Stanford Today Edition: March/April, 1998 Section: Sports: Game, Match and Championship WWW: Game, Match and Championship
Sports News
Women’s Volleyball wins the national title, again
By Harry Press
Domination - powerful, brilliant domination. That's the closest way to define Stanford women's volleyball performance.
No other university ever has won four Division I volleyball championships (1992, 1994, 1996, 1997). And not since 1991 had any school won back-to-back crowns, as Stanford did in 1996 and 1997. Stanford is one of only four teams making all 17 NCAA post-season tournaments, and it holds the all-time record for most tournament wins with 49.
Beating Penn State for this year's NCAA championship was sweeter because it was against Penn that, early in the year, Stanford had its only two losses, when three key players were slowed by injury.
The Final Four title didn't come easily. In fact, it was everything a national championship should be: The match went to an all-out five games before Stanford could claim victory with three straight Kristin Folkl kills. The scores were 15-10, 15-6, 2-15, 15-17 and 15-9.
Unlike other seasons, this time Stanford didn't have to face potential disaster. Since Sept. 10, the team had won 28 straight matches. In the championship match, things suddenly got tough. Penn State blew Stanford away 2-15 in the third game and went on to win the fourth game in a neck and neck all the way for 44 minutes. The Cardinal players then "looked at each other," Folkl said, "and realized that that's not the volleyball Stanford plays and that we can play a lot better."
And they did it. Three straight booming kills by Folkl fittingly brought home game, match and championship.
"This win by far is the best championship I've ever been in," said Folkl after her final Stanford volleyball competition. "This one was a total team effort. It was such a battle."
Stanford's attack, led by Folkl, Barbara Ifejika and sophomore Kerri Walsh - last year's National Freshman of the Year - was bolstered by Paula McNamee, who was superb with career highs of 20 kills and 10 blocks. Folkl had 22 kills, and Walsh had a career-high 30 digs and 14 kills.
The five seniors - Folkl, Ifejika, Debbie Lambert, McNamee and setter Lisa Sharpley - were the first in NCAA history to win three championships in four years. The women of the Class of '98 were 125-8 overall, 64-1 at Maples, 70-2 in the Pac-10 and 78-7 against ranked teams.
Sharpley, running the offense for the fourth straight year and primary setter for the past two, now ranks third in Stanford history with 4,288 career assists. In October, she was named Pac-10 Player of the Week for the third time in her career. In postseason honors, Sharpley was named Second Team All-American. Folkl, Pac-10 Player of the Year, and Walsh were named First Team All-Americans.
The Old Pros didn't do it alone. Sophomores Sarah Clark and Jaimi Gregory and freshman Jennifer Detmer were key strengths in every game.
"What I'm going to miss most is how mature these seniors have been, how responsible in carrying out assignments," said Coach Don Shaw. "Their work ethic has been amazing." Coaches today usually have to put out all kinds of little fires, do a lot of babysitting. "With this group, I haven't had to do any of that," he added.
"Folkl is the perfect package of ability and skill, and has a great attitude. Sharpley has been a great leader and has led us to some unbelievable stats. Ifejika has been as consistent as anyone we've had in the program. She just comes in and gets the job done."
The year didn't start that well. Three of the players were recovering from surgery - knees for Sharpley and Gregory, and right shoulder for Walsh. Even when Walsh did return to the lineup, her right arm's strength was limited - she had to serve left-handed for a while. Their difficulties clearly hampered the team in its two losses of the year to Penn State.
Undoubtedly Folkl, Stanford's two-sport star, was the team's power leader. Although her volleyball eligibility ended in December, Folkl has another year of basketball after this season, if she stays for a fifth year. Last year, hoops Coach Tara VanDerveer persuaded her to come back to the team after the volleyball season finished.
Very few athletes, male or female, are two-sport stars. She now has an option that didn't exist when she arrived as a freshman: two professional basketball leagues and the Olympic Games of 2000.
"She's used to choices," Shaw said, "but now they are going to start involving a lot of money."
Folkl, Shaw said, "just keeps getting better - you can't defend her."
After this year's volleyball championship match, Penn State's Coach Russ Rose - second only to Shaw in his winning percentage - said, "Stanford is very hot right now. In the recruiting world, we're looking at Stanford choosing, not recruiting. Matches like this certainly don't hurt what they're doing."
Shaw's recruiting and choosing result in a tightly knit family. "A lot of it has to do with being close," Folkl said. "We know that everyone is there for each other. Knowing that you have help, that you're not alone, puts you at ease. I'm not sure where you really find that in life, once you're outside of sports."
That's how dynasties are built. ST