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Lion Volleyball History
The volleyball program at the University of North Alabama began in 1969 as a part of the Physical Education Department and was known as extramurals. In those early years the Lady Lion teams competed against all of the state schools as a member of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. UNA competed in the Northern District with Jacksonville State, Alabama A&M, Montevallo, Southern Benedictine and Stillman. In 1975, in the seventh year of volleyball competition at the school, UNA claimed the Alabama State Championship. downing the University of Alabama 1-15, 15-12, 15-6 in the championship match for the title. The Lady Lions downed Troy State, Auburn and Montevallo in the preliminary matches before dumping Alabama. Don McBrayer, a physical education instructor with the university then and now, served as the head coach for that fi rst championship squad. Lillian Goodlow, a standout in basketball and volleyball at Bradshaw High School in Florence, became the fi rst female athlete to be awarded an athletic scholarship to UNA in the summer of 1976. Another major step came in 1982, when the Gulf South Conference began awarding championships in women’s sports. The UNA volleyball team claimed the fi rst offi cial league title for women with a 3-0 sweep of Jacksonville State in the championship. The Lady Lions hosted the tournament and won all six of their matches en route to the championship. UNA added to that GSC tradition by winning six of the fi rst seven GSC volleyball championships, claiming the crown in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988 as well. Three Lady Lion volleyball players, Julie Jones, Shea Lindley and Pasola Swoope, were members of four consecutive GSC championship teams each during their playing days at UNA. Also on the list of key builders of the UNA volleyball tradition is Ande Jones, who was a four-year letterman in the 1970’s, was an All-State member of the 1975 state championship team, then returned as a graduate coach in 1976 and as a full-time coach from 1979-94. In 1995, Matt Peck was hired as the Lions head coach, and in nine years he took the UNA program to the highest national level, with eight NCAA appearances, four trips to the Elite Eight, two Final Fours and the 2003 NCAA Division II National Championship. In 1996 Peck led the Lions to a 44-4 record that included the school's seventh GSC championship and the fi rst ever NCAA Tournament appearance by a
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North Alabama First Championship Team 1975 AIAW State Champions
Team Members: From left, Debbie Drake, Debbie Lee, Pattie Fitzhugh, Jan Lough, Becky Daniel, Beth Gregory, Jo Ann Parnell, Helen Lewis, Nancy Esslinger, Ande Jones, Sheliah Bankhead, Diane Lamar.
school from the state of Alabama. In 1997 Ronda Price and Mariela Fasce were named second-team AVCA All-Americans to become the school's fi rst volleyball All-Americans. In addition, Price was a second-team CoSIDA/GTE Academic All-America selection, making her the fi rst athlete in school history to earn both AllAmerica and Academic All-America honors. As a team, UNA claimed its second consecutive GSC Tournament title and earned its second NCAA Regional bid as well. North Alabama became the fi rst school in GSC history to advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 1998. The Lions claimed their third straight GSC title and fi rst-ever NCAA regional championship. Also Mariela Fasce became the fi rst volleyball player in conference history to be selected fi rst-team All-American. In 1999, UNA went 35-7, won its fourth straight GSC title and made its fourth straight NCAA appearance, advancing to the Elite Eight for a second time. Lana Fishback, Deja Trojan, Rachel Price and Ronda Price were members of four consecutive GSC championships, four straight NCAA Tournament berths and earned two straight trips to the NCAA Elite Eight by winning two NCAA South Central Regional championships. From 19961999 the "Fab Four" compiled a record of 156-22 and 47-1 in the GSC. In 2000, UNA went 40-3, won a fi fth straight GSC title, made a fi fth straight NCAA trip and reached the Division II Final Four for the fi rst time. Those feats came with six new starters and just two seniors on the squad. Those seniors, Gretchen Midkiff and Amy Bernstein helped UNA to a combined 152-21 record over their four years. Ashley Moffitt and Nesrin Seckin earned All-American honors in both 2000 and 2001. In 2002, UNA won an unprecedented seventh straight GSC title and 13th overall volleyball crown. Sandra Alexander set an all-time NCAA Year Rec. Honors Coach 1969............................................................................................................... William Glidewell 1970............................................................................................................... William Glidewell 1971............................................................................................................... William Glidewell 1972.................................3rd in state .................................................................... Gay Sievers 1973.................................3rd in state .................................................................... Gay Sievers 1974............ 