|
For Immediate Release 13 December 2002
Southwest
Baptist University's volleyball team finished the season as
the No. 12 team in blocking nationally with 2.83 per game.
The Bearcats were first in blocking in the MIAA over such
national powerhouses as Central Missouri State, Truman State
(2002 National Runner-up), and Washburn (Kan.) (2002 MIAA
Champion). The team was also the best blocking team in the
region, placing them ahead of annual tournament teams North
Alabama, Harding (Ark.), Montevallo (Ala.), and Henderson
State (Ark.).
“Since the MIAA is such a tough conference, with the
top six teams in the MIAA being ranked in the South Central
region, this shows we are making progress in the right direction,”
said SBU Head Coach Mark Pryor. “This is the first time
in any category that the volleyball team here at Southwest
Baptist has achieved national recognition in any statistical
category.
“Truman, Central Missouri State and North Alabama do
everything well,” Pryor said. “Our stats improved
tremendously, and our national ranking in blocking shows that.
However, for us to climb in the region, we need all of our
statistics to go up. The good teams, such as CMSU and Truman,
perform every skill well, that is why they have been nationally
ranked for years. We stressed the importance of net play this
fall and will always continue to stress that key aspect. Now,
for us to catch the Trumans and Central Missouri States, we
have to increase our hitting
percentage and digs per game to make us a more well-rounded
volleyball program.”
The success in blocking has led to teams having to prepare
for a hard-working SBU volleyball team.
“We are now receiving recognition, which is nice, and
the kids can see results directly from the things that are
being implemented in practice,” Pryor said. “This
ranking is a testament to the improvement that these student-athletes
have made. The commitment to success that this team has will
only make the program better. To be the best blocking team
in the region, and the always tough MIAA, is a gigantic step
in the right direction for the program. If the MIAA is not
the best conference nationally in NCAA Division II, it is
one of the top two.
“We are going to constantly stress the importance of
net play,” Pryor said. “But we need to improve our
defense behind the block and increase our hitting percentage.
The student-athletes we signed to national letters-of-intent
all have a higher contact point than any of the girls on our
current roster. No longer will SBU be a vertically-challenged
team that will be out-matched by taller, quicker or more athletic
opponents. We will be able to go over blockers a little more
easily, giving us better opportunities for point scoring.”
|
