COLLEGE WOMEN
players but great people. It’s truly been a pleasure to work with this group. And before the match, I was talking to my wife and the staff, and I was just saying that no matter what happens tonight I’m going to be sad, because it’s over. It means that the time’s over. And it’s hard. I almost got emotional at practice because of that, because I just love these guys. And it’s been a fun ride that they’ve pulled us along on.”
The Illinois roster was littered with homegrown players, including Ward (Naperville, Ill.) and Bartsch (Maryville, Ill). “I do think that because we have so many Illinois players that wear ‘Illinois’ across their backs it does mean a little bit more to them,” Hambly said. “Lizzie (McMahon) was born in the Chicago area, and she has a lot of family ties to the area. I think it does mean something to these players.” Bartsch and Ward were joined on the all-tournament team by teammate Annie Luhrsen, as well as Kidder, Van Orden, UCLA’s Zoe Nightingale and Southern California’s Alex Jupiter. Jupiter had 32 kills in 83 sets in the semi- fi nal match against Illinois – both Alamodome highs for the weekend. The aura kept enveloping Sealy. Earlier in the week, he was named the
American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year, which made him the fi rst person to earn the award in only his second season as a head coach. But he preferred to focus on the personal things that defi ne a champi- onship season.
“I told the girls coming here, you know, sooner or later the national champion aura wears off,” he said. “When you think back about your senior season for Lauren or this season in general, you may remember the match and the last point, but you’re going to remember the bus rides. You’re going to remember Kelly Reeves on the road and did she really say that kind of stuff. It’s the human element of what we created, the experience we shared. It was just unreal.”
Sealy will see more than the championship trophy in the team picture. “There’s this sense of detachment before I realized that I love these guys and we had an amazing experience and this match was not going to defi ne us,” he said. “It’s transient and it doesn’t stay and it’s just not lasting and I was going to be okay with whatever happened tonight.” Even better than okay.
BOMBS AWAY: (Above) UCLA’s Rachael Kidder was able to swing away against the Illinois block in the big moments to propel UCLA to its fi rst title in 20 years. (Right) Senior outside hitter Colleen Ward led the Illini in kills throughout the NCAA Tournament. (Photos: UCLA, Illinois)
out-play the Trojans, who many felt would be matched up against their cross-town rival in the championship for the fi rst time since the inaugural NCAA tournament in 1981. “Watching the semifi nal match, I thought (Illinois) was the best team I had seen this year,” Sealy said. “I was concerned about the level they were playing at.” Illinois Coach Kevin Hambly, a former BYU All-American who played in the same era as Sealy, said the journey was the special part of this season for him. “I couldn’t be prouder of this group,” he said. “I’ve never been around a group of people that were more committed to each other, more committed to the process, more committed to being not just great volleyball
40 | VOLLEYBALLUSA
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