The Lady Bisons gather together after they score a point. At the end of every play, the team huddled to encourage one another before the next volley. on NEW GAME PLAN Having lost six players from the 2000 squad, there were doubts about how this year's volleyball team would be able to rebound from the loss. Three of the seniors who graduated were six-foot or taller middle blockers, so the team's size was a concern. Harding was forced to use a style of play different from the big hitting and blocking game that they had been accustomed to over the previous years. Defense and speed were greatly needed to balance the loss of talent. This year's team was every bit of what Harding needed to have a winning record of 24-13. "Going into this season, I had no expectations, mainly because I didn't know what to expect," head coach Keith Giboney said. Along with the winning record this season and the tie for second place in the Gulf South Conference West, there were some remarkable team and individual accomplishments. This year's team was extremely strong defensively, maybe the best in the last few years, according to Giboney. Harding placed first in the conference in digs, with a total of 2,866. For the first time in conference history, two of the team's players, sophomores Shaila Farley and Veronica Piech, both had more than 500 digs. Farley led the conference with 585. During the middle of the season, Harding held a 14-game winning streak, winning seven by a score of 3-0. A big win came when Harding defeated an NCAA Division I team, Louisiana Tech, 3-0 at home. Harding was only defeated at home once this year, and the team set a record for attendance in their game versus Lyon College with 727 Bison fans there to support the team. Post-season honors included junior Leslie Hollingsworth, who was appointed to first team all-conference, and two other players, Farley and freshman Kate Kennedy, who were named second team all-conference. Hollingsworth, the only junior on the team, set a school record with 490 kills this season. Overall, Giboney said the team was balanced, and there was an abundance of talent. "I am extremely pleased with this year's outcome and am looking forward to the spring schedule," Giboney said. -Aaron Snow volleyball 261
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