Since its move to Division I, Merrimack College has competed against some storied teams in collegiate sports. From men’s basketball taking on defending national champion Florida this season to field hockey playing against then-No. 1 ranked Iowa in 2023 to the football team traveling next season to play Atlantic Coast Conference school Wake Forest.
For those competitions, and others against similar top programs, the Warriors took to the road. But this February, two Merrimack College men’s teams will host perennial powerhouse schools, both from Utah, in their respective sports.
“Bringing nationally renowned Division I opponents to campus is a testament to the growth of Merrimack Athletics,” said Director of Athletics Joe Foley. “The Warriors have proven time and again they can compete with the top programs in collegiate athletics, and playing those programs at Merrimack, in front of our home fans, is an exciting opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches and fans.”
On Monday, Feb. 9, the men’s volleyball team will play the Brigham Young University Cougars, currently ranked No. 8 in the nation, in Sakowich Campus Center Multipurpose Room. And on Saturday, Feb. 21, men’s lacrosse will welcome the University of Utah to Duane Stadium. The Utes competed in the NCAA Tournament in 2023 and 2024.
“Being able to pick up a game like this is huge for our program,” said Mike Sciamanna, entering his second season as the head men’s lacrosse coach. “(Utah) is a big-time program.”
The opportunity came about thanks in part to Sciamanna’s network. At a national lacrosse coaches conference, he was introduced to Utah Head Coach Andrew McMinn. Toward the end of their conversation, Sciamanna mentioned it would be great to schedule a game in the future, and it just so happened Utah needed an away game for this season. As part of the agreement, the Warriors will travel to Salt Lake City in 2027.
In addition to making the NCAA tournament two out of the past three seasons, the Utes won the Atlantic Sun Conference championship in 2023 and 2024. Utah also holds the designation of being the westernmost team in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse.
“I consider myself a program builder and this year we are continuing to build on the culture we instilled last year, but with a lot more talent and guys,” said Sciamanna, adding that the Warriors have 24 new players on the roster this year.
Hayden West-Mather is instilling his own culture as the first-year head coach for Merrimack’s men’s volleyball team. He came to Merrimack this past summer from Division III Nichols College, and already has the Warriors poised to compete in one of the most significant stretches of opponents since the program was launched in 2023.
Men’s volleyball will face No. 19 Princeton in New Jersey on Friday, Jan. 30, then travel to an invitational tournament at Harvard, where they will take on No. 20 Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, Feb. 7, followed by BYU on Feb. 9.
“BYU is also in (the Harvard) tournament, but we aren’t playing them, so I emailed the team and asked if they wanted to stay a couple extra days for another match,” West-Mather said. “It is a big thing to look forward to and we are building on our first matches of the season to prepare for it. (BYU) has some of the top athletes not just in college volleyball, but in the world.”
That level of skill is noticeable in the Cougars’ resume, which includes an NCAA Tournament runner-up in 2021 and eight conference championships.
West-Mather encouraged the Merrimack community to come and check out a match this season because one match is all it will take to get fans hooked.
“It is a very exciting game to watch in person,” he said. “In a lot of cases, these guys are jumping higher than basketball players.”
