No. 21 Trojans Sweep to 1,000th Win

October 21, 2008

The 21^st-ranked Taylor University volleyball team made history Tuesday by becoming the first NAIA volleyball program to record 1,000 all-time wins with a convincing 25-15, 25-18, 25-18 sweep of visiting Bluffton University (Ohio) in front of a packed crowd at Taylor's Odle Arena.

The Trojans, who have now won their last eight matches, improved to 24-6 on the year, 6-0 in the Mid-Central College Conference, and 1,000-406-1 since the program's inception in 1971.

Taylor hit at a clip of .274 in the match, led by 15 kills on .545 hitting from freshman outside hitter Kelsey Pritchard, and 12 digs from senior libero Lindsey Bayle.  Freshman setter Betsy Brown ran the offense with 37 more assists.

Freshman middle blocker Bethany Beck continued her strong play at the net, recording a match-high 5 blocks. The Trojan defense recorded 10 blocks while holding the Beavers to an .042 hitting percentage.

The Trojans hit an efficient .375 in set one, while limiting Bluffton to a .000 mark. Pritchard and Jenny Peterson combined for 10 kills on 15 swings as Taylor dominated throughout for a 25-15 win to ignite the Trojan crowd.

Set two was a much different story for Taylor as Bluffton stepped up their level of the play and tied the score at 16-16.  From there, Taylor took control and scored 9 of the final 11 points to take a 2-0 lead with a 25-18 victory.

Bluffton took a quick 3-0 lead to start the final set, but Taylor gained the lead at 8-7 and never looked back.  The remainder of the match featured a balanced Taylor attack, as six different Trojans recorded kills.  Match point came with a 24-18 lead followed by a thundering kill by Pritchard to give Taylor their 1,000^th victory.

Taylor now joins five volleyball programs-UCLA, Nebraska, Missouri State, BYU, and Long Beach State-at the NCAA Division I level who have reached the 1,000-win plateau.  UCLA tops the list with a current total of 1,074 all-time victories.

Following the milestone win, Taylor University's President Dr. Eugene Habecker was presented the game ball by Taylor's Athletic Director and former volleyball coach, Dr. Angie Fincannon.

Taylor head coach Brittany Smith had a unique perspective on the milestone.  "It's such an honor to celebrate this win as a former player and now as a coach. This accomplishment is a tribute to the many women who have worn the Taylor volleyball jersey, as they have left a legacy of giving God the glory through their hard work and passion for the game."

Joining in the postgame festivities on the court following the match were current and former players, representing over 200 Taylor volleyball alumnae who have worn the purple and gold in the program's 38-year history.

A program with a rich tradition of success, Taylor volleyball boasts four NAIA National Tournament appearances, one NAIA National Tournament Elite 8 finish, nine Mid-Central College Conference championships, a current streak of 21 straight winning seasons, 28 NAIA Scholar-Athletes, and 12 NAIA All-Americans.  That includes three-time All-American Natalie Steele, the all-time NAIA kills leader with 3,602 kills in her career.

Head coach of the Trojans from 1992-2004, Fincannon is responsible for nearly half of the program's wins.  During her 13 seasons, she compiled a career record of 496-131 and qualified teams for the NAIA National Tournament four different times.

"It's humbling and truly exciting for Taylor to reach this milestone," said Fincannon.  "It reflects a great tradition of players who were tremendously dedicated to this program over the years.  This celebration reflects the longstanding Taylor Volleyball motto, "For Him we play to win".

No. 21 Taylor will next look to secure win No. 1,001 this Friday when they travel to Livonia, Michigan, to compete in the Madonna University Crusader Classic beginning at 3:30 p.m. against Michigan-Dearborn. 

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