DENVER -- The Western Athletic Conference has joined the NCAA national office in celebrating the 2005-06 season as the 25th anniversary of NCAA Women?™s Championships.
The NCAA is encouraging the more that 1,020 member colleges, universities and conferences to recognize the 2005-06 season as the 25th anniversary of women?™s championships. Recognition can include special campus activities, banners and signage, promotional events, program inserts, the naming of anniversary teams, and special awards. Activation kits were provided to all NCAA Division I, II and III colleges and universities in an effort to assist with the initiatives on their campuses.
The NCAA recognizes the following women?™s championships as those celebrating their 25th anniversary during the 2005-06 season: Division I and III women?™s field hockey; Division I, II and III women?™s Cross country; Division I, II and III women?™s cross country; Division I, II and III women?™s volleyball; Division I, II and III women?™s swimming; Division I, II and III women?™s basketball; women?™s gymnastics; Division I, II and III women?™s tennis; Division I women?™s golf; Division I women?™s lacrosse; Division I women?™s rowing; Division I, II and III softball and Division I, II and III women?™s outdoor track.
In 1981, the NCAA began sponsoring women?™s championships, which opened the door to increased athletic and academic opportunities for female athletes. The WAC just had its 15th anniversary of women?™s championships, first sponsoring women?™s sports in 1991. Today, the NCAA sponsors 44 women?™s championships in 20 sports, providing more than 150,000 women with an opportunity to compete for national titles each year.
Hawai`i women's volleyball coach Dave Shoji and former All-American Deitre Collins have been named to the NCAA 25th Anniversary Women's Volleyball Team, celebrating the 25th year of the NCAA Tournament in women's volleyball.
Shoji was voted as the coach of the team. He coached three NCAA championship teams, two runners up, and three others that advanced to the semifinals.
Collins was a three-time AVCA All-American that won the Honda Broderick Cup as the National Athlete of the Year in 1982-83. She was also the volleyball nominee in 1983-84. Collins was on two national championship teams, named to two NCAA All-Tournament teams and still holds the record for solo blocks in a single NCAA Tournament (15). Collins is currently the head coach at Cornell.
For more information on NCAA women?™s championships, visit www.ncaasports.com. To learn more about the Western Athletic Conference, visit www.wacsports.com.
For more information on the 25-year volleyball team, visit http://www.ncaasports.com/volleyball/womens/story/8964680.