FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2008
Contact Ben Chambers, (770) 537-5756

WCTC’S FIRST VOLLEYBALL TEAM CELEBRATES WINNING SEASON

Front (l-r): Assistant Coach Jane Lyons, Kaylee Wren, Marie Holbrook, Erin Key, Ruby Nunn, Stefanie Howard and Head Coach Chris Smith. Back row (l-r) Deidra Musick, Brittany Neese, and Madison Moye.

When West Central Technical College committed to field a women’s volleyball team this spring, organizers didn’t really know what to expect.

But emboldened by an inaugural men’s basketball season that provided students and fans plenty of excitement, and teams from Northwestern Tech and Coosa Valley Tech ready to play, Head Volleyball Coach Chris Smith and his team took the court.

The results speak for themselves. The West Central Lady Knights (9-2) finished the season with the best record in the league, their sole losses coming at the hands of eventual second place finisher Northwestern Tech.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of ladies,” Smith said. “After some adversity late in the season, the ladies pulled it together to win the matches that really mattered.”

Indeed, going into the last tri-meet of the season, the Mustangs from Northwestern had handed the Lady Knights two losses in the row giving both teams identical 7-2 records.

Coosa Valley Tech, who finished the season winless, hosted the final match at Georgia Highlands College in Rome. West Central fought back, getting the Mustang monkey off their back and scoring two victories.

“I’ve very proud of the way the ladies played this season,” Smith said.

Finishing the season from Carroll County were Stephanie Howard (number 22), an outside hitter from Villa Rica High School; Erin Key (18), a defensive specialist from Bowdon High; Brittany Neese (10), a middle blocker from Central High; and Ruby Nunn (12), a middle blocker from Carrollton High.

From Coweta County were Marie Holbrook (2), a middle blocker and inside hitter from Northgate High School; and Madison Moye (14), an outside hitter from East Coweta High.

Douglas County resident Kaylee Wren (13) was a setter and middle blocker from Alexander High.

“Our volleyball team played an outstanding season of matches,” President Dr. Skip Sullivan said. “We would like to think of them as the champions of this inaugural season. They gave us plenty of excitement, especially in the two home matches we hosted locally. It was great to see our fans out supporting the team.”

Sullivan said he expects several other colleges in the Technical College System of Georgia to join the sports league next season, with a possibility of the size of the league doubling to eight teams.

“Our colleagues saw the success we had this season and recognize sports as a great benefit to offer our students,” he said. “Not only does it offer students the chance to participate in intercollegiate athletics, but it offers the entire West Central family a mascot to rally around and the kind of esprit de corps that goes with a winning team.”

Marie Holbrook led the season statistics in hitting, scoring 99 kills and averaging 2.91 kills per game.

In serving, Stefanie Howard led all players with 40 aces, 1.18 per game.

Brittney Neese led in total blocks with 19.5, or 0.57 per game

West Central Technical College, with campuses in Carroll, Coweta, Douglas and Haralson counties, offers over 90 associate degree, diploma and technical certificate programs of study. A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, West Central last year served over 10,000 students including credit enrollment, adult education, ESL classes, continuing education and corporate training. West Central is one of the fastest-growing technical colleges in Georgia.

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