Bison Netters Improve during Second Year Led by All-AIC performer Julie Thweatt and four other lettermen - Rita Glenn, Susan Mattox, Beth Shanklin and Carla Phillippi Wallis from the 1983 season , the Lady Bisons began their second year of in~ tercollegiate volleyball competition with enthusiasm and much improvement over the inaugural year. Since the Harding University Board of Trustees had approved tuition grants-in-aid in volleyball as well as basketball, the two women's sports in which the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference permitted athletic grants for women, Coach Karyl Bailey had recruited four outstanding freshmen performers - Caron Daugherty, Kerri Gulley, Lisa Phillippi and Pat Walters and junior college transfers - Ann Bates and Dawn Mason. The Lady Bisons opened their season in Russellville on Sept. 6 losing a two-game match to the powerful Lady Bobcats of School of the Ozarks 15-9 and 15-3 on a neutral court. Two days later thay advanced to the semi-finals of the Arkansas Tech Invitation Tournament by defeating John Brown University . Coach Bailey substituted frequently in these opening games in order to give every player on the team valuable experience. Opening the conference season against Henderson State in Arkadelphia, on Sept. 18, the Lady Bisons lost a vigorously contested match 2 games to 3. One week later on their home court they lost a match to the University of Central Arkansas Sugar Bears 2-3. The first two games went to Huddle Time. Coach Bailey talks to his girls during a time-out. - photo by James McCreary . Magical Fingers. Rita Glenn and Carla Wallis jump-up to stop the ball from crossing the net. - photo by Public Relations Office. Volleyball Team. Front row: Shanklin, Glenn, D. Mason, Phillippi, Thweatt , Mattox. Back row: Ritchie-graduate assistant, Avert, Daugherty, Wallis, Bates, Walters, Gulley, K Mason, Morris, Bailey-coach_ - photo by Public Relations Office. 140 Volleyball Harding with scores of 15-12 and 15-10 but UCA prevailed in the last three games. Coach Bailey stated, "Being a second-year program, we have problems sometimes keeping a competitive edge on an opponent. Once we have a team down, like we did UCA, we should be able to put them away." We improved over last year's team, but we must learn to put it all. together in a match to win. - Carla Wallis The first AIC Victory came in the third conference match as the Lady Bisons downed the Hendrix Warriors 3-0, the first of two 3-0 victories over Hendrix. Their third conference victory came in the second match against Henderson State with a 3-2 win. Although their 1984 conference record was only 3-9 compared to 2-10 in 1983, the first year of intercollegiate competition, the Lady Bisons were much more competitive. Their record for the season was 10-21. For the second straight year, Thweatt was name to the AII-AIC volleyball team and both she and Dawn Mason received Honorable Mention AII-NAIA District 17. Since the Lady Bisons lost only three players by graduation and returned both Thweatt and Mason as seniors, prospects looked good for the 1985 season next fall. ~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==