Aug. 20, 2002
WACO, Texas - In celebration of Baylor's 25th season of intercollegiate varsity women's volleyball, the school announced its 25th Anniversary Team here Tuesday. The announcement comes 10 days before Baylor's first match of the 2002 season.
The 13-member squad, chosen earlier this summer by an eight-member committee, was selected from a list of 25 nominees. Since 1978, 112 student-athletes have received letters in volleyball at Baylor.
Those selected to the team were as follows: Dana Atkinson (OH/DS, 1997-2000), Dana Chuha (S, 1998-2001), Jenny DeLue (OH, 1990-1993), Tatiana Kenon (RS, 1998-2001), Erin McElwain (MB, 1992-1995), Stevie Nicholas (OH, 2000-present), Sunny Nicholas (MB, 1998-2001), Elisha Polk (OH, 1996-1999), Jana Ranly (MB, 1985-1988), Tisha Schwartz (MB, 2000-present), Cory Sivertson (S, 1991-1994), Heather Williams (OH, 1989-1992) and Kia Young (MB, 1996-1999).
"It is with great delight that we celebrate 25 years of intercollegiate women's volleyball at Baylor," Director of Athletics Tom Stanton said. "We appreciate the contributions of the many student-athletes, coaches and administrators who have been a part of the program for the past quarter-century, and it is with great dignity that we honor these 13 student-athletes.
"With the program's recent success and trips to the NCAA Tournament, Baylor volleyball has a bright future. Certainly the teams of the first 25 years have laid a solid foundation for the program's continued success."
The 25th Anniversary Team features three members from Baylor's 1993 squad that reached the championship match of the National Invitational Volleyball Classic. Eight members appeared in at least one NCAA Tournament; Chuha, Kenon and Sunny Nicholas appeared in two NCAA Tournaments.
Baylor's first varsity squad posted a 22-20 record. The following season, the Bears notched 26 victories, a school record that would not be matched for 14 years. Baylor enjoyed three consecutive 20-win seasons from 1991 to 1993. That 1993 squad went 26-15 and finished fourth in the Southwest Conference.
However, 1999 was definitely the breakthrough year for the Baylor volleyball program. The Bears enjoyed the best single-season winning percentage in school history, going 26-9 (.743), and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Baylor went 18-12 and made its second NCAA Tournament appearance in three years. The Bears have been ranked in the AVCA Top 25 at some point during each of the past three seasons.
Baylor's 25th Anniversary Team will be honored during the Bears' Homecoming match Oct. 26 against Iowa State.
BAYLOR VOLLEYBALL 25th ANNIVERSARY TEAM
Dana Atkinson, OH/DS, 1997-2000, Huntington Beach, Calif.
One of the best back-row players in the program's history, Dana Atkinson finished her career second all-time at Baylor with 1,515 digs. In 1999, Atkinson tallied a career-best 429 digs, a total that ranks fourth all-time at Baylor and 11th in Big 12 history. Her average that season of 3.43 digs per game ranks third in school history. In Baylor's Oct. 21, 2000 match at Texas Tech, Atkinson had 36 digs, second in school history. Her total of 29 digs against Texas in 1999 is tied for sixth on the school record chart. Atkinson amassed 114 career aces, fourth all-time at Baylor.
Dana Chuha, S, 1998-2001, Yorba Linda, Calif.
Two-time NCAA assists-per-game champion Dana Chuha left Baylor holding Baylor records in every assist category, including match (101), season total (1,623), season per-game average (15.03), career total (4,955) and career per-game average (12.09), career 80-assist matches (4), career 70-assist matches (13) and 60-assist matches (26). Chuha also holds Big 12 records for career assists, career per-game average, career 80-assist matches, career 70-assist matches and career 60-assist matches. A 2001 honorable mention all-Big 12 Conference selection, Chuha established an NCAA Tournament record for assists in a four-game match with 94 against Temple in 1999.
Jenny DeLue, OH, 1990-1993, Arlington, Texas
One of only two players ranked in Baylor's career top 10 of six career statistical categories, Jenny DeLue is also one of only four players to amass 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. On Baylor's career records charts, she ranks fourth in kills (1,241), 10th in attacking percentage (.204), fourth in total attempts (3,682), seventh in service aces (110), fourth in digs (1,344) and sixth in blocks (353), Her 1993 digs total of 493 ranks second in school history and stood as the school record for six years. DeLue was also the first player in school history to amass 30 digs in a match.
Tatiana Kenon, RS, 1998-2001, San Antonio, Texas
Tatiana Kenon, one of only four players in school history to have recorded a triple-double, was named AVCA National Player of the Week during her junior season after guiding Baylor to victory over then-No. 22 Colorado with a .457 attacking percentage, 19 kills, 10 digs and 10 blocks. She finished her career ranked seventh all-time at Baylor in kills (1,032), sixth in attacking percentage (.253) and 10th in total attempts (2,433). As a senior in 2001, she joined Stevie Nicholas and Laura Daniela Lloreda to give Baylor three players with 30 or more service aces for the first time in school history.
Erin McElwain, MB, 1992-1995, Lawrence, Kan.
Baylor's all-time blocks leader, McElwain had nearly 100 more total blocks in her career than any other player in the program's history with 625. She also posted the two highest season totals in school history with 185 blocks in 1993 and 170 the following year. Her blocks-per-game average was 1.33 both seasons, tying for fifth in school history. McElwain also holds the school record for most career matches (148) and ranks second in games played (515). McElwain also stands sixth in Baylor history with 113 career service aces and eighth with 1,017 digs.
Stevie Nicholas, OH, 2000-present, Fullerton, Calif.
