With a 22-11 record, Mary Washington College marched to a "very good volleyball season," according to Coach Connie Gallahan. "We beat some very good teams," the fifth year coach related.

Included in the win column for the Blue Tide are victories over the College of William and Mary, George Mason University, and Virginia Commonwealth University, all Division II teams. In addition, with a 3-1 record versus Eastern Conference Division III teams, Mary Washington earned the regular season Eastern Conference title.

"A definite highlight," Gallahan said, came with Mary Washington's championship in the Longwood College Invitational Tournament. MWC won four matches in the round robin tournament while dropping only one game. Junior Anne Means, an All-Region 2 selection as a freshman and an All-Virginia spiker as a sophomore, won Most Valuable Player honors in the five team tourney. Junior and three year starter Karen Stephenson was named to the All-Tournament team.

Following a disappointing Virginia tournament in which Mary Washington finished out of the state's top three teams for the first time since the creation of Division III in 1978, expectations are high for 1982 MWC volleyball. Although senior co-captain Carla Richardson graduates, ten of the team's 12 members, and four of the six starters, return for another season. "I expect us to pick up right where we left off," Gallahan said, "and return to the level of our state championsh ip teams of 1978 and 1979."

Aside from the team's top two spikers, Means, a 1981 co-captain, and Stephenson, freshman setter Paige Wohlgemuth returns. "Paige made our spikers better with excellent setting through out the year," Gallahan said. Stephanie Poh, another freshman, will fill another spiking position. Hitters Jane Coleman, a serving specialist, and Karen Warren, a cool, consistent player, are expected to play important roles in 1982. In 1982, home matches will be the key to another successful season. The Blue Tide is currently riding a 19 match home regular season winning streak extending over three seasons. The 1982 schedule includes seven home matches and the first Mary Washington College Invitational Tournament, a five team tournament to be held over Parent's Weekend.