Freshmen make the difference for Lady Bison volleyballers The Lady Bison volleyball team spent this season rebuilding after losing most of their top players from last year and starting this season with a freshmen majority. The team was also preparing ' to make a transition from the NAIA to the NCAA Division II. In order to make this transition, the team spent a lot of time and energy preparing for playing twice as many games as they had in the past. If they were not traveling, the teamwould spend an average of 10 hours a week practicing, but they often traveled two school nights a week. Sophomore Heather Gray said, "It's like having a full-time job where you would work 40-plus hours a week, but we study on the bus so it is rare that we get behind on our school work." Even though the team's record was not as good as they would have liked, there were still some highlights in the season. Team captain Hannah Crider, a junior from Fort Collins , Colo., said, "Our first game against UCAwas my most memorable game this season. They are a local rival and we had been struggling to play as a team. That night, everything just clicked. It was the cleanest and most fun game we played all season. The fans got into the game and it helped us play a really good game. It was a definite high point in the season." Another season highlight was when junior LeKay Bain made the all-tournament team at the Diane Daniels Classic inAustin, Texas. It is easy for a team to lose enthusiasm when a season is not going well , but the Lady Bisons continued to play with all they had even when things didn't look good. Head Coach Karyl Bailey said, "The girls' character has shown through despite losses and disappointments. At every new game, the girls came back ready to play and give it all they had. "The girls' attitudes remained good throughout the season. They still believed in themselves , the coaches and the other players. All the girls gained a lot ofvaluable experience this year." Harding was privileged to host a postseason tournament for the eastern segment of the southwest independent tournament, giving them an opportunity to compete whether or not they qualified. The team finished this season with a 1225 record, but they are already looking forward to next year. "We had a good core of athletic talent. As we get more experience, we are building a good foundation for the future ," Bailey said. "Next year , I hope we can pick up where we left off this season. We will be used to playing together and communicating with one another. We can have a really good first year in the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference,' ' Gray said. - Hallie Bell Scoreboard Ozarks 0-3 UNA SAU 1-2 JBU CBU 2-3 UCA HSU 0-3 HSU ATU 3-0 OBU SAU 1-3 Ozarks UNA 262 Volleyball 1-3 OBU 3-1 CBU 3-0 JBU 1-3 UCA 1-3 UTM 2-3 FHU 0-3 1-3 3-2 0-3 2-3 2-3 1-3 Junior LeKay Bain drops the ball over two opponents. Bain made the alltournament team at the Diane Daniels Classic in Austin, Texas. Photo by Aaron Gillihan.
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