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The University of North Alabama women's volleyball program is one of the most successful collegiate athletic programs in the United States, holding numerous conference and regional titles and one Division II national championship, earned in 2003. [1]
Despite its reputation as one of the nation's premiere women's athletic program, the UNA volleyball program claims humble beginnings. It began in 1969 as an extramural program of the Physical Education Department of what was then known as Florence State University. During this period, the team competed against all state schools as a member of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. The team competed in the Northern District against Jacksonville State, Alabama A&M, Montevallo, Southern Benedictine and Stillman.
Coached by Physical Education instructor Don McBrayer, the Lady Lions posted numerous successes, including a state championship win over the University of Alabama in 1975. The Lady Lions also defeated Troy State, Auburn and Montevallo before prevailing over Alabama.
Another milestone in the program was crossed in 1976, when Lillian Goodlow, a premiere basketball and volleyball player at Bradshaw High School in Florence, became the first female athlete in UNA history to be awarded an athletic scholarship. [1]
Yet another major step was taken in 1982, when the Gulf South Conference first began awarding championships in women's sports. UNA's volleyball team earned the first official lead title for women with a 3-0 win over Jacksonville State.
The Lady Lions went on to win six of the first seven GSC volleyball championships.
In 1995, Matt Peck was hired as head coach. Over the following decade, Peck led the Lions to eight NCAA appearances, four trips to the Elite Eight, two Final Fours and the 2003 Division II National Championship.
In 1996, the Lions amassed a 44-4 record that included UNA's seventh GSC championship and the first ever NCAA Tournament appearance by an Alabama team. In 1997, UNA claimed its second GSC Tournament title and earned its second NCAA Regional bid.
UNA became the first GSC institution to advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 1998. Moreover, the Lions earned their third straight GSC title and first-ever NCAA regional championship. UNA player also became the first volleyball player in GSC history to be selected a first-team All-American.
In 1999, with a 35-7 record, UNA won its fourth straight GSC title and completed its fourth straight NCAA appearance, advancing to the Elite Eight for the second time.
UNA won its fifth straight GSC title, completed a fifth straight NCAA trip and ascended to the Division II Final Four for the first time. Team members Ashley Moffitt and Nesrin Secklin also earned All-American Honors in 2000 and 2001.
The following year, UNA made GSC history, winning its seventh straight conference title and 13th overall volleyball crown. [1]
However, 2003 was a year marked with irony. While the team failed to win a GSC title for the first time in eight years, it excelled in the NCAA South Central Regional, Elite Eight and Final Four to secure the first national championship ever claimed by a UNA women's athletic team.
The team regained its GSC title in 2004.
In 2006, the Lions lacked only one victory winning the national championship, falling to top-ranked Tampa in the finals of the NCAA Tournament in Pensacola, Florida. [1]
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The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II level which operates in the Southeastern United States.
The Peach Belt Conference (PBC) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division II level. The twelve member institutions are located in the South Atlantic states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. In addition, there are five affiliate members who participate in one sport each; where their home conference does not sponsor that sport.
Robert Hue Wallace is a retired American football coach. He was most recently the head football coach at the University of North Alabama, a position he held from 1988 to 1997 and again from 2012 to 2016. Wallace served as the head football coach at Temple University from 1998 to 2005 and at the University of West Alabama from 2006 to 2010. He led the North Alabama Lions to three consecutive NCAA Division II Football Championships, from 1993 to 1995.
The Penn State Nittany Lions are the athletic teams of Pennsylvania State University, except for the women's basketball team, known as the Lady Lions. The school colors are navy blue and white. The school mascot is the Nittany Lion. The intercollegiate athletics logo was commissioned in 1983.
The North Alabama Lions football team represents the University of North Alabama (UNA) in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Sun Conference for all sports except football, where they compete as a member of the Atlantic Sun-affiliated Big South Conference. UNA plays its home games at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama. They are currently coached by Chris Willis. UNA was a member of Division II from 1972 to 2017.
The North Alabama Lions men's basketball team represents University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic Sun Conference. On July 1, 2018 they joined the Atlantic Sun Conference in all sports, excluding men's football which will compete in the Big South.
