(Friday, May 12; Sioux Center, Iowa) Michael Gross, a senior at Gilbert Christian High School (Arizona), has announced his intention to attend Dordt and join the Defender volleyball program.  

"Michael brings a versatile skill set into our men's volleyball program.  He's played as an outside hitter and setter with success in each position.  We are grateful for the work that Coach Michelle Petrey, Coach Taylor Van Winkle, and Coach Chris Aviles have invested into Michael's development.  He will live out The Defender Way well when he joins our campus community this fall," said Dordt volleyball coach Chad Hanson.  

Gross is a setter and has also played right-side and outside hitter during his career. He had 101 kills, 328 assists, 155 digs and 40 ace serves and was picked as the 2023 Region Offensive Player of the Year. He also had 2023 Region First Team accolades and was picked as the Gilbert Christian High School Student-Athlete of the Year.  

"I chose Dordt because I have seen the lifelong relationships formed in Christ that people around me have established through Dordt. I am excited for the community of like-minded Christians and personable people. It is also a blessing to be able to continue playing volleyball there," said Gross.  

Michael is the son of Jonathan and Lisa Gross of Gilbert, Arizona.  He plans to study social work. 

Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive Christian college rooted in the Reformed tradition. The Defender athletic program is a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA).?  

U.S. News & World Report, Money Magazine, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review all list Dordt on their best colleges lists. Dordt is home to approximately 1,500 students.