Troy University Athletics
Troy Volleyball to Honor 1983 Championship Team, Announces Letterwinners Day Set on Nov. 4.
10/4/2023 3:43:00 PM | Volleyball
TROY, Ala. – Troy Volleyball is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1983 Gulf South Championship team in conjunction with its annual Letterwinners Day on Saturday, Nov. 4, when the Trojans host Texas State in Trojan Arena.
"We are very excited to have our Letterwinners returning to campus," Troy head coach Josh Lauer said. "The women who are part of the Troy volleyball legacy are some of the most dynamic and successful alumni of Troy University, so having them back on campus together to rekindle relationships and meet our current team is going to be very special. I have had the opportunity to meet and connect with members of the 1983 team, and they genuinely love Troy, very early in the volleyball program's history, they set a standard for success both on and off the court that we continue to pursue today. I am thankful for the support and effort of coach Ginger Lowe, who really helped make this celebration possible. Coach Lowe is the all-time winningest coach in Troy volleyball history, and I appreciate her willingness to help bring the 1983 team back to Troy and I hope all of the Trojan fan base will come out and help us celebrate this team and these amazing women for their accomplishments."
The 1983 squad posted a 29-15 record during their historic season, which to this day still ranks as the most wins in program history.
In addition to the events on Saturday, Nov. 4, all returning volleyball letterwinners are also invited to request complementary tickets to the South Alabama football game on Thursday Nov. 2. Letterwinners are also welcome to join the current volleyball coaches and team for pregame festivities on Friday Nov. 3.
Letterwinners are asked to please RSVP by Friday Oct. 20, to Peyton Rodie via email at prodie@troy.edu or by phone at (334)-322-3861
The following is an excerpt written by Mandi Ashcraft, a sophomore on the 1983 championship team.
"Magic" was the word I kept running into when I began gathering details and collecting quotes concerning the 1983 Gulf Coast Conference champion Troy volleyball team.
I suppose a little of the magic from those days has remained in the hearts and minds of the once-young-and-hopeful women who experienced that Cinderella season. Though most have forgotten the scores, the stories and relationships have remained.
The magic still weaves through our memories.
Part of the magic was the unity Coach Ginger Sprague (Lowe) brought to an unlikely collection of senior leadership and youthful innocents who shared a simple desire to be part of something special. When asked to describe their team, the words "family," "heart" and "work" defined a closeness that, in itself, was magical.
That year, the 24-14 team headed for Martin, Tenn., as the third seed in the Gulf South Conference Tournament. The Trojans played UT-Martin in the first round on a Friday afternoon. They fell to the host team in a brawl that lasted two hours and 40 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, they were on the court again against rival Jacksonville State, knowing that the loser would be eliminated from the tournament.
The match went to five games, another two-hour-plus battle that ended with Troy on top.
Thirty minutes later, they defeated West Georgia before calling it a day.
"We were in the gym for 10 hours," Lowe confessed. "We were exhausted and sore."
Saturday morning, the Trojans again faced off against UT-Martin. However, the victory celebration was brief because the team then advanced to the final round against perennial champion North Alabama, which had played just one match the prior afternoon to advance. The Trojans lost to UNA during the season. They now had to defeat the Lady Lions twice in the same day to become Gulf South Conference champions.
In a grueling match, Troy showed such heart that they earned the admiration and respect of everyone in the stands, both fans and foes alike. They defeated UNA in yet another two-hour, five-game contest. After just a 30-minute Coke and Snickers bar break, both teams suited up and went at it again.
The rest is now history.
The Trojans defeated UNA for the championship in a four-game match. Altogether, it took 26 games over 17 hours in just a day and a half for the Trojans to claim the title of "Champion."
The 1983 team shares the memory of a time when dreams became real, and all was right with the world.
The players' eyes still hold some of the magic when they have occasion to get together, laugh at their old photos and reminisce about the "good ol' days."
Where are they now? They are teachers, coaches, moms, business professionals, scientists and ministers. Each has sought to give a little of the magic back in their own corner of the world, to share their faith and "heart magic" that was woven into the tapestry of a year to remember.
"We are very excited to have our Letterwinners returning to campus," Troy head coach Josh Lauer said. "The women who are part of the Troy volleyball legacy are some of the most dynamic and successful alumni of Troy University, so having them back on campus together to rekindle relationships and meet our current team is going to be very special. I have had the opportunity to meet and connect with members of the 1983 team, and they genuinely love Troy, very early in the volleyball program's history, they set a standard for success both on and off the court that we continue to pursue today. I am thankful for the support and effort of coach Ginger Lowe, who really helped make this celebration possible. Coach Lowe is the all-time winningest coach in Troy volleyball history, and I appreciate her willingness to help bring the 1983 team back to Troy and I hope all of the Trojan fan base will come out and help us celebrate this team and these