One of the biggest challenges facing Ted Kissell upon being named the University of Dayton Athletics Director was creating an all-around athletics program. For decades, UD funded the men’s basketball program to compete on a national basis, and football was hugely successful at a non-scholarship level. But other programs were run on a shoestring budget and were little more than club sports. This needed to change if the Flyers wanted to be viewed as an attractive member to an athletics conference, and UD’s commitment to improving its overall athletic program played a major role in the invitation to join the Atlantic-10.

Most Flyer fans are aware of the success that the mens and womens soccer programs have had over the past several years — the men reaching two NCAA play-in games and the women becoming the first Flyer team other than men’s basketball to play in a Div-I NCAA championship tournament. Fewer Flyer fanatics realize that the women’s volleyball team is poised for similar success.

Under head coach Pete Hoyer’s leadership, the Flyers have put together five consecutive winning seasons and appeared in three consecutive Atlantic-10 postseason tournaments from 1996 through 1998. Unlike basketball, only the top four teams in league play are invited to the postseason tournament. In 1998, the Flyers won the A-10 championship but just missed securing an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

The Flyers return a deep and talented squad in 2000 as they look to return to the A-10 championships. Statistical leaders return in every category. Seniors Carla Muntz and Sierra Ashley, junior Katie Ferriell and sophomore Susan Westbrock will lead the Flyers. Muntz returns as the Flyers all-time assists leader. She averaged over 13 assists per game in 1999. Ashley led the Flyers in kills and digs, and was named First-Team All Atlantic-10.

Westbrock and Ferriell provide a formidable one-two punch on the attack. Ferriell led the Flyers in blocks in 1999 and ranked fourth in kills, while Westbrock was second in both categories.

Other returning Flyers include senior Sierra Ashley, junior Xinxin Zhang, and sophomore Megan Pease. Each was among the top five in blocks and kills in 1999. The Flyers also add four freshmen to the roster. Shannon Gardner will compete for time at the middle-block position, while Carmen Couts will provide depth at outside hitter. Carrie Snider and Kelly Scott will look to gain experience and succeed Muntz at the setter position. The experience and returning depth may prevent any of the newcomers from putting up the numbers that would continue the string of Flyers winning the Rookie of the Year award, but the freshmen may very well provide the push that gets the Flyers their first NCAA bid.

A consistent winner since the university joined the league, the UD womens volleyball team was picked to finish second this year in the Atlantic-10 after a 14-13 (10-8) finish in 1999. Two years ago the Flyers were one of the last teams bumped from an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and Head Coach Pete Hoyer is hoping this is the year Dayton has what it takes to go dancing. The Flyers tied for the conference title in 1998, and have developed several players into A-10 stars including the Atlantic-10 Player of the Year in 1997 (Zhaohui Ma) and 1998 (Carla Muntz) as well as the Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Year in 1996 (Ou Huang) and 1998 (Katie Ferreill). Muntz and Ferreill are expected to be major cogs in this year’s run for the NCAA Tournament.

The Temple Owls were picked to repeat as conference champions this year, coming off an impressive 25-6 (16-2) season.