Troy University Athletics
Troy Volleyball Historic Seasons: 1989 Gulf South Champions
4/23/2020 10:17:00 AM | Volleyball
For the Troy volleyball team, the 1989 season started out like so many before. The Trojans opened the campaign with their annual Trojan Invitational, where they played host to North Alabama, Huntingdon, Mississippi College, Mississippi University for Women and West Alabama. After a loss to UNA in the season opener, Troy won three of its next four matches to claim the invitational title. After a three-game win over Tuskegee, the Trojans hit the road for the first time with a 4-2 record.
Troy went 3-3 in its next six matches and stood at 7-5 heading into conference play. After a win over West Alabama and a loss to Jacksonville State, head coach Kim Van Deraa's troops went on a tear and won nine of their next 11 matches. The only two losses came in five-game matches at Jacksonville State and at North Alabama.
The next six matches tested the mental attitude of the Trojans as they lost four of their next six matches.Â
A win over Alabama State on Halloween night improved the Trojans' record to 20-12 and gave Troy its eighth 20-win season in program history. Van Deraa became the first coach in school annals to win 20 matches in her first season.
Troy concluded the regular season with three more wins and two losses and entered the Gulf South Conference Tournament with a 23-14 record.
Then the magic occurred. Just as it did six years earlier, the 1989 squad was ready to etch its name in Troy volleyball lore.
The Trojans opened the tournament with a come-from-behind win over North Alabama. Down 2-1, Troy reeled off wins in games four and five, 15-12 and 15-9, to advance to the second round. Troy got a bit of a break with a 15-8, 15-8, 15-13 win over West Georgia and finished the day with a 2-0 record and a berth in the semifinals.
In the semifinals, arch rival Jacksonville State awaited and the Trojans proved up to the task. Troy sent the Lady Gamecocks to the loser's bracket with a 15-9, 11-15, 15-6, 8-15, 15-6 win and placed itself in the championship match for the second time in history.
After JSU defeated UNA, they needed to defeat Troy twice to claim the title, but the Trojans were not about to let that happen. The match was eerily similar to the semifinal battle waged between the schools a day earlier, but the result was the same as Troy prevailed with a 16-14, 11-15, 15-6, 8-15, 15-6 win.
Seniors Dee Dee Taylor and April Goodwin were both named to the All-Tournament team, while Taylor was named to both the all-conference and all-academic teams.
1989 Record
Overall: 27-14 | Gulf South: 7-6 | Home: 9-3 | Away: 4-5 | Neutral: 14-6
1989 Gulf South Tournament Results
vs. North Alabama | W, 3-2
vs. West Georgia |Â W, 3-0
vs. Jacksonville State |Â W, 3-2
vs. Jacksonville State |Â W, 3-2
