Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Volleyball Team Concludes 2000 Ledger With Second NCAA Tournament Appearance In Three Years
12/7/2000 7:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Dec. 7, 2000
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell women's volleyball team returned to the top of the Patriot League and the NCAA Division I Tournament this fall. The 2000 ledger ended with the Bison holding a 17-15 overall record and a 10-2 first-place finish in the Patriot League. The squad was led by the guidance of its coach, Cindy Opalski, and the leadership from its senior captains, Nicole LaMothe (Meriden, Conn./Orville H. Platt) and Brooke Bader (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria).
LaMothe and Bader closed out their Bison career's in style, having appeared in the NCAA Tournament twice, Penn State in 1998 and Wisconsin in 2000. The two seniors were also on three Bison teams that have finished first in the conference. Leadership can be expressed in many ways and these two lead on opposite sides of the spectrum.
Throughout her four years, LaMothe has always been a very vocal leader and in 2000 she used her competitive spirit to motivate her teammates to victory. LaMothe had her finest season wearing the Orange and Blue, as she recorded 139 kills, nine less than her three-year career total, and 207 defensive digs, which more than doubled her career total.
Bader is the quieter of the two captains, but once she steps on the court, a fierce competitor. In 1999, Bader was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection and in 2000 she bettered herself by being selected to the all-league first team. Bader finished fourth in the conference in hitting percentage (.273), seventh in kills per game (3.04), and fifth in digs per game (2.94). In closing out a very solid and consistent career, Bader was named the Patriot League Tournament MVP after two solid matches versus Lehigh and Colgate. The leadership and competitive spirit of these two individuals will be missed, and not easily replaced.
The junior class was comprised of six individuals who garnered several accolades throughout the season. Shannon Walker (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield) and Whitney Williams (LaJolla, Calif./LaJolla) both had break out seasons as they combined to win four Patriot League Player-of-the-Week awards and were both awarded with post-season honors. Williams, the setter and general on the court, broke two Bucknell volleyball records this season while moving into second all-time for career assists with 1985. Her 1175 assists in 32 games are the most ever in a single season by a Bucknell volleyball player. In a match at Holy Cross, Williams recorded 61 assists to shatter the previous single-contest record of 53 assists. Williams' season accolades include the Buffalo Invitational All-Tournament team, Subway Classic All-Tournament team, one Patriot League Offensive Player-of-the-Week award and being named to the All-Patriot League Second Team. Williams also led the Patriot League in assists per game at 10.49.
On the receiving end of most of Williams sets was middle hitter Walker, the go-to person on the Orange and Blue front line. Walker was the only individual in the Patriot League to garner Patriot League Player-of-the-Week honors three times during the season, and rightly so as she led the conference in hitting percentage (.291), kills per game (3.71) and was ninth in blocks per game (0.71). She concluded her junior campaign by being named the 2000 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and was named to the All-Patriot League First Team.
Junior serving duo Kerri Bishop (Glen Allen, Va./Hermitage) and Angela Gano (Silver Spring, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) were integral members of the team as they were called upon by Coach Opalski to substitute into the back row. As a defensive specialist, Gano averaged 1.79 digs per game in 109 games, a total of 195 digs on the season. Bishop, who had only played in 15 games entering this season, saw action in 73 games while averaging 0.36 aces per game. Bishop and Gano were key individuals to this season's Patriot League Championship squad and will be even more important to the success of next season's team.
Rounding out the junior class is middle blocker Melanie Gray (Richmond, Va./Collegiate School) and Shamree Landis (Loveland, Colo./Thompson Valley). Landis saw action in only 35 games because of an ankle injury she suffered halfway through the season. She did save her best for last as she led the Bison in hitting against #4 Wisconsin with three kills on four attempts in the NCAA Tournament. Gray, nicknamed as the X-factor on the team, was utilized in 72 games and averaged 1.50 kills per game with a .281 hitting percentage. Using her height to her advantage, Gray was often a "big" surprise for opposing team players.
The sophomore class was the smallest class on the team with only two representatives. Jen Wrigley (Benicia, Calif./Benicia) had a fine second season with the Herd, averaging 2.70 kills per game and 3.46 digs per game. She received Patriot League Defensive Player-of-the-Week after a career-high 28-dig performance in Worcester, Mass. versus Holy Cross. Wrigley completed the double-double against the Crusaders with 20 kills. Stricken with injuries during most of the season, Melanie Ghiz (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) saw court time in 42 games during the 2000 ledger.
After struggling in the 1999 season, the volleyball coaching staff outdid itself during the off-season as a solid group of four freshmen hit the scene in 2000. Breean and Brandi Trapasso (N. Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda), twin sisters separated by only seven minutes at birth, gave the Bison two fiery athletic individuals on the court during 2000. Brandi, the younger of the two, had a spectacular first collegiate season at Bucknell as she finished first in the Patriot League with 4.01 digs per game. A two-time Patriot League Defensive Player-of-the-Week in 2000, Brandi was honored at the Patriot League Banquet with both the Defensive and Rookie of the Year Awards. This was an unprecedented event for the conference as no individual had ever won two player-of-the-year awards. Along with her league honors, Brandi set a Bucknell volleyball record when she dug 32 balls twice during the season to break the previous record of 26 digs in a match. Brandi's sister, Breean, played in 76 games as a secondary setter and defensive specialist and recorded 84 assists and 73 digs. Other members of the freshmen class were Jackie Gallo (North Branford, Conn./North Branford) and Deirdre Witte (Portland, Ore./Jesuit), who combined to play in 19 games.
The Orange and Blue opened up the 2000 ledger with a disappointing 2-10 record, collecting their only victories against Canisius and St. Francis-PA. However, the Bison pulled together and won 15 of the final 20 games, including the Patriot League Championship title and a bid to the NCAA Tournament. After leading her team back from a 2-10 start to a 17-15 overall record and 10-2 conference record, coach Opalski was honored at the Patriot League Banquet with the Coach of the Year award.
Not only were individual records broken in 2000, but so were Bucknell team records. After 32 matches, the previous records of 1407 kills in a season, 2003 digs, 207 block assists, and 1249 assists had been broken by this years squad. After all was said and done, the new team season-records stand at 1592 kills, 1373 assists, 218 block assists and 2051 defensive digs. The 2000 Bucknell volleyball team finished the season as regular season conference champions and tournament champions.