Stevie Nicholas joins Tisha Schwartz as the only active players on the 25th Anniversary Team. A 2000 AVCA Freshman all-American, Stevie Nicholas has earned first-team all-Big 12 honors in each of her first two seasons, the only player in school history to accomplish that feat. Named Big 12 and AVCA Central Region freshman of the year in 2000, Stevie Nicholas already ranks fifth all-time at Baylor in career kills (1,210) and fifth in attacking percentage (.258). She and Elisha Polk share school records for most kills in a match and most career 30-kill matches. Stevie Nicholas owns the top two kills-per-game averages in school history at 5.68 in 2000 and 5.33 in 2001.
Sunny Nicholas, MB, 1998-2001, Fullerton, Calif.
Perhaps the best attacking middle blocker in school history, Sunny Nicholas' career attacking percentage of .284 ranks second all-time at Baylor. She also finished her career sixth in school history in kills (1,090), eighth in total attempts (2,558) and ninth in total blocks (286). A CoSIDA Academic all-District VI first-team selection as a senior, Sunny Nicholas is one of only four players to have earned first-team academic all-conference honors three times. As a sophomore in 1999, she posted an attacking percentage of .320, the fifth-best season average in school history and a Baylor record for players with at least 300 kills.
Elisha Polk, OH, 1996-1999, Sacramento, Calif.
One of the most decorated players in the program's history, Elisha Polk left a heavy stamp on the Baylor and Big 12 Conference records books. The holder of a dozen school records, Polk was a two-time first-team all-conference selection, one of only three players to ever accomplish that feat. She is the only player in Big 12 history to lead the conference in kills twice. Polk and fellow Bear Stevie Nicholas are the only two players to appear in the Big 12 single-season kills top 10 more than once; Polk appears three times. Ranking third all-time at Baylor with 1,507 career digs, Polk posted school and Big 12 records with 557 digs and a 4.42 per game average in 1999. That season, she was a CoSIDA Academic all-America third-team selection. She also finished her career eighth in NCAA history in career kills, 14th in career attempts per game and third in consecutive matches played.
Jana Ranly, MB, 1985-1988, Lott, Texas
The first Bear to receive first-team all-conference honors, Jana Ranly was a three-time all-Southwest Conference selection and one of only three players in school history to earn first-team all-conference honors twice. She tallied 534 total blocks on her career, second in school history, and her career service aces total of 136 ranks third all-time at Baylor. Ranly posted a career attacking percentage of .269, fourth in school history, and she joins Cory Sivertson as the only Bears to ever hit .300 or better in multiple seasons. She was the first player in the program's history to have 30 or more kills in a match. Ranly also shares the school mark for service aces in a match.
Tisha Schwartz, MB, 2000-present, Amarillo, Texas
Just two years into her career, Tisha Schwartz has already become one of the top middle blockers in the program's history. One of only two active players on the 25th Anniversary Team, her .302 attacking percentage in 2001 ranked eight all-time at Baylor and ninth in the Big 12 for the season. Schwartz also became just the second player in school history to hit .300 or better with at least 300 kills. Schwartz is also just the second person in school history to lead the Bears in attacking percentage in each of her first two seasons.
Cory Sivertson, S, 1991-1994, Richardson, Texas
No player dominates the Baylor records book like Cory Sivertson, one of only two players to appear in the career top 10 of six statistical categories at Baylor, Sivertson guided Baylor to 79 victories in her four seasons in Waco. She still owns school records for career games (527), attacking percentage (.338), service aces (195) and digs (1,575). She is tied for third in career matches (145), eighth in career kills (1,016) second in career assists (4,846) and third in career blocks (523). She is also one of only four members of Baylor's 1,000 kills/1,000 digs club. Sivertson was a three-time AVCA all-South Region selection, the only three-time all-region honoree in the program's history. Her career attacking percentage is 55 percentage points higher than that of any other player in school history; the top three single-season attacking percentage marks ever at Baylor were produced by Sivertson. Sivertson also owns the single-season school record for service aces with 63 in 1992. The only Bear to ever post a quadruple-double, she had seven in her career.
Heather Williams, OH, 1989-1992, Amarillo, Texas
The first dynamic outside hitter in Baylor history, Heather Williams racked up 1,506 career kills, a mark that stood as the school record from 1992 to 1998 and still ranks second all-time at Baylor. Appearing in 460 career games, eighth all-time at Baylor, Williams recorded 168 service aces during her career to rank second in school history. She also ranks fifth in career digs (1,236), making her one of only four Baylor players to amass 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. As a senior in 1992, Williams averaged 3.86 kills per game, then a school record. Williams was the first Baylor player to reach the 30-kill plateau in a match, doing so against SFA in 1992. She was a second-team all-SWC selection that season.
Kia Young, MB, 1996-1999, Houston, Texas
Possibly the most dynamic "second option" in the program's history, Kia Young finished her career ranked in the top 10 at Baylor in three career statistical categories. As a senior in 1999, Young pounded 589 kills, a total that ranks sixth in school history and trails only the performances notched by Elisha Polk and Stevie Nicholas. On her career, Young tallied 1,449 kills to rank third all-time at Baylor. She contributed 329 total blocks in her career, ranking seventh in school history. Young posted a career attacking percentage of .250 to rank seventh all-time at Baylor. She joins Polk and Stevie Nicholas as the only Baylor players to ever tally 30 or more kills in a match on more than one occasion, doing so with 31 against Missouri in 1999 and a career-high 35 (tied for third in school history) against Texas that same season. As a senior, Young received first-team all-Big 12 Conference and first-team AVCA all-Central Region honors. A four-time first-team Academic all-Big 12 honoree, Young was named first-team CoSIDA Academic all-District VI and third-team CoSIDA Academic all-America in 1999.
