The Washington State Cougars women's volleyball team competes as part of NCAA Division I, representing Washington State University in the Pac-12 Conference. Washington State plays its home games at Bohler Gym.[2]
| Washington State Cougars women's volleyball | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1973 |
| University | Washington State University |
| Athletic director | Pat Chun |
| Head coach | Jen Greeny (13th season) |
| Conference | Pac-12 |
| Location | Pullman, Washington |
| Home arena | Bohler Gymnasium (capacity: 3,000) |
| Nickname | Cougars |
| Colors | Crimson and gray[1] |
| AIAW/NCAA Tournament appearance | |
| 1977, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 | |
History edit
Early years edit
Washington State fielded their first volleyball team in 1973 as members of the Northwest College Women's Sports Association, a regional conference in the AIAW, under head coach Sue Durrant. The 1973 team would finish with a record of 14–12.[3]
In 1977, under first-year head coach Marie Matsen, the team went 36-9 and made the 1977 AIAW volleyball championship regionals.[3]
Cindy Fredrick Era (1989-2003) edit
The Cougars hired Cindy Fredrick as their next head coach in 1989 and made their first NCAA tournament in 1991 under coach Fredrick.[4][5] They would end up losing in the first round to New Mexico. They continued this success under Fredrick by making five straight NCAA tournament appearances from 1993 to 1997, highlighted by the 1996 team making the regional finals and the 1997 team making the regional semifinals.[6]
Fredrick lead the team to three more tournament appearances in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The 2002 team beat Oral Roberts, Kansas State, and Northern Iowa to reach the Elite Eight before falling to Florida.[7]
Brian Heffernan replaced Cindy Fredrick as head coach after the 2003 season.[8]
2003-2015 edit
Washington State saw middling success from 2003 to 2015, making the NCAA tournament one time in 2009.
Former WSU volleyball player Jen Greeny became the Cougars head coach in 2011.[9]
Modern era edit
Under coach Greeny, Washington State has returned to being a prominent program, making seven straight NCAA tournament appearances since 2016.[10][11] In 2018 the Cougars made the Sweet 16 after beating Northern Arizona and Tennessee before falling to Number 1 seed Stanford.[12][13]
Conference membership edit
- Northwest College Women's Sports Association (1973-1979)
- Northwest Women's Volleyball League (1980-1981)
- Northern Pacific Athletic Conference (1982-1985)
- Pac-12 Conference (1986–present)
Bohler Gym edit
Washington State has played its home games at Bohler Gym since its first season in 1973. It is the only volleyball-specific arena in the Pac-12. The arena seats 3,000.
All-time attendance edit
| No. | Date | Opponent | Site | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 6, 1995 | No. 4 Stanford | Bohler Gym | 4,039 |
| 2 | September 30, 1995 | Idaho | Bohler Gym | 3,356 |
| 3 | October 15, 1994 | Washington | Bohler Gym | 3,276 |
| 4 | November 22, 1996 | No. 17 Washington | Bohler Gym | 3,226 |
| 5 | October 30, 1993 | No. 6 Stanford | Bohler Gym | 3,187 |
Source:[3]
References edit
- ^ Washington State University Athletics Department Brand Identity Guidelines (PDF). April 18, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ Wainhouse, Murrow News-Ava (2021-12-08). "Bohler Gym: The home for Washington State University Volleyball". Northwest Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ a b c d https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/wsu.sidearmsports.com/documents/2023/8/21/230821_vb_23RecordBookV3.pdf
- ^ Thomas, Pete (1991-12-07). "Bruin Women Beat Waves in Volleyball". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "WSU Timeline Site | Washington State University". Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "Cindy Fredrick named Luther volleyball coach". Courier. 2010-02-23. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ Wright, Lew. "Washington State Sports: Tracking Top Cougar Performances of the Decade (Part 2)". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "No longer coaching, but happily involved | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "Former player, assistant named WSU volleyball coach". WSU Insider. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ Murray, Chris (2023-08-18). "Where adding Oregon State and Washington State would most help the Mountain West". Nevada Sports Net. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "WSU volleyball focused on promising season amid conference uncertainty | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "College volleyball: Washington State holds off Tennessee, advances to NCAA regional against Stanford | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "Experienced Washington State volleyball team primed to make run in NCAA Tournament | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "Volleyball 2021INFOGuide (PDF)" (PDF). Washington State University Athletics. Retrieved 2023-09-22.