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 The Bates volleyball team finished the 2001 season with a 24-11 record, the fourth straight season in which they won two-thirds of their matches. The Bobcats reached the semifinals of the competitive New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tournament for the third season in a row, using a dramatic comeback after dropping the first two games to defeat rival Tufts in the quarterfinals. If Bates can return to the conference finals in 2002, the Bobcats stand a great chance of reaching the NCAA tournament. The NESCAC has produced an NCAA at-large team for the past two years, including the Bobcats' run to the Sweet 16 as an at-large team in 2000.
The Bobcats received the Molten/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Academic Team award in 2001 for earning a team grade-point average better than 3.3. Three members of the 2001 squad have graduated, but coach Jen Bowman has plenty of talent to step into their places. Junior co-captain Liz Wanless (Belleville, Ill.), an outside hitter, has led the team in kills in each of the past two seasons, finishing either first or second in the NESCAC in kills per game in each season. An All-NESCAC and All-New England performer, Wanless was named the 2001-02 Bates female athlete of the year for her performance on the volleyball court and for the track and field team. Fellow co-captain Katie Burke (Canton, Mass.) is the Bobcats' top defensive specialist. A talented sophomore class arrived in 2001 and immediately stepped into big roles as well. Kristen Johnson (Denver, Colo.) moved in as the starting setter midway through the season. Outside hitter Olivia Zurek (Arlington, Mass.), who was named Maine Rookie of the Year for her performance on the women's basketball team, provided a fearsome one-two punch with Wanless.
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