Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Volleyball Hosts Alumni Dinner
November 05, 2010 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 5, 2010
LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech volleyball program turned to its past Friday night as nearly 35 former student-athletes met for an alumni dinner in the west stadium building of Jones AT&T Stadium.
Since the program's beginning in the 1960s, more than 300 student-athletes have donned the scarlet and black to compete for the Red Raiders. Two of Tech's inaugural volleyball student-athletes, Phyllis Winn and, the program's first African American player, Vera Newsome, were among those in attendance who shared stories from the late 60s and of the teams humble beginnings under then coach Jeannine McHaney who later became Tech's women's athletics director.
"During the program's beginning, the team did not travel by charter plane, or even commercial," Winn and Newsome said. "Good heavens, we got a dime a mile and had to caravan using our own vehicles," they told an eager crowd of family and friends and the 2010 team which was in attendance. "Often our players were behind the wheel and once, we even caused Ms. McHaney to get a ticket because she had to speed to catch up to us!"
Their jerseys were not sponsored by Under Armour or even sponsored at all. For Winn and Newsome wearing a uniform, knee pads, and court shoes was something they had to provide because the women's athletic budget at Tech was so small and because organized programs just didn't exist at the time.
"The history we learned tonight was absolutely great," Tech senior athletics director Dr. Judi Henry said. "This is something we will look to continue and hopefully grow because there is so much more we can learn. Seeing various student-athletes from different decades come together was a special sight, and hopefully one that will be repeated with more Red Raiders down the road."
Organized by assistant coach Amy (Charlebois) Gandy, herself a graduate of Texas Tech and a volleyball starter from 2004-07, the night featured numerous door prizes and an oral history of the program from the 1960s through the season in progress. Guests from Tech's Southwest Collections and members of the Athletics Communications staff were on hand documenting the event, and gathering information to further enhance the historical records of the program. There were players from each decade in attendance, including two of the program's three Hall of Fame members, Becky Boxwell McIlraith (2005 inductee) and Lisa Clark an inductee from the class of 2010.
For interim head coach Beth Falls the night was meant completely for the alumni.
"We wanted tonight to be something special for our alumni and a chance for different players from different eras to come together and share great stories and get to know each other," Falls said. "It was wonderful to meet the different faces and names you hear about, and to be able to put a face to a name and hear their stories. That was what tonight was all about. We talk a great deal to our team about reaching for every moment and every experience because it goes so fast. Tonight was an opportunity for them to hear that from others who have shared a similar path during their college years, no matter the era."
Alumni will also get a chance to tour the United Spirit Arena prior to Saturday's noon match against No. 5 Nebraska, while also taking part in the homecoming football game against Missouri that evening.