Page 14 THE BATTALION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1981 Sports Wilson By GAVE DENLEY Battalion Staff Her team from the southern re gion had just won the volleyball segment of the 1978 National Sports Festival, and Wendy Wil son had been named the most valuable player in the tourna ment. “I just remember sitting outside the house there, crying, saying, ‘Lord, I don’t understand why you’re doing all this for me, ” Wil son, a senior accounting major and the driving force behind a nation ally-ranked Aggie volleyball team, said. “Volleyball has been a very, very powerful tool that the Lord has used in my life,” she said, re flecting on her two summers with the national team and four years with Texas A&M. “It taught me a lot about myself, about my re lationships with other people, and about His activity in my life. ” Small wonder that the Aggies have broken into the NCAA top 20 for the first time under the leader ship of the blond, 5’9” Wilson, whose compelling combination of humility and confidence is diffi cult to resist. Wilson was a member of the 1978 and 1979 national teams that won second place in the Pacific Rim International Tournament, losing to Japan one year and Korea the next. This season, the hitter/ blocker has led the Aggies to the 18th spot in the national rankings. A mainstay of state and national all-tournament rosters since her sophomore year in high school, Wilson attributes her recognition to the success of the team. “It’s such a team thing. You aren’t chosen for something like that unless your team’s doing well, ” she said. “There are a lot of good players on teams that aren’t doing well, and they don’t get rec ognition.” A 1977 graduate of Arlington High School, Wilson surprised everyone, including herself, by choosing to play for Texas A&M. “I wanted to play volleyball, and I wanted to pursue academics, and I wanted a place where I could grow all-around, because especially when you re in sports, it’s real easy to get a very narrow focus,” she said. “I had no desire to go to Texas A&M. I didn’t even visit A&M. And then we came down here for a tournament in high school, and I just knew that this was the place for me.” Daily practices and almost weekly tournaments keep her busy, Wilson said, but it’s a sacri fice she is willing to make. “That’s one of the tradeoffs. If I weren t in volleyball. I’d probably have a lot more time to devote to other things, but I feel like there’s a lot of things I’m learning. The things that are really important, you make time for,” she said. Nevertheless, between classes, practices and tournaments, Wil son has found time to serve as one of the “core leaders” of the Texas A&M Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Wilson and the rest of the leaders plan, organize and run the meetings of the fellowship on a 14 rotating basis, depending! I is busy at the time. “It’s open to everyWi /0 son said of the organizafc|l4 PcK meet every other week, different speakers. Usi speaker tries to relate ittij tics... We try to relate ittol performance and eompetiJ Although she will rece® degree in accounting in [J her, Wilson plans to star" lege Station for at least working with the Felb Christian Athletes. ' IThe i “We need some that’s not committed to e lion other things,” sit “When you’re a student, i hard — were having a r time right now.” feent in Wilson is also attending ly sun tional M issions Conference cting cember that she hopes« j-ahia’! her decide on a direction! Ive th future. |5ov. 25 Presii Home and Auto Stereo Equipment / ./ / .ng his Part; aruzels fitly Cc ontrol ncrease The i nth toi ffiniven egainet NOVEMBER 13th On A&M Records and Tapes Reflector part of the game ONLY Give the gift of music. , '