Row 1: M. Turner, A. Schinzing, R. Owens, T. Eubank, B. Trevino, L. Copeland, S. Daniel. Row 2: M. Welch (vol. asst.), J. Launius, B. Graham, L. Savage, A. Short, M. Howard, M. Arnold, C. Morris, T. Helton (vol. asst.), M. Fear (coach). The volleyball team set two goals for the season: go undefeated in conference play and win the Great American Conference championship. After a four-month season of hard work, perseverance and dedication, the ladies accomplished both of their goals. First year Lady Bisons volleyball head coach Meredith Fear thought that accomplishing their goals was a significant achievement. "Winning the GAC and going undefeated in conference play has been our goal since day one," Fear said. "It has been such a blessing to see the team establish that goal and then work so hard over months of training and practice to attain it." Assistant coach junior Travis Helton said that the previous season's results motivated the team to perform even better this year. "I think our team had a determination after some difficult losses last year, and they refocused on what we wanted our team to be about," Helton said. "Our defined goal was to go undefeated and win conference, and we put in the time and work ethic to get there." According to Fear, she stepped into a program that already had a tradition of excellence. Her job was not to build a program but to continue a legacy of success. She said one of the most important elements of putting a great volleyball team on the court was building team chemistry by making a family atmosphere. "Obviously, when you have a team of young women comprised of many different personalities, maintaining a high level of team chemistry over four months can be difficult," Fear said. "This team knew the importance of respecting your teammates and made creating a family atmosphere between them a top goal and priority 284 1 Athletics Setting the Pace New coach leads team to conference championsflip throughout the season. They have worked actively both on and off the court to maintain a high level of team chemistry and did a great job of it." Senior captain Amber Schinzing said she felt that she, senior captain Bailee Graham and junior captain Lisa Copeland each displayed a different aspect of leadership. Their different personalities helped the team achieve unity because the leaders could relate to a range of players and situations. Graham was the spiritual leader on the team; Schinzing brought more of the intense, "let's go for it" attitude; and Copeland was a positive and calming presence on the court. "I think we're able to cover all the areas," Schinzing said. "We each have someone that we can relate to within certain areas, and we're able to be mentors for them in several areas. Whether they need spiritual help or just a good friend, they can come to us." Helton said that the thing that made the volleyball team so special was not their play and performance but rather the attitude with which they approached the sport. He said they did their best to honor God both on and off the court. "I think it all boils down to the positive encouragement that we're having and for us to stay calm and positive on the court, not focusing on the negative but just what we can do to get better," Schinzing said. Though volleyball was undoubtedly a game of momentum, precision and strength, for the Lady Bisons, it was much more. For them, the game was one of relationship and trust, which ultimately led to high scores and triumphant games. At the end of the season, the team was confident it accomplished its goals and honored c;od in the process. Corey Stumne
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