LONGHORN VOLLEYBALL OVERVIEW- Pre-NCAA
BEFORE TITLE IX, WOMEN’S SPORTS AT TEXAS WERE BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION AT THE INTER-MURAL LEVEL. I HOPE WITH TIME THIS SITE CAN ADD SOME HISTORICAL INSIGHT, TELL THE FULL, AND COMPELLING STORY OF THE HISTORY OF LONGHORN VOLLEYBALL.
1928 Women’s Athletic Association volleyball try out letter From Anna Hiss
1969 Score book
1970- Intramural volleyball- Sorority plays Littlefield dorm-
In 1972 UT volleyball begins its climb from an intramural sport to a sanctioned NCAA sport.
!972 Volleyball roster
1974- 22-17 Coach Pam Lampley
1974- Team finishes 3rd at the Texas Women’s Intercollegiate volleyball Tournament reaching the semi-finals of the 21 team tournament. Kay Nix was the dominant force in the tournament.
1975 Score book
Volleyball and women’s basketball are the critical sports in fan attendance. Some say that Texas is now a volleyball school. Since 1974, volleyball has won more than 75 percent of its games.
It does not take long for fans to realize that volleyball matches are a great spectator sport. The staff, the students, and the entire production cast resulted in unique and well-done matches.
Stephanie Demunbrun says, “I worked for Texas Athletics for 30 years. In fact, her 8-year-old son Jeremy loved volleyball so much that his career path was determined. In 2022, Jeremy was hired as an assistant coach at Duke University.
1975 25-20 Coach Cheryl Lyman
The Horns are not ranked high in the state and finish 8th.
Women did not play much-organized volleyball in high school so for 4 months she learned the game at the YWCA. She took a beginning volleyball course at Texas then tried out for the Texas team and made it and was voted as Co-Captain of the team.
1975 volleyball Lynn Kercheval
1976 Coach Jody Conradt 28-19-5
Volleyball coaches shown chronologically from right to left.
1976 – Coach Conradt – The team was injury-riddled. Texas is embarrassed by BYU and UCLA. The Horns are still not ready for prime-time volleyball but are improving. The team made an exciting journey to Hawaii for a tournament. Texas surprised all the participants at the TAIAW tournament at West Texas State by making it to the finals. Joni Ramirez led the team this son. Texas, at the regional meet, is seeded 6th.
1977 Coach Jody Conradt 34-19-2
1977 volleyball seated- Douglas, Catherine Wilson, Elizabeth Wilson, Pils - standing- Bing, Rusk, Garcia, Scardina
1977 - Most of the athletes on this team are freshmen. Attendance at the National Championship game held the first night at Gregory Gym cost $9000 and only drew 200 fans. Texas lost over $10,000 on this event. Twenty-four teams were invited to the tournament.
Horns qualify for the SWAIAW state tournament.
Longhorns place 4th at the TAIAW state championship.
After two years as the volleyball coach, Conradt chose to specialize in Longhorn basketball. Conradt record was 34-18-2 for the season, Horns finished 4th in the state tournament and in 1976 finished 2nd.
1978 34-16-1 COACH LINDA LOWERY
New Head Coach Linda Lowery- Coach Linda Lowery was the first full-time volleyball coach at Texas.
With a full-time coach, the schedule was upgraded to include the United States Volleyball Association playing in the spring semester in addition to the regular AIAW competition in the Fall semester. The Horns show promise this year but do not make the national tournament.
1978 Women volleyball front row- Sanchez, Lucas, Benton Whitfield, Pena - top row_ Lowery, Gleason, Dornseifer, Dike Bidenwald, Hiles, Richards, Brinkman
1979 Coach Linda Lowery 33-18-2
1979 - 9 teams met at Gregory Gym competed for the first step toward the AIAW national championship. Texas was seeded 3rd at the tournament.
The Horn finished 4th at the state tournament but only had a record of 5-7-2 against nationally-ranked teams.
