Lady Bears break Division III record
Kristin McKenzie
Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: News
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Brookhaven, the No. 1 seed, swept both the No. 8 and No. 5 seeded teams on the first day of competition at the national championship tournament. During the second day and championship match, the Lady Bears lost the first set 25-22. They quickly rebounded to claim their second consecutive national title by defeating the No. 3 seed, Madison Area Technical College of Wisconsin, 25-20, 25-18 and 25-19.
Head coach Jason Hopkins said last year the Lady Bears marched through, won the championship and never dropped a set. He said it differed this year because there was new team chemistry, and most of the Lady Bears had never played in a national championship.
The team won the Regional Tournament against Richland College, which in turn placed them in the national competition. After sweeping Richland, Hopkins said he felt his team could successfully defend their championship.
An off-court vendetta that led to the removal of a player threatened to destroy team unity for the Lady Bears.
"We had to remove somebody just after regional championship," he said. Hopkins said there were conflicting personalities that divided the team off the court and he does not regret the decision to eliminate the player.
Katie Schlup, sophomore outside hitter, said she worried about the friction between players and how it might have affected the season.
"We weren't sure if we could pull it together, but there were enough of us that were determined enough to step up," she said.
In addition to team drama, Schlup had doubts about her physical capabilities after fracturing her foot in the last national competition. She worked diligently to get back into physical condition, and she was named to the NJCAA III All-Tournament Team.
Chelcy Trejo, sophomore outside hitter, and Sarah Terry, freshman middle blocker, also made the All-Tournament Team. Callie Martin, sophomore setter, earned recognition as the NJCAA III Most Valuable Player.
Hopkins said the school and community expect the team to keep producing wins in the conference, regional and national championships.
"Expectations are always high, and not only for me but for the girls that walk in," he said. "They don't want to be that team that gets remembered for not making it to the national championship; nobody wants to be that team, and I've heard that time and time again."
Schlup said Hopkins expects more from the sophomores because he relies on them to lead on the court.
"If there's a problem, we have to deal with it." She said the coach shouldn't have to handle college students' problems.
She said the team completely trusts Hopkins, and if they follow his lead, they know they will succeed.
Schlup disclosed a few of her superstitions.
"I wear the same socks and the same sports bra," she said. "That sounds weird … I definitely wash them."
The Lady Bears finished the season with a 29-10 record and have a chance next year to be the first team to ever win three consecutive national championships.
Since becoming Brookhaven's volleyball coach six years ago, Hopkins has guided the team through four national wins and into the national championship tournament the remaining two seasons, making him the winningest volleyball coach in the Dallas County Community College District.
The American Volleyball Coaches Association awarded Hopkins the Two-Year College Southwest Region Coach of the Year, as did the NJCAA for Division III.
For now, Hopkins is working swiftly to finish selecting his 2010 team roster to prepare for spring volleyball.
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