“I got to practice incisions and suturing, and we had some frogs that needed postoperative care,” he said. “That was a really valuable experience, and I don’t think I would’ve gotten that at a lot of other schools.”

These days, Prock doesn’t operate on frogs. His patients are mostly dogs and cats. The vet is the co-founder of Furgent Care, a veterinary urgent care in Virginia Beach that offers evening and weekend services for pet owners when their primary care veterinarian is unavailable.

Identifying a need

In 2018, following four tough years at veterinary school (Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech), Prock earned his doctor of veterinary medicine degree. After working as a general practice vet at a clinic in South Florida for three years, he returned to his hometown of Virginia Beach with his wife, Katie (Landis) Prock ’12—they met at 91����Ƶ—and worked as a locum, filling in for understaffed hospitals that needed help.

“Think of it like substitute teaching, but for veterinarians,” Prock said.

That experience opened his eyes to the growing need for after-hours veterinary services.

“It shocked me the amount of clients who would call in with sick pets and say, ‘My dog is vomiting or has diarrhea or has an ear infection,’” said Prock. “And the answer was, ‘Our first available appointment is in two weeks.’ That’s just how the system works. But it felt wrong to say no to so many sick pets.”

That motivated him to reach out to his roommate from vet school, Jonah Williams, and together they opened Furgent Care in 2024. The clinic is staffed by 16 total employees, including four doctors. It has 164 reviews and a 4.9-out-of-5 rating.

“Our core values are compassion and collaboration, and that’s been echoed in our reviews,” Prock said. “People get what we’re doing and they appreciate it.”

Seeking a balance

From a young age, Prock had a love for animals. He said he’s always known he wanted to become a veterinarian.

“My parents let us keep weird pets,” he said. “I had all sorts of reptiles growing up, hedgehogs, guinea pigs, and bunnies. You name it, we took care of it.”

That taught him the responsibility of pet ownership and fostered in him a connection to animals. He added that he’s also always been fascinated with the subject of biology, the natural sciences, and the “huge, complex system that makes all living things, living things.” 

Those interests coincided with a passion for volleyball. A skilled player in high school, he started attracting attention from college recruiters across the country.

His older sister played volleyball at a Division I school, and he saw the commitment required to compete at that level. “I got to see firsthand what having, essentially, a full-time job on top of college looked like,” Prock said. “That helped steer me toward Division III and 91����Ƶ.”

“From my visit to 91����Ƶ, I felt like I could achieve a balance: smaller class sizes and professors who were involved and cared for their students more than they could in a thousand-student lecture hall,” he said. “As an athlete, I was given some flexibility with my assignments. They understood I had more than just school going on and helped me outside of class when I missed it.”

“I think that balance made a huge impact on my ability to eventually get into vet school,” he added.

At 91����Ƶ, Prock excelled as a student-athlete. He was named to the first-ever Continental Volleyball Conference All-East Division Team during the inaugural season of the conference. His name still ranks No. 2 on the all-time digs list for 91����Ƶ.

Although no amount of work can truly prepare someone for the rigors and stressors of vet school, he said, 91����Ƶ’s coursework and degree equipped him as best it could. “It was absolutely difficult and was a new level of challenging, but as far as fundamentals go, I had everything I needed,” he said.

It’s also incredibly difficult to get accepted into vet school, he added. After graduating from 91����Ƶ with a biology degree, he stayed in Harrisonburg for a couple years, working as an assistant at Heartland Veterinary Clinic and serving as an assistant coach for the men’s volleyball team at 91����Ƶ. At the same time, he applied to a flurry of veterinary schools across the country.

“I tell people I took one year off on purpose and one year off by accident, because I didn’t get into veterinary school,” said Prock. He was eventually accepted during a second round of applications. 

When he started vet school, he had three goals. One was to graduate. Another was to stay married. And a third goal was to get as much sleep as he could. “My priorities looked different than most people’s,” Prock said, noting the hypercompetitive nature of vet school students. “It was never my goal to become the world’s best veterinarian or the world’s best clinician. I always wanted to help people and I knew I could do that by helping pets and working with animals.”

Keeping his passion going

One of his most meaningful experiences from his time at 91����Ƶ occurred during a senior seminar class taught by Professor Emeritus Roman Miller. Prock recalled an assignment to shadow a large-animal veterinarian at cattle farms around Harrisonburg for several weeks. They performed everything from routine pregnancy checks to emergency calls and surgery.

