VB Recap: Looking Back At A Solid 2007 Season
November 23, 2007 | Volleyball
The 2007 volleyball team will be one that is remembered for a multitude of reasons for years to come. Long after the student-athletes from the 2007 team have graduated, people will still be discussing the squad for not only what showed up in the statistical categories, but what did not show up in them as well.
The program not only had arguably the most productive senior class statistically speaking in its Division I history, but the team also made great strides in terms of production all around from where it had been over the previous few seasons.
Up by only a half-game heading into the final match of the season, the squad was in a must-win scenario in order to make it back to the A-Sun Tournament for the second consecutive season – and for the final time in the program's history since GWU is moving into the Big South beginning the 2008-09 scholastic year.
With three seniors – Audra Harrison, Jackie Mathison and Ashley Pridgeon – facing the possibility of not extending their careers, the trio stepped up and swept eventual A-Sun Tournament Champion Lipscomb by a 3-0 score for their 14th win of the season.
The 2007 team finished its campaign with a school-record tying 14 wins. The program has had four seasons with 14 wins since beginning the transition to Division I, but only the 2006 and 2007 squads have done so after becoming full fledged members.
Collectively, the team set or tied five single-season school records in addition to placing itself in the top five of all 17 categories that are kept. In addition to the school-record tying 14 wins, the team set a single-season mark for kills (1,634), kills per game (14.09), assists (1,519) and assists per game (13.09).
The 2,115 digs were the second most in school history as were the 229 block assists. Defensively, the team was just as solid, if not better, than any of the other previous teams in GWU history – and that was proven on Oct. 5, 2007.
On that Friday night, the Bulldogs were coming off a non-conference loss at High Point where the team recorded 92 digs in four games, nearly setting the total games record. However, the defense rose to the occasion against the Ospreys, making history for all the fans in attendance.
GWU recorded a school-record 141 digs in the five-game thriller, eventually pulling out the 3-2 win by scores of 30-16, 28-30, 26-30, 30-19, 15-7. During the match, junior Katie Matykowski bested the school record that she already held with 40 digs. Not too far behind her was Harrison, who notched a personal-best 32 digs.
The win against UNF was crucial, not only because it evened the Bulldogs' A-Sun mark at 2-2, but it also gave the team the confidence it needed to come from behind in a match to win. It also marked the first time the program had beaten UNF.
Despite a loss the next day to Jacksonville, the Bulldogs won their next two, including an A-Sun match with Kennesaw State.
After a loss to Mercer, GWU responded by taking a five-game affair from USC-Upstate on the road. That match, Harrison and junior Heidi Steinebrunner put their names in the record book. Harrison tied Pridgeon for the most kills in a match with a personal-best 29 while Steinebrunner tallied 28 kills, helping the team rally from a 2-1 deficit to win 3-2.
The team combined for a school-record setting 89 kills in the match, besting the previous mark of 74 that was set in 2003 against Stetson and tied in wins over Mercer and Campbell in 2006.
After losing a heartbreaker to ETSU, the Bulldogs fell to Belmont on Senior Night and Parents' Night before bouncing back to sweep Lipscomb. In that match, the offense was again solid, but the contest was won on the defensive side of the court.
The team accounted for 14.0 total blocks in the game, which is tied for the third most in school history for a single match. Rookie Carrie Long posted a personal-best nine total blocks, which is the third most in school history. Junior Bethany Martin added seven block assists while Mathison promptly stuffed two shots by herself and assisted on five others.
Throughout the entire season, each member of the team stepped up at one time or another to help the team either win a match, win a game, or give the team enough confidence and momentum to take care of the next opponent on the schedule.
By each member contributing at one time or another, it boosted the team to a program-record six match winning streak spanning Sept. 1-11. However, the confidence might have been building from a few days prior to the start of the streak.
GWU dropped its first three matches of the season at the InnTower Invitational that was hosted by No. 11 Wisconsin. Upon returning home, the Bulldogs dispatched of nearby Wofford by a 3-0 margin. In the match, Harrison notched a career-high .611 attack percentage while Pridgeon led four Bulldogs in double figures with 13 kills.
Despite getting the first win of the year, the Bulldogs were unable to mount back-to-back wins, falling to Marshall in five games and dropping a 3-0 match to Western Kentucky at the Hilltoppers' tournament.
Something clicked though, and a 3-1 win over Tennessee State in the final match of the tournament was the start of six straight wins. Against TSU, sophomore Regina Feagin dished out 56 assists while the team compiled 70 kills in the four-game victory.
GWU stayed away from home a few days later as it took on Winston-Salem State and made quick work of the Lady Rams. The Bulldogs won 3-0 by scores of 30-8, 30-9, 30-17. The team connected on 51 kills for a .476 attack percentage.
GWU climbed to within one game of .500 for the season as it made quick work of Air Force, winning in three games during the first day of the GWU Runnin' Bulldog Invitational.
The next morning, the Bulldogs improved to 5-5 with another sweep, this time of North Carolina Central.
Despite the round robin event, the nightcap turned out to be the de facto championship game as both GWU and Davidson came in with 2-0 marks. The Bulldogs had never beaten the Wildcats, who came in 3-0 all-time against GWU.
The Bulldogs played strong in the first game, but fell by a 30-26 count before rebounding to win game two 30-27. However, Davidson bounced back to take the first game after the intermission 30-20, putting it on the brink of the championship. GWU was down, but not out. The team responded with a 30-24 victory in game four and a powerful 15-12 win to seal the five-game thriller.
Steinebrunner posted a game-high 23 kills while Pridgeon tallied 16 in the victory. Matykowski had 36 digs while Feagin had 52 assists. Harrison and Pridgeon each accounted for 21 digs.
Going undefeated during the week and having so many student-athletes play well during the five-game winning streak proved to be beneficial for the team. For the first time in school history, the Bulldogs were recognized with an A-Sun Player of the Week. It came in the form of Feagin.
She and the rest of the team extended their winning streak a couple of days later, taking a 3-1 victory at Western Carolina.
The streak abruptly ended with two losses at the Coastal Carolina Tournament. GWU fell to Coastal Carolina and to Delaware before knocking off Buffalo.
Despite losing to the Blue Hens, the Bulldogs gained some confidence defensively as Brett Wilson came off the bench to post a team-best 13 digs. The defense then went on to play a major roll against Buffalo, as the team won 3-1.
The team lost three straight after the Buffalo win, including two A-Sun matches. However, sophomore Jessica Clayton helped get the Bulldogs back on track against arch-rival Campbell. Clayton slammed home a career-high 18 kills en route to the four-game win, helping spark its run to a second consecutive A-Sun Tournament.
The 2007 squad featured Pridgeon, who ended up as the GWU career leader in games played, kills and aces, Harrison, who established the career record for digs and Feagin, who set a new benchmark for assists in a career. Others made the climb onto the top 10 during the season such as Matykowski, Martin and Mathison.
Yes, the team will be talked about for years because of what they accomplished on the court, but it will also be discussed as the year that got the program turned around.
There are no more A-Sun records to set, players of the week
honors or conference tournaments. With determined student-athletes
back in 2008, the team will have a chance to do something special
by entering the Big South. However, the 2007 team will never be
forgotten because they too, just like the 2008 team will be, are an
important part of the history of the program – the one that
did many things and was a major part of the building block for
something special in the upcoming seasons.
