyball Academy since 2017. Matos plans to bring his years of valuable experience to Gym Rats Volleyball.

Tryouts for 2024-25 club season are July 14 and 15, 2024 at SportONE/Parkview Fieldhouse. Tryout registration will be available at a later date. Follow Gym Rats Volleyball on social media for the latest information at gymratsvb.com and @gymratsvb on Instagram, Facebook and X.