“That was wonderful preparation,” Prock said. “I gained an immense amount of respect for farmers and for large-animal vets who work incredibly long and hard hours. To have that kind of foresight in making me do that was really wise and paid off in keeping my passion going.”

As Prock’s responsibilities at the clinic have shifted, he’s spent more time on the business side, building teams and systems, and less time on the floor seeing patients.

For those like him, seeking a career in veterinary medicine, he said the role requires a “specific type of brain.” 

“It’s common to find people who have a passion for animals,” he said. “It’s less common to find those who have a passion for helping people, solving problems, and working with teams.”

Learn more about the clinic at .

Prock relished in the libero role this year and will finish as one of the best back row players in D-III volleyball.  Currently, his 3.25 digs per game has Prock second in the nation.  The senior had 14 matches notching 10 or more digs, including a season high 20 in a four-set contest against Philadelphia Biblical.

He finishes his career at Eastern Mennonite in second place on the all-time digs list with 1,006.  Ryan Detweiler holds the 91����Ƶ record at 1,186.  Prock was also a setter during his freshman season, and finishes 11th on the all-time assists list with 603.

The Royals closed the 2012 season with a record of 11-14.  They were tied for third in the CVC East at 3-5, but missed the six-team CVC Tournament based on a tie-breaker with Thiel College.

Below is the full list of the CVC All-East Division Team:

Nolan Prock, Eastern Mennonite, Sr, LB
Ben Wolff, Juniata, Sr, MB
John Almquist, Juniata, Sr, S
Joe Bortak, Juniata, Fr, MB
Ross Madden, Juniata, So, OH
Dante McCoy, Thiel, Jr, RS
Eddy Klepper, Stevenson, So, MH
Ethan Mawhinney, Philadelphia Biblical, Jr, MH
David Moler, Stevenson, Fr, S
Noah Prickett, Philadelphia Biblical, Jr, OH
Michael Whitelock, Thiel, So, MH
Kyle Wisner, Stevenson, Fr, MH

91����Ƶ 3, Philadelphia Biblical 2
The match with the Crimson Eagles was one filled with wild momentum swings.

PBU jumped to a 9-2 lead in game one before the Royals tied the score at 15-15.  The men squirted ahead and took a 25-23 win on a kill from (Columbus, OH/Worthington Kilbourne).

91����Ƶ fell behind early in sets two and three, taking identical 25-20 losses.

With their backs against the wall, the Royals responded, blowing open an early lead to a big 25-11 win in game four to force a decisive fifth set.

The men made a couple of comebacks in game five, including three straight blocks to cap a late 4-0 run which put them on top 14-13.  PBU scored a point to tie things up, but Eastern Mennonite had the final say with two points for the 16-14 decision.

As a team, the Royals hit .302, landed nine service aces and made 13 team blocks.

(Hollywood, FL/South Broward) led all players with 18 kills along with two aces.  (Chesapeake, VA/Hickory) had 13 kills to go with a solo stuff and five assists.  He also had four aces.  (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) landed 12 kills.

Barry finished with 48 set assists and two service aces.  (Glen Allen, VA/Deep Run) was a huge presence from the middle of the net with nine kills, two solo blocks and six assists.

Libero (Virginia Beach, VA/Frank W. Cox) had a match high 18 digs.

Eastern Mennonite 3, Philadelphia Biblical 0
The men snapped a three-match skid by beating PBU to close the day.  91����Ƶ had a late 6-0 run to break open a close game one and win, 25-19.  The Crimson Eagles led 24-22 in game two, but the Royals rattled off three straight and stole a 27-25 decision.  Eastern Mennonite held a small edge much of game three and finished off with a 25-22 win.

Sophomore (Highland Springs, VA/Highland Spring) led at the net, pounding out 19 kills, a career best for him in a three-game set.   (Glen Allen, VA/Deep Run) landed eight kills and (Chesapeake, VA/Hickory) added seven.  (Columbus, OH/Worthington Kilbourne) set up 31 assists as the men rebounded to a .295 attack percentage.

Prock had a whopping 14 digs in the sweep.  Middles Grove and (Westerville, OH/Bishop Watterson) each had two solo blocks and two block assists.  Knight had three assists, and he and (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) each had a pair of service aces.

