Volleyball Returns to Bison Hill in 2008
April 13, 2007
Oklahoma Baptist University will add varsity women’s volleyball in the fall of 2008.
“The current expansion of the Noble Complex provides a natural time and place for the reinstatement of volleyball,” said OBU President Mark Brister. “Subject to normal athletic processes and approval, I anticipate and hope that play could begin in the fall semester of 2008.”
OBU started volleyball in 1975, but the program was discontinued after the 1987 season.
Volleyball is a rising sport in the Sooner Athletic Conference with John Brown, Lubbock Christian, Oklahoma City, St. Gregory’s, Southern Nazarene and Wayland Baptist currently participating, along with new member Mid-America Christian coming on board in 2007.
“We've seen a resurgence of volleyball in the NAIA and the Sooner Athletic Conference in recent years,” said Dr. Norris Russell. “We will be the eighth SAC school to sponsor volleyball. We have the facility and locker room upon completion of the renovation to the Noble Complex, so we will be able to implement it fairly easily. The plan would be to have a coach in place by fall 2007 to recruit, schedule, and then field a team in fall 2008. We should be able to have a varsity volleyball team of 15-18 players.”
In the summer of 2005, OBU began to study the addition or reinstatement of several sports Eventually, the study narrowed to volleyball and football.
After a year of surveys and research, Dr. Brister announced in March that OBU would not re-launch varsity football in the immediate future.
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