Women's Volleyball Regular Season Wrap-Up
November 6, 2008
The Lady Lions volleyball team wrapped up their regular season with a 25-7 overall record, 16-2 in conference. The team accomplished its third consecutive 20-win season, a run that is unmatched since the great Bryan teams of the early 1980s. The Coach Sayles-led program is 35-9 in conference play the past three years and has improved their record each season. The team achieved its highest regular-season finish in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, finishing second, one match behind Regular Season Champions King College. The Lions came very close to defeating King at home Oct. 25 and clinching the title, but lost 3-2 in a classic battle against a strong Tornado team.
Season Recap
The Lions opened the season ranked #3 in the AAC behind King and Union, but quickly moved to the #1 spot when King was upset by Bluefield. The Lions then broke into the NAIA top 35, receiving votes for three consecutive weeks before King defeated them 3-1 to force a tie, which they shared until the Oct. 25 matchup. The Lions defeated all other AAC teams to remain the #2 seed going into the AAC tournament Nov. 14-15.
The Lions have also held a Top Ten ranking in the NCCAA national poll the entire season. The team opened at #10 the first week, rose as high as #5, and is currently ranked #6 in the nation, a position they should hold going into the post-season with the win at Shorter College this week. The team has qualified for the NCCAA Mid-East regional playoffs Nov. 22, but will compete only if they are unable to win the AAC conference tournament championship.
Team and Individual Statistical Highlights
Statistically, the Lions have remained the top program in the AAC, and have maintained a Top 20 ranking in blocks in the NAIA, where they are currently #16 in the nation in that category. The Lions lead the AAC in overall kills per game, hitting percentage, assists per game, and blocks, while they are first in the AAC in conference-only service aces. The Lions have remained a top ten team in several NCCAA categories as well. The team is currently second in the nation in blocks, sixth in hitting percentage, seventh in kills per game, eighth in aces per game, while they are still top twenty in assists and digs per game.
Individually, several players rank very highly, led by Senior MB Robin Renfroe, who has led the nation in NCCAA blocks per game for the past four weeks. Amber Smith is #9 and Ashley Sours is #15 in this category as well, which supports Bryan’s #2 ranking in the team category. Renfroe is ranked #10 in the nation in hitting percentage, while Alison Young is ranked #20 and Amber Smith is #25. Jessica Kaya is currently ranked #16 in the nation in digs. Testimony to the even distribution of the Bryan offense is that no one player is ranked in kills per game, digs per game, or aces per game, although the Lions are ranked highly in each category.
A Word from Coach Leo Sayles
“This has been a solid season for us, and I am excited about our post-season opportunities,” commented Bryan’s Head Coach Leo Sayles. “Our players have really bought into our philosophy and program, which is very evident in our last four wins. We were playing without Renfroe, while Kaya, Smith, and Sarah Lyons are all nursing lingering injuries. We have won with several of our reserve players, and the team has not missed a beat. Any time you see a team with high team stats yet no individual is leading at the same level, you know your team is truly functioning as a unit, and not hiding behind an individual. Top to bottom, I believe every one of our players is ready to make a significant run into the post-season. Our prayer is that God will bless us with that opportunity, and that the girls will stay healthy and focused. Everything we have done to this point has been in preparation for the post-season, and I believe we are ready for the test.”
The AAC #2 seed travels to Kingsport, TN, Thursday, Nov. 13, for their AAC awards and banquet. They will then await the winner of the Bluefield-Virginia Intermont match in round 1 action on Nov. 14.