By Angela Wallace
In their first conference match-up with New Mexico 27 years ago, the Cougars dropped the Lobos the first two games, 15-6 and 15-1. After junior Kathy Mendenhall served the first ball of the third game, New Mexico returned the ball to the Cougars'' defense.
Junior Lori Richards adjusted to make the dig and junior Joni Powell set the ball outside for the kill. BYU soon sealed the match, 3-0, and posted its 19th win of the season on Oct. 29, 1977.
While the teams remain the same, the times have changed, and BYU is still sweeping conference opponents like New Mexico. This past season, four women''s volleyball players enjoyed the prestige of playing at the same place their mothers did, BYU, more than two decades ago.
These four players include junior Lauren Richards, junior Lexi Brown, freshman Stacie Powell and sophomore Christina Mendenhall. In addition, head coach Karen Lamb played with three of the four moms.
'It''s really fun coaching them because each one of their mothers is a good friend of mine,' Lamb said. 'It''s been fun keeping those associations and seeing them more often with their daughters on the team. I played with Lauren''s, Stacie''s, and Christina''s mom, but I knew Lexi''s mom. She was a great woman and made everyone around her feel good.'
Lori, Joni and Kathy all played with Lamb during the 1977 season under the direction of coach Elaine Michaelis, who later became Director of Women''s Athletics at BYU. The late Antoinette Brown was a teammate of Michaelis, about 20 years before.
Although there are many differences in women''s collegiate volleyball today compared to decades ago, the BYU tradition has always included talented athletes. With many family connections, it''s easy to see why the women''s team has had so much success throughout the years.
'There are many similarities in these women and their daughters,' Michaelis said. 'Lexi''s mom was very competitive and an exceptional athlete. Lexi has the same great ability and quickness. Lori, Lauren''s mom, was a smart player and a great blocker for us. Lauren may have better athletic ability than her mom and also gets a lot of her jumping ability from her dad, who also played volleyball at BYU.
'Kathy was a wonderful athlete who could play any sport,' Michaelis continued. 'She has certainly raised a family of athletes, and you can see that in Christina.'
Although some of these current players play different positions than their mothers did, there still remains the same competitiveness. Perhaps that is most evident in Stacie Powell and her mom, Joni.
'Joni was short, but she was very aggressive and contributed well to our team as a setter,' Michaelis said. 'Stacie plays a lot like her mom, Joni, even though she plays more defense in the libero position. They both have a competitive spirit and drive, and you know they''ll get to that ball wherever they are on the court.'
Last summer, the whole volleyball team noticed the similarities in Stacie and her mom. In fact, during their team trip to Europe, the team started calling Stacie 'Joni.' Even during their matches, members of the team called out 'Joni' on serve receive when the ball came to Stacie.
'When we went to Europe as a team last summer, my mom came with us,' Stacie Powell said. 'Everyone just loved her and thought she was so funny. Everyone said I definitely sound exactly like her, and plus, I act like her too. So they then started calling me Joni, but I think it''s funny, and I like it. It fits me.'
Not only were these athletes born with volleyball talent, but they also grew up honing their skills. All four girls attribute much of their success to growing up in a home filled with volleyball and other sports.
In fact, Lauren, Lexi, Stacie and Christina all played a number of sports in high school along with volleyball and club volleyball. Although playing multiple sports in high school is common, playing more than one sport in college is exceptionally rare.
'Playing sports was never forced upon us, but my parents gave us a choice,' Lauren said. 'We just did what we wanted to do. We all played volleyball in my family, so you''re always surrounded by good people. I also did basketball, soccer and volleyball, but I don''t think my body could handle it if I did another sport in college besides volleyball.'
However, in the early years of women''s collegiate volleyball, women athletes did a number of sports. For example, Lexi''s mom, Antoinette, did swimming, volleyball, basketball and diving. In fact, she got her start in volleyball by participating in other sports.
'It was like intermurals back in her day because they didn''t have actual teams,' Lexi said. 'She was diving in the pool in the RB one day, and the volleyball coach came in and said, ''Oh hey, you''re really good. You should come and try out.'''
Obviously, the women''s volleyball program has undergone some incredible changes and has seen significant growth since the 1950s. One of the biggest differences is the schedule and amount of matches during their season.
Michaelis said volleyball was considered an extramurals sport when she and Antoinette played. During their six-week season, they would go to Intermountain meets to play neighboring teams like Colorado State, Arizona and Idaho that would last all day Saturday.
Today, BYU faces two or three opponents a week in their four-month season. With such a grueling schedule, the Cougars now enjoy the comforts of flying to other states for competition and tournaments.
'My mom always tells me how lucky we are,' Stacie said. 'We get to fly everywhere while they all had to pile in the van. They would play and drive back the next day in the van.'
Despite these differences, tradition has been at the heart of BYU women''s volleyball. Although decades span between the careers of these mothers and daughters, this unique legacy of success should burn even brighter with all four players returning next season.