28-8 ............2nd in state ..............................................................Noona Kennard 1975............ 24-8 ............State Champions .....................................................Don McBrayer 1976............ 17-17 ..........3rd in state .................................................................... Ande Jones 1977............ 10-17 ..........................................................................................Sharron Perkins 1978............ 3-23 ...........................................................................................Sharron Perkins 1979............ 19-20 ................................................................................................ Ande Jones 1980............ 24-13 ................................................................................................ Ande Jones 1981............ 15-22 ................................................................................................ Ande Jones 1982............ 29-10 ..........GSC Champions .......................................................... Ande Jones 1983............ 32-8 ............2nd in GSC .................................................................... Ande Jones 1984............ 30-11 ..........GSC Champions .......................................................... Ande Jones 1985............ 36-11 ..........GSC Champions .......................................................... Ande Jones 1986............ 23-19 ..........GSC Champions .......................................................... Ande Jones 1987............ 22-13 ..........GSC Champions .......................................................... Ande Jones 1988............ 30-7 ............GSC Champions .......................................................... Ande Jones 1989............ 18-18 ..........5th in GSC ..................................................................... Ande Jones 1990............ 20-17 ..........4th in GSC ..................................................................... Ande Jones 1991............ 10-17 ..........4th in GSC ..................................................................... Ande Jones 1992............ 17-15 ..........3rd in GSC ..................................................................... Ande Jones 1993............ 20-21 ..........4th in GSC ..................................................................... Ande Jones 1994............ 19-18* .........2nd in GSC .................................................................... Ande Jones *17-20 ........after two forfeits 1995............ 21-20 ..........3rd in GSC ........................................................................Matt Peck 1996............ 44-4 ............GSC Champions .............................................................Matt Peck 1997............ 39-5 ............GSC Champions .............................................................Matt Peck 1998............ 38-6 ............GSC Champions .............................................................Matt Peck 1999............ 35-7 ............GSC Champions .............................................................Matt Peck 2000............ 40-3 ............GSC Champions .............................................................Matt Peck 2001............ 32-4 ............GSC Champions .............................................................Matt Peck 2002............ 30-5 ............GSC Champions .............................................................Matt Peck 2003............ 33-7 ............NCAA Division II National Champions .........................Matt Peck 2004............ 24-7 ............GSC Champions ................................................Stephanie Radecki 2005............ 36-2 ............GSC Champions ................................................Stephanie Radecki 2006............ 35-6 ............GSC Champions National Runner-up ..........................................Stephanie Radecki 2007............ 20-16 ..........3rd in GSC ...........................................................Stephanie Radecki 2008............ 24-11 ..........2nd in GSC ..........................................................Stephanie Radecki 2009............ 20-15 ..........3rd in GSC ...........................................................Stephanie Radecki 2010............ 21-10 ..........2nd in GSC ..........................................................Stephanie Radecki 2011............ 24-10 ..........2nd in GSC ..........................................................Stephanie Radecki 2012............ 12-18 ..........6th in GSC ...........................................................Stephanie Radecki 2013............ 8-25 ...........7th in GSC ...........................................................Stephanie Radecki 2014............ 