The 2008 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on December 4, 2008 with 64 teams and concluded on December 20, 2008 when Penn State defeated Stanford, 3 sets to 0, in Omaha, Nebraska for the program's third NCAA title.
The Christian Brothers University Buccaneers and Lady Buccaneers are the official sports teams of Christian Brothers University. The Bucs and Lady Bucs play in Division II as a part of the Gulf South Conference.
The Penn State Nittany Lions women's volleyball program has had a long tradition. It was founded in 1976 by Tom Tait, long-time coach of the men's team, who coached the women's team from 1976–79 and was named a USA Volleyball All-Time great coach in 2007.
The Lindenwood Lions and Lady Lions are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Lindenwood University, located in St. Charles, Missouri. The school is primarily a member of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference, although women's ice hockey and gymnastics and men's volleyball compete in NCAA Division I. The Lions joined the NCAA and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) in the summer of 2013, after completing the transition process from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC). On October 4, 2018, Lindenwood announced it would be leaving the MIAA for the Great Lakes Valley Conference effective July 1, 2019.
The North Alabama Lions are the athletic teams of the University of North Alabama, located in Florence, Alabama. The Lions are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and compete within the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). In the sport of football, the Lions will compete at the Division I FCS ranks in the Big South Conference. The University has a total of 14 varsity sports teams, six men's teams and eight women's teams. The fall of 2018 will mark the Lions first year of their transition into Division I. They have a storied tradition in Division II and have earned numerous national titles competing in NCAA Division II's Gulf South Conference.
The University of West Alabama currently features 18 sports teams. Men's and women's outdoor track were added in Spring 2013. Men's and women's golf started in the fall of 2013. Both the male and female athletic teams are called the West Alabama Tigers. 16 teams participate in the NCAA's Division II as a member of the Gulf South Conference. Men's and women's rodeo compete in the Ozark Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Athletics facilities on the campus include 7,000-seat Tiger Stadium, James P. Homer ye s, Pruitt Hall, Tartt Field, UWA Softball Complex, Dora Dahlberg Beard Indoor Practice Facility, Howard R. Vaughan Tennis Complex, Don C. Hines Rodeo Complex, and UWA Cross Country Facility.
The Valdosta State Blazers are the athletic programs of Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia. Valdosta State is a NCAA Division II member institution and has been a member of the Gulf South Conference since 1981.
The Alabama Huntsville Chargers are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing the University of Alabama in Huntsville in Huntsville, Alabama. UAH sponsors eight men's and eight women's varsity athletics programs. UAH is a member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), competing in Division II in 15 sports. UAH is a member of the Gulf South Conference in all sports except men's lacrosse.
The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys and Golden Suns are the athletic teams that represent Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas. They are a charter member of the Great American Conference of the NCAA Division II.
The Shorter Hawks are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Shorter University, located in Rome, Georgia. The Shorter University athletic program is a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC), and is a provisional member of NCAA Division II. Shorter is also an associate member of the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) for track and field only.
The Montevallo Falcons are the athletic teams that represent the University of Montevallo, located in Montevallo, Alabama, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Falcons compete primarily as members of the Gulf South Conference where fourteen of Montevallo's sports belong. Rivals include UWA, AUM, UAH, and UNA. The track and field teams are independents while the lacrosse program is a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
The Lander Bearcats are the athletic teams that represent Lander University, located in Greenwood, South Carolina, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sporting competitions.
The Lindenwood Lady Lions women's ice hockey team represents Lindenwood University located in St. Charles, Missouri. The Lady Lions currently participate in the NCAA Division I competition as a member of College Hockey America (CHA). The team played with no conference affiliation as an Independent program for its first season of NCAA competition. During the 2011–12 season, Lindenwood was accepted into College Hockey America (CHA) beginning in the 2012–2013 season. Prior to 2011 the university was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), because the organization does not sponsor women's ice hockey, the program competed in the American Collegiate Hockey Association at the ACHA DI level.
The Emporia State Lady Hornets basketball team represents Emporia State University and competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) of the NCAA Division II. On April 6, 2018, Toby Wynn was announced as the seventh head coach, replacing Jory Collins who left to join former Lady Hornet coach Brandon Schneider at the University of Kansas.