Head coach for the Manhattan University Men’s Volleyball team, Chris Schortgen.
GOJASPERS.COM / COURTESY
By Mack Olmsted, Features Editor
Manhattan University will assemble its first-ever men’s volleyball team for their season beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year with Chris Schortgen as the head coach for the program.
“I’d like to thank Director of Athletics Irma Garcia, president Dr. Frederick Bonato and the entire Manhattan University community for welcoming me to campus,” Schortgen said in an article published on gojaspers.com. “It is an honor to lead our new men’s volleyball program here at Manhattan…I am ready to work tirelessly to bring even more prestige to our Jaspers brand that has long been respected.”
The head coach of the MU women’s volleyball team, Mauro Miletic, told The Quadrangle that the athletic director, Irma Garcia, brought volleyball to St. Francis in Brooklyn before they closed their athletic programs. Inspired by her past actions, she wanted to do the same thing at Manhattan University and bring more sports to campus, starting with men’s volleyball.
“Chris Schortgen brings a mix of all the right qualities to this job and is motivated to build a winner with Manhattan Men’s Volleyball,” Garcia wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “His track record at CUNY Hunter speaks for itself and he will be a consummate player’s coach here at Manhattan.”
Miletic explained that he worked with Schortgen in the past for a charter school. He told The Quadrangle that he was happy that he joined the Manhattan University community, and appreciates the opportunities to bring something to the table.
Miletic hopes the men’s and women’s volleyball teams can work closely together and help each other improve their skills. He believes having the men could also help the women get stronger by having a “different level” of practicing opponents.
“I loved working with him [Schortgen],” Miletic said. “I know he’s driven. He loves volleyball. Volleyball is all he talked about prior to this job. I’m pretty sure he is going to bring a lot of knowledge to Manhattan University when it comes to volleyball. We’re going to have more international players coming here, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to be very successful here.”
Miletic also explained to The Quadrangle the benefits that could come out of the new team. He believes the new men’s team could bring in more student-athletes, and believes that volleyball is a fast-growing sport that will allow other programs to start up.
“I believe that this sport is going to be good for Manhattan University,” Miletic said. “It’s going to be good for the athletic department, because volleyball is going to bring more interest from people around. And it’s going to be definitely good for Manhattan University on the financial standpoint, because more students means more money.”
According to gojaspers.com, Schortgen said that he looks forward to building a program that will join the MU athletics community for the foreseeable future. The program is prepared for its inaugural campaign to begin in the upcoming spring 2025 semester. Led by the Virginia Beach native, Schortgen is determined to start the season off strong for the Jaspers.