20-12 .........2nd in GSC ..........................................................Stephanie Radecki 2015............ 26-8 ...........GSC Champions ................................................Stephanie Radecki 2016............ 29-6 ...........GSC Champions ................................................Stephanie Radecki 2017............ 27-8 ...........2nd in GSC ..........................................................Stephanie Radecki 2018............ 4-21 ...........8th in ASUN ......................................................................Bob White 2019............ 4-25 ...........8th in ASUN ......................................................................Bob White 2020............ 1-13 ...........8th in ASUN ......................................................................Bob White 2021............ 9-20 ...........5th in ASUN West ...................................................... Andrew Kroger
Division II record for career hitting percentage and Anna Bondarenko and Yana Ninova were named All-American. In 2003 UNA failed to win the GSC title for the fi rst time in eight years, losing in the championship match. But that loss propelled the Lions to even greater heights as UNA rolled through the NCAA South Central Regional, the Elite Eight and Final Four to win the fi rst national championship ever claimed by a UNA women's athletic team. Setter Ashley Moffi tt was named AllAmerican for the third time, led the nation in assists and set two Division II national records. Ninova was also named AllAmerican again and helped lead UNA to a 33-7 record. UNA defeated ConcordiaSt. Paul 3-0 in the fi nals to clinch the championship at San Bernardino, Calif. In 2004, Stephanie Radecki became UNA's eighth head coach and guided the team to a 24-7 record during her fi rst season. Vanessa Ferretti received honorable mention All-American honors as the Lions advanced to the South Central Regional Tournament after regaining the GSC title. The 2005 season was one of the Lions' best ever as the team posted a 36-2 record and racked up individual awards. Ferretti was joined by setter Laura Bellinger as fi rst team All-America selections. The Lions fell one victory shy of the 2006 national championship. Top-ranked Tampa defeated UNA 3-1 in the fi nals of the NCAA Tournament in Pensacola, Fla. The post-season run capped a 35-6 campaign. Bellinger was again a fi rst team All-American, while Megan Stout was a third-team selection and Radecki was named the GSC East Division and the South Central Region's Coach of the Year, each for the second straight season. Whitney Sanders became the program's 11th All-American with a second-team selection by the AVCA in 2008. She was also named fi rst team AllGSC, fi rst team All-South Region and was the GSC East Division Player of the Year. In 2009, setter Alison Jacobs was named GSC East Player of the Year. She was also a fi rst team All-South Region selection and third team All-American by the AVCA. Sarah Roberts also received two All-America honorable mentions as the Lions returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2009 and 2010. The Lions made it three straight NCAA appearances the following season, led by second-team All-American Natalie Marsh. After an eight-year break, UNA regained the GSC title in 2015. Radecki was named GSC Coach of the Year while Natasha Fomina was selected as the program's 11th All-American. The following year, Fomina was named GSC Player of the Year as the Lions repeated as conference champs. She later earned AllSouth Region, All-America and Academic All-America honors. In 2017, UNA completed its fi nal season at the Division II level. The Lions went 27-8 and again advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Lexie Bradley was named GSC Player of the Year and also earned All-South Region, All-America and Academic All-America honors as well. Following the season, Radecki was named head coach at Southern Mississippi and North Alabama hired Bob White as the program's ninth head coach. In 2018, UNA entered its fi rst season as members of Division I and the ASUN Conference. The 2020 season was pushed to the Spring of 2021 following a global pandemic of the COVID-19 virus. UNA went 1-13 with its lone victory coming over eventual ASUN champion Lipscomb. The following summer, White resigned due to health reasons and UNA hired Andrew Kroger to serve as head coach for th 2021 season on an interim basis. In the summer of 2021, UNA ended its four-year transition period and was offi cially classifi ed as an NCAA Division I athletics program. Before the start of the 2021 season, Tristan Johnson was hired as the program's 11th head coach.
North Alabama First Division I Volleyball Team
Team Members: (Front row, from left) Genesis Benítez , Sarah Chastain, Jayden Davila-McClary, Emma Ellis, Christina Ellwanger, Catie Ladner, Libby Jump, Paula Klemperer. (Back row, same order) Malaisia Stallworth, Joice Maldonado, Hannah Symonds, Nura Abakar, Stephanie Wilcke, Kristen Hayes, Madison Ruble and Michay Jackson.
