Making history!

That would sum up the 2002 Clarion University women’s volleyball team.

In 2002 the Golden Eagles (31-5 overall, 7-3 PSAC-West) reached heights rarely seen before setting the school record for wins while qualifying for the NCAA Regional playoffs for the first time.

"It was a great season," Clarion’s second year head coach Tracey Fluharty said. "After missing the playoffs by one game last year, we were determined not to let that happen again this year. From the start of the year we came out looking to prove something to ourselves, and we did."

While the Golden Eagles ended season on a disappointing note with a 3-2 first-round NCAA playoff loss to Lees-McRae, Fluharty believes the loss might be motivation for her team in 2003.

"The loss was a tough one," Fluharty said. "We had beaten them 3-0 at our tournament earlier in the year, but they came back strong in the playoffs. However, I think the loss can be used as motivation for next season. We still have a lot to prove to ourselves. We need want to prove that this season was not a fluke. We want to qualify for the PSAC playoffs, and we want to go further in the NCAA playoffs."

The playoff loss could not take away what was a terrific season. Clarion defeated perennial PSAC-West powers Lock Haven and Edinboro, the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional champion, as well as NCAA Division II playoff qualifiers California, Lees-McRae, New York Tech and St. Augustine’s.

"We beat some very good teams this season," Fluharty said. "It was our first wins over Lock Haven and Edinboro in a long time. I think we opened some people’s eyes. Our next test will be showing people that we can do it again and take it one step further."

Clarion was rewarded for its great season with three individual conference awards.

Junior outside hitter Melanie Bull and junior setter Jackie Hill were named First Team PSAC-West All-Conference, while senior middle hitter Beth Stalder was chosen to the Second Team.

"All three players are very deserving of their awards," Fluharty said. "Mel was one of the top outside hitters in the league, while Jackie might be the top setter in the league. Beth was a solid middle for us, and we are going to miss her greatly both as a player and as a leader next season."

Bull had a record-breaking year for the Eagles setting the season kills record and career digs mark. She finished the year with 548 kills bettering the previous mark of 522 set in 1990 by Jodi Pezek.

Bull also had 577 digs, the second most in a single-season in school history (She holds the mark with 602 in 2001) and now has 1,477 career digs besting the previous record of 1,382 set by Ali Graham from 1998-01.

An all-around player, Bull also added a team-high 65 service aces to go along with 40 blocks and a hitting percentage of .308. She finished 4^th in the PSAC and 2^nd in the PSAC-West in kills per game with 4.61. She was also 3^rd in the PSAC and 1^st in the PSAC-West in digs per game with 4.85.

Hill, the school’s single-season (1,552 - 2001) and career (4,421) set assists leader, had another solid season. She finished the year with 1,461 set assists, the second most in school history, 344 digs, 41 service aces, 75 kills and 74 blocks. She now has 1,083 career digs which are the sixth most in school history, and her 12.28 set assists per game were the 3^rd most in the PSAC and PSAC-West this season.

Stalder finished a solid Golden Eagle career by getting 315 kills, 27 service aces, 109 digs and 128 blocks. She finished her four-year career with the second most blocks in school history with 533 and the third most kills (1,171) in school history. Her .376 hitting percentage was the 3^rd best PSAC and 2^nd best PSAC-West mark this season, while her 1.12 blocks per game were the 5^th best PSAC and 2^nd best PSAC-West mark.

SUCCESS WAS A TEAM EFFORT

Bull, Hill and Stalder were just three of nine key players for the Golden Eagles in 2002.

Junior Libero Laurie Hepler, sophomore middle hitter Colleen Sherk, sophomore outside hitters Tonya Zatko and Sara Heyl and freshmen defensive specialists Ashley Kreiner and Heather Byrne also played key roles.

Hepler, playing the position of Libero for the first time, ended the season with 511 digs, the fourth most in a single-season in school history. She has 798 career digs, the 10^th most in school history, and her 4.65 digs per game were the 4^th most in the PSAC and 2^nd most in the PSAC-West this season.

Sherk ended the season with 258 kills, 92 digs and a team-leading 147 blocks. Her .363 hitting percentage was 6^th best in the PSAC and 5^th best in the PSAC-West, while her 1.31 blocks per game were 3^rd best in the PSAC and tops in the West.

Zatko added 321 kills, 78 digs and 93 blocks for the Golden Eagles, while Heyl had 224 kills, 67 set assists, 35 service aces, 331 digs and 63 blocks.

Kreiner, who played in 79 of Clarion’s 119 total games, had 261 digs (3.30 per game), while Byrne, who played in 61 games, had 165 digs (2.70 per game).

As a team, Clarion hit .303 (1,788 kills, 425 errors, 4,494 total attempts) for the season, second in the conference, while the Eagles .861 winning percentage was also the second best in the conference.

GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES: The previous school record for wins was 27 set by the 1989 team ... Clarion won the PSAC Title in 1988 ... The Golden Eagles went to one other Regional volleyball tournament when Pat Ferguson led the 1977 squad to a sixth-place finish at the EAIAW Regional held in Binghamton, NY. That team finished the season 14-5 ... This year’s NCAA Atlantic Regionals were held at IUP ... Clarion finished the season 8-2 at home, 9-2 on the road and 14-1 on neutral courts and went 14-0 on neutral ground during the regular season ... The Golden Eagles won the Haverford Tournament and the Kutztown Tournament ... The Golden Eagles also went 6-0 in the first-year of PSAC Crossover matches going 3-0 in the matches at California Sept. 27-28 and 3-0 at the matches in Cheyney Oct. 11-12 ... Clarion started the year with 9 straight wins, a school-best start ... Clarion also had two eight-game winning streaks and did not lose two matches in a row all season.