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KCAC Honors
The pre-season vote of the KCAC’s volleyball coaches gave the Lady Bulldogs something to build on going into the 2004 season. Sixth a year ago, McPherson was tabbed for the same spot in the pre-season polls.
But, jump ahead to November, and the Lady Bulldogs stand alone in fourth place in the final KCAC regular season standings, the highest conference finish by a McPherson volleyball team since 1989.
After opening the season with a three-match sweep through its own invitational, the Bulldogs dropped a tough five-game match to Kansas Wesleyan to open the conference schedule.
A 2-2 split in the Newman University tournament was followed by a four-game loss at Ottawa, putting the Bulldogs in an 0-2 hole to open the KCAC race. But, the young Bulldog team wasn’t going to fold the tent. A three-match, conference win streak sent the Bulldogs into the Mid-America Nazarene Invitational with an 8-5 overall mark, 3-2 in KCAC play.
Competing against larger NAIA schools, McPherson went 1-3 in Olathe, dropping to 9-9 overall, as it headed back into KCAC play. Building off of its final match win over St. Xavier University in the MNU tournament, McPherson would go on to win seven of its next 10 matches, including the Lady Bulldogs’ first ever win at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth and wins over Kansas Wesleyan and Ottawa, avenging earlier conference losses.
After dropping a final three-game, non-conference match at nationally ranked Newman, McPherson swept a three-game match from Friends, before a pair of four-game losses at Sterling and Tabor put the Bulldogs in the pressure situation of needing to win at least two of its final three matches in order to get a home court berth for the first round of the KCAC post-season tournament.
A four-game win over Saint Mary was followed by a disturbing three-game loss at 9th place Southwestern. “We weren’t ready to play,” said McPherson coach Nathalea Stephenson. “I’m generally not a superstitious person, and I had heard about ‘Jinx’, the black cat that lives in the Southwestern gym. But, this was the first time I had seen it. It was in and out and around our bench, crawling in and out of the girls bags. I don’t know maybe there is something to it. (Second place) Tabor went down there and got beat too, right after we did. One thing I know, next time we go down there, I’m running that cat off if it comes around.”
Now with their backs against the wall, the Lady Bulldogs hosted third place Bethel in the final match of the regular season. With a win, the Bulldogs were assured a home match in the first round of the tournament. A loss and they could be back on the road at Sterling. But, get it they did as they pulled out a five-game win. That victory gave McPherson 18 wins for the season, equaling their victory total from 2003 as the most by a Bulldog volleyball team since 1985.
The first round match of the KCAC post-season tournament against Sterling was a “barn burner,” with two of the final three games going into OT and the other to the limit before Sterling was able to come away with the win.
While the loss was disappointing, especially for the team’s two seniors, Andrea Gonzales and Alexis Garcia, the future is bright for the Lady Bulldogs. With five freshmen and seven sophomores making up the remainder of the Bulldogs’ 14-lady tournament roster, the foundation is in place.
Three Lady Bulldogs were named to the All-KCAC squad, led by sophomore, middle hitter Jennifer Marquette. Marquette was named to the All-KCAC first team after earlier being named to the Newman Tournament all-tournament team. Kelsey Crist, sophomore libero, and Kendra Stephenson, sophomore setter, were both named to the honorable mention squad. Crist had been named the KCAC’s “Libero of the Week” three times while Stephenson was twice honored as the KCAC’s “Setter of the Week.”
“We have a good foundation on which to build our program,” said coach Stephenson. “We have to be willing to work individually to improve our games, as a team to get stronger and more united, and as coaches to find and bring in the players who can strengthen our weaknesses. I believe the future for Bulldog volleyball is very bright. I just wish the season was starting tomorrow.”
