BaseballMen's BasketballWomen's BasketballMen's Cross CountryWomen's Cross CountryField HockeyFootballGolfMen's LacrosseWomen's LacrosseRowingAlpine SkiingNordic SkiingMen's SoccerWomen's SoccerSoftballMen's SquashWomen's SquashSwimming and DivingMen's TennisWomen's TennisMen's Track and FieldWomen's Track and FieldVolleyball

• Program Notes
• Career Stats
• Statistics
• 2004 Schedule
• 2004 Roster

• American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III Page

Program Notes

The philosophy of the Bates College volleyball team can be summed up in two words – daily improvement. Team members strive to get better as individuals, but also as a group. The team does set "outcome" goals, such as being one of the top teams in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), but those goals will take care of themselves if the team strives to improve every day. Determined individuals with a strong record of academic achievement and a passion for the game should consider applying to Bates.

The Bobcats' season consists of several early-season tournaments and non-league matches against regional opponents. The team plays traditional rivals Colby and Bowdoin for the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) championship, and the NESCAC schedule consists of 10 matches played over four weekends. The top eight schools in the conference standings advance to NESCAC Championship play, hosted by the highest seed as determined by the regular season standings. The winner of the tournament earns an automatic bid in the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship.

2003 Recap/2004 Outlook

Olivia Zurek is is the Bobcats' top returning outside hitter with 1,033 kills entering 2004.

Bates won more than 20 matches for the sixth consecutive season, finishing with a 26-9 overall record in 2003. The Bobcats claimed their fifth consecutive CBB title and were second in the NESCAC standings with a 9-1 conference record, losing only to nationally-ranked Williams. The team advanced to the NESCAC Championship final for the first time since the 2000 season, before losing to NCAA quarterfinalist Williams.

In order to stay at the top of the NESCAC standings next year, Bates will have to deal with the graduation of perhaps the best volleyball player ever to wear a Bates uniform. Liz Wanless '04 (Belleville, Ill.) was a third-team All-America and a first-team All-NESCAC selection, and finished her career as the program's all-time leader with 2,274 kills. Wanless, however, was the team's only senior and the Bobcats will have a veteran crew of five returning seniors in 2004.