High hopes not
enough for Ags
Texas too tough again for A&M
By Charean Williams
Assistant Sports Editor
What began as a dream season for
the Texas A&M volleyball team turned
into an eight-month nightmare.
The Aggies had high hopes when
they began preseason practice back in
August.
A&M had finished the ’84 campaign
with a 33-4 record —————
and ranked 15th Volleyball
nationally and was
returning All-America middle blocker
Sherri Brinkman, All-Southwest Con
ference outside hitter Margaret Spence,
three other starters and four of the
most highly-touted recruits around.
A&M Coach Terry Condon expected
the SWC championship, something the
Texas Longhorns had refused to share
since the league was formed in 1975,
and a Top 10 finish.
“This year we have the opportunity
to play Top 10 volleyball,” Condon pro-
Ex-A&M Coach Terry Condon
claimed before the season began. “We
have everything going for us. This is
going to be our year to shine.”
So everything appeared to be in
working order, oiled and ready to go.
But the first match was a premoni
tion of things to come. The Aggies trav
eled to Huntsville to play Sam Houston
State — a “weakling” accustomed to
playing in Division 2.
It was an embarrassing 18-16, 17-15,
15-12 loss for A&M.
“It was so humiliating to go down
there and play a lower division school
and lose in three games,” senior setter
Lesha Beakley said. “Out of all of the
losses we’ve had while I’ve been here,
I’m embarrassed to have that one in the
loss column.”
A trip to San Diego seemed to heal
some of the wounds as the then-No. 15
Aggies went 3-2, good for third place in
the Michelob Light/Aztec Classic. How
ever, hindsight says A&M should have
beaten both San Diego State and Ari
zona State for first place in the tourney.
In any event, the Ags put together a
10-game win streak, including the high
light match of the season — an exciting
“miracle” five-game win against No. 9
Purdue.
“This is a turning point for us," said
Condon after the win over the Boiler
makers. *
Indeed, A&M finally had all of the
wheels rolling in the same direction.
Brinkman was returning to her dom
inating form, Stacey Smith was showing
signs of becoming an All-SWC per
former, the other four starters were be
ginning to gell, and sophomore Mich
elle Whitwell and freshman Cheri
Steensma were providing much-needed
support off the bench.
The goal of a Top 10 ranking was fi
nally achieved and the Aggies were be
ginning to live up to the great expecta
tions.
But one play and one match later, the
Aggies’ grave was being dug.
On a chilly October night in a match
against Texas Southern, Smith went
down with a knee injury that would end
her season.
The next match was an important
SWC encounter with Texas Tech in
Lubbock.
With Spence moving to the middle to
take over Smith’s position and Whitwell
moving into the starting role on the out
side, the Ags bent and broke.
The upset loss to the Red Raiders put
the Aggies snugly in their coffin.
“We don't know how to play when
we’re the front-runner — just when
we’re the underdog,” said a disap
pointed and teary-eyed Condon.
While the Aggie wheels were falling
off, the Longhorns were enjoying their
easiest jaunt to the SWC title.
Texas made sure it closed, nailed and
chained shut A&M’s casket door on Oct.
30 when it dashed past the Ags in three
straight games.
After a lot of soul searching by the
whole team, added with a dash of expe
rience and a pinch of confidence for
Spence and Steensma in their new posi
tions, the Aggies won six in a row.
A SWC-volleyball record crowd of
3,500 was on hand in G. Rollie White
Coliseum to see a thrilling five-game
match against Texas.
After winning the first two games of
the match, the Aggies came ever so
close to upsetting the Longhorns, but
were left disappointed again.
However, A&M’s inspirational play
against UT won the Ags more than just
a few fans’ hearts —it meant an at-large
NCAA Tournament bid. The first-
round match for the Ags was a surpris
ingly tough battle against Texas-Arling-
Photo by John Makely
A&M freshman Cheri Steensma taps the ball over the net. Steensma is one of
several players that will return to play under new head coach A1 Givens.
ton, but a win nonetheless.
In regional play, Texas was given
“A&M slaying honors” for the final
time. The sight was not a pretty one.
Not only was it the Ags’ third loss of
the season to the Horns but it was
A&M’s worst loss ever to UT.
The Aggies could almost be heard
giving a sigh of relief when the painful
season had ended.
But little did they know that only the
matches had ended, not the agony.
In January, Condon resigned to re
turn to her alma mater, UCLA, to be
come assistant athletic director. Assis
tant Coach Mardi Alexander was
offered the head job, but turned it
down to pursue other professional in
terests. And team hypnotist, Dr. War
ren “Spider” Simpson, left the cup
board completely bare by also
resigning.
That sent the A&M Athletic Depart
ment searching for a coach. Things
looked good when more than 70 appli
cations were received and two inter
views were granted.
But Gov. Mark White’s budget cuts,,
which forced the A&M Board of Re
gents to impose a hiring freeze, sent the
Athletic Department to a bone-crunch
ing, screeching halt in their search.
The Aggies went without a coach for
2'/a months.
Finally, the long awaited day came,
and the nightmare ended.
Mississippi Coach A1 Givens was
awarded the job on April 12.
But a few questions still remain un
answered: What does the future hold
for a team that will have five seniors, a
walk-on junior, two sophomores, two
redshirt freshmen and two incoming
freshmen? Can the Aggies fill the huge
holes left by Beakley and Brinkman?
And now that the only two players and
only coach who had ever beaten Texas
are gone, will the Aggies ever defeat the
Longhorns again?
Only time will tell.