Report: Former Northwestern volleyball player files lawsuit after alleged hazing injury

A former Northwestern volleyball player has filed a lawsuit against the school regarding the university’s response to an alleged hazing incident, according to ESPN’s Dan Murphy. The alleged incident took place in 2021.

The anonymous player said she was injured after running sprints, which were part of a “punishment” allegedly handed down by head coach Shane Davis. In addition, the player alleged Davis — who is listed as a defendant in the suit — “enabled a culture of racism, bullying, harassment, hazing and retaliation” within the program.

The player played for the Wildcats from 2019-23 and came down with COVID-19 in February 2021. She said the coaches punished her for breaking COVID-19 guidelines and alleged Davis told the captains to pick a “punishment” for her. That’s why she ran suicides and dove at each line, and ended up requiring medical attention as a result.

Northwestern opened an investigation into the program the next day, according to the player, but she said the university didn’t punish any coaches or players after finding out hazing had occurred.

Davis is one of six defendants in the suit. Northwestern’s last two presidents and last three athletic directors are also listed.

One of the player’s lawyers, Parker Stinar, said the alleged incident is part of a broader issue within Northwestern Athletics. Stinar’s firm also filed lawsuits on behalf of Wildcats football players last week.

“Jane Doe’s complaint outlines the institutional failures at Northwestern beyond the volleyball and football programs, shedding light of a corrupt athletic department,” Stinar said.

Davis has been the head coach at Northwestern since 2016 after previously serving as the men’s volleyball coach at Loyola Chicago. He won back-to-back national championships with the Ramblers before taking the job at Northwestern, where he has an 88-113 record across six seasons.

The lawsuit against Northwestern volleyball is the latest filed against the university. Last week, multiple suits came out against the university that named current and former university leadership as defendants. Among the group is former football coach Pat Fitzgerald, who was fired earlier this month in light of allegations within the program, and former athletic director Jim Phillips. Phillips is now the commissioner of the ACC and released a statement denying he “ever condoned or tolerated inappropriate conduct against student-athletes” within the athletics department.

More former football players announced another lawsuit Monday and provided details of alleged incidents.

Northwestern president Michael Schill announced two reviews of the athletics department on July 18. One review will look into how the athletic department detects threats and assesses accountability, and the other one will look into the culture of the athletic department. The university will make both reviews public upon completion.