The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
T-Association Longhorns spotlight: 1988 Volleyball
12.15.2011 | T-Association
Dec. 15, 2011
Dalton Pool, Texas Media Relations
The 1988 Texas Women's Volleyball team capped an outstanding season by winning the program's first NCAA National Championship, after advancing the final four the previous two years.
Dawn Davenport, national player of the year, led the Longhorns to Minneapolis, where the Longhorns beat top ranked UCLA, who had beaten the Longhorns twice earlier in the season, in the straight sets in the national semifinal. UT then went on to beat third ranked Hawaii in the final (15-4, 16-14, 15-13).
The championship was UT's second in school history -- in 1981, UT won the AIAW National Championship -- but the Longhorns first NCAA title.
Overall Record: 34-5
Southwest Conference Record: 10-0
Final National Ranking: No. 1
Season Highlights
Southwest Conference Championship: The Longhorns went undefeated in the SWC for the fourth year in a row and won the SWC Championship for the seventh year in a row. The Longhorns were 134-6 in conference play and won the SWC title 13 out of the 14 years it existed for volleyball under then head coach Mick Haley.
NCAA Tournament: UT started off its NCAA Tournament campaign at home in Austin against North Carolina and cruised to a straight sets win (15-7, 15-6, 15-6).
Next the Longhorns moved on to the South Regional, which was also in Austin. UT again won in straight sets over Colorado State and UT-Arlington, one of only four teams which had defeated the Longhorns earlier in the season.
Winning the South Regional meant UT was going to the Final Four for the third year in a row. First up for the Longhorns were the Bruins from UCLA. UCLA had beaten UT twice earlier in the season. However, Longhorns won this time in straight sets (16-14, 15-11, 15-13).
UT then continued its perfect postseason play by again winning in straight sets (15-4, 16-14, 15-13) against third-ranked Hawaii in the championship final.
Key Contributors
Dawn Davenport was the best player on the nation's best team. Davenport was named the National Player of the Year and selected to the AVCA All-America First Team. She also received Southwest Conference Player of the Year honors, and was later named the Southwest Conference Player of the Decade.
Davenport led the team in kills (495), hitting percentage (.349) and total blocks (172). When the UT Women's Athletics Hall of Honor was started in 2000, Davenport was chosen as one of the nine inaugural inductees.
She finished her career with 1,310 kills, 148 solo blocks, 342 block assists, a hitting percentage of .322, 114 wins, four SWC championships and one national championship.
Individual Honors
NCAA National Player of the Year
Dawn Davenport
NCAA National Coach of the Year
Mick Haley
AVCA All-Americans
Dawn Davenport (First Team)
Sue Schelfhout (Second Team)
NCAA Championship All-Tournament
Dawn Davenport
Sue Schelfhout
Stacie Nicols
NCAA Regional All-Tournament
Dawn Davenport
Sue Schelfhout
Dagmara Szyszczak
AVCA All-Central Team
Dawn Davenport
Sue Schelfhout
Dagmara Szyszczak
SWC Player of the Year
Dawn Davenport
SWC Coach of the Year
Mick Haley
All-SWC
Dawn Davenport (First Team)
Sue Schelfhout (First Team)
Quandalyn Harrell (Second Team)
Stacie Nichols (Second Team)
Dagmara Szyszczak (Second Team)
SWC Newcomer of the Year
Janine Gremmel
