A university volleyball team in New Brunswick has been suspended for the rest of the academic year for holding an initiation party in October for new players, hours before one rookie fell and died.

In a statement released Thursday afternoon, St. Thomas University president Dennis Cochrane said that by organizing the party, the team broke school rules that prohibit team initiations and harassment.

University officials found that the team held "on- and off-campus events" to "initiate new team members" on the evening of Oct. 23, 2010, hours before the death of 21-year-old rookie player Andrew Bartlett.

"While we can't change the past, we can do a better job in strengthening conduct policies, explaining to students why these are important matters, and better emphasize personal safety," Cochrane said in the statement.

Bartlett was found dead in an apartment building on Oct. 24.

After investigating his death, police indicated Wednesday they would not be laying charges in the case.

"Final findings upon conclusion of the investigation confirm that there was nothing suspicious regarding the death and that no criminal activity was involved," said Const. Rick Mooney.

They concluded that Bartlett died after an accidental fall in which alcohol played a role, The Daily Gleaner newspaper in Fredericton reported.

Police had known of rumours that a hazing had taken place, Mooney said, but that event was unrelated to the Bartlett's fall.

"In relation to the cause of this young man's death there's nothing to support that notion as a cause of death or a contributing cause of death," he said.

Cochrane concurred, saying earlier on Thursday that the hazing was not a contributing factor.

"We have no reason to believe there was any connection between the hazing event and the death," he said. "(But) there was an event that took place on campus and off campus that would meet the definition of hazing. First-year players were identified and treated a little differently than veteran members of the team, and as a result that fits the definition of what hazing would be."

However, Cochrane would not say whether players were forced to consume alcohol as part of the hazing.

"There was certainly drinking going on and one of the concerns we have with all kinds of campus activities is the amount of alcohol that may be consumed on campus or off campus by our students."

With files from The Canadian Press