The Royals stand at 7-8 on the season, including 1-3 in the CVC.  They are one of three teams in the CVC East with one win.  91����Ƶ has a week off before a tri-match at Philadelphia Biblical on Saturday, March 10.  The men have a non-conference date with PBU to open the day and then play Ramapo.

Sunday, Feb. 5

Nazareth 3, 91����Ƶ 0

The men opened their final day of play at the invite against No. 5 Nazareth. The Golden Flyers, also the 2011 National Champions, had already won their first three matches at the invite, and they made it four in a row with a sweep of 91����Ƶ.

Game scores were 25-18, 25-17 and 25-11.

Kendall Garber (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) and John Grove (Glen Allen, VA/Deep Run) co-led Eastern Mennonite with six kills apiece. Garber also had a team high five digs. John Barry (Columbus, OH/Worthington Kilbourne) had 19 assists.

After a dominant defensive showing at the net in Saturday’s matches, the Royals had just one triple block against Nazareth.

Elmira 3, 91����Ƶ 2

The Soaring Eagles were receiving votes in this week’s AVCA poll, but were just outside of the top 15. Eastern Mennonite went back-and-forth with Elmira, but came up on the short end.

Elmira won the first set 25-16, but the Royals came back with some good serving to win set two, 25-18. The trend continued, as the teams split three and four, 25-14 to Elmira and 25-19 to 91����Ƶ.

The Royals started with a slight edge in the decisive fifth set. But the Soaring Eagles tacked in a couple of late points to sneak out a 15-13 closer.

Chris Moise (Hollywood, FL/South Broward) led a balanced attack for the men with 14 kills. Greg Knight (Chesapeake, VA/Hickory) had nine kills and three service aces. Garber and Grove each added eight kills while Barry put down seven of his own from the setter’s spot. He also had 35 assists.

Kyle Storc (Westerville, OH/Bishop Watterson) had two solo blocks and two block assists. Barry had nine digs and Moise added seven.

Eastern Mennonite, 3-4 on the season, now returns to Yoder Arena, where the Royals will host their next five matches. Those five are also the only home matches of the season.

Saturday, Feb. 4

91����Ƶ 3, Medaille 0

Eastern Mennonite opened up with Medaille, which entered as the No. 10 team in the AVCA National Poll and had already won its first three matches at the invite. The Royals jumped ahead early and took game one by a 25-20 score. The Mavericks regrouped, but 91����Ƶ still had the leg up in a pair of tight 27-25 wins to close the match.

John Grove (Glen Allen, VA/Deep Run) was unstoppable out of the middle, hammering a career high 11 kills on just 14 attacks. His attack percentage of .786 was just shy of the school record of .833.

Chris Moise (Hollywood, FL/South Broward) added 10 kills and Kendall Garber (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) put down nine kills on 18 attempts. John Barry (Columbus, OH/Worthington Kilbourne) had a great time setting up the offense as he racked up 37 assists in the sweep.

The Royals also dominated the net defensively, with 12.5 blocks. Kyle Storc (Westerville, OH/Bishop Watterson) had six block assists and one solo stuff. Greg Knight (Chesapeake, VA/Hickory) added two of each, as well as two service aces.

Libero Nolan Prock (Virginia Beach, VA/Frank W. Cox) picked up 13 digs.

91����Ƶ 3, Fontbonne 0

The Royals turned around and took on Fontbonne from the CVC West. The Griffins proved no match for the men, as 91����Ƶ ran away with a sweep. Game scores were: 25-21, 25-15 and 25-16.

Eastern Mennonite hit .462 as a team with just four errors, including .524 in set two and .765 in the final set.

Everyone got involved, led by Grove’s seven swats. George Greene (Highland Springs, VA/Highland Springs) had kills on all six of his attempts. Garber also had six, while Moise and Knight each landed five. Barry had 29 assists.

Prock again led in the back row, digging up 10 Fontbonne spikes. Garber added eight.

The Royals also had six total blocks, led by Storc’s five block assists.

91����Ƶ hosts a tri-match on Saturday, Feb. 11, against Pfeiffer and Philadelphia Biblical University. The men take on Pfeiffer at 10:30am and PBU at 7:00pm. The two other teams play each other early in the afternoon, with the 91����Ƶ women’s basketball team also playing a home game at 4:00pm.

Faced with an upstart team trying for its second big win in a row, the Eastern Mennonite men’s volleyball team responded to the challenge. For a time, the Royals played their best volleyball of the year before gritting out the finish in a 3-1 win over NECVA Metro foe Stevenson.

The Mustangs had never beaten 91����Ƶ coming in, entering with a 0-16 mark against the Royals. But with an infusion of young talent this year, Stevenson entered the match 7-0 overall and riding a 3-1 win over No. 15 Ramapo.

Eastern Mennonite quickly took the momentum on the home court, streaking to a 9-2 lead with some big attacks and a pair of service aces.

Stevenson called a timeout and regrouped, but game one was never in doubt as the Royals won 25-18.

Game two looked to be the same, as the men ran out to a 23-12 edge. But after trading points, 91����Ƶ got sloppy and gave up a 5-0 run. The Royals still won 25-18, but the momentum turned for game three.

Stevenson jumped ahead 7-3. Then with an 11-8 lead, the Mustangs effectively scored two points for every one of 91����Ƶ’s to grab an easy 25-15 win and force a game four.

The visitors took an early lead again before the Royals went up 7-5. Stevenson then used a 5-0 run to jump back in the lead, 16-13.

Eastern Mennonite responded with a back-breaking run. The men scored four straight and took the lead on a Chris Moise (Hollywood, Fl./South Broward) kill. The Mustangs called a timeout but their next attack sailed just out of bounds. The Royals pushed the run to 7-0, taking a 20-16 edge and the wind out of Stevenson’s sails.

The Mustangs got back within two before 91����Ƶ closed things out on a 5-1 tear, winning 25-19.

Moise’s big swings led the way on the attack, as he dropped in a match high 18 kills. The Royals also had 12 service aces as a team, with Moise dropping in three. Greg Knight (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) landed five aces.

Junior Nolan Prock (Virginia Beach, Va./Frank W. Cox) had nine kills, three aces and a match high 15 digs.

John Barry (Aaron Bridge, Oh./Worthington Kilbourne) had 37 assists and four block assists. Frankie Coto (Miami, Fl./Southwest Miami) also had four stuffs while libero Kendall Garber (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) was good for 11 digs.

Austin Jacoby led Stevenson with 16 kills.

The win is the fourth straight for the Royals, as they are now 6-4 overall. More importantly, 91����Ƶ is 5-0 in NECVA Metro play and one of just two undefeated teams left in the seven-team division. The men play at Philadelphia Biblical, which is 1-0 in the Metro, this Saturday at 7:00pm.

The 91����Ƶ volleyball men played a pair on the road this weekend against new divisional opponents, and with Sunday’s 3-1 win at New Jersey City, Eastern Mennonite is now 5-4 on the season and 4-0 in NECVA play.

Sophomore Greg Knight had a career high 11 kills in the win over New Jersey City.

Despite years of existence for each program, Sunday’s match was just the third meeting ever for 91����Ƶ and New Jersey City. Eastern Mennonite has now won all three. With changes within the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association, the Royals joined the Metro Division this year, making NJCU a division opponent.

The men jumepd ahead early in the first game, forcing the Gothic Knights to take a timeout after grabbing a 7-3 lead. 91����Ƶ led by as many as eight in a 25-20 win.

New Jersey City used a surge in game two to hold a 12-11 edge. But the Royals scored the next five points and closed the game on a 14-4 streak to win 25-16.

The Gothic Knights finally got a win in game three, finishing on a 10-5 run to win 25-19. But 91����Ƶ had a few runs in them to seal the match in game four, claiming their own 25-19 victory.

The Royals hit .244 as a team and also did well at the net defensively with 11.5 total team blocks.

Outside hitter Chris Moise (Hollywood, Fl./South Broward) led all players with 13 kills. He also had a solo block and four block assists. Sophomore Greg Knight (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) put down a career high 11 kills.

Nolan Prock (Virginia Beach, Va./Frank W. Cox) added 10 kills and 13 digs.

Middle hitter Frankie Coto (Miami, Fl./Southwest Miami) had seven kills and seven blocks. John Barry (Aaron Bridge, Oh./Worthington Kilbourne) put up 39 set assists.

With the win, Eastern Mennonite moves above .500 for the first time this season. The men are also a perfect 4-0 in Metro play, with two tough contests coming up this week. The Royals host Stevenson on Wednesday at Yoder Arena. Then on Saturday, 91����Ƶ is at No. 6 Philadelphia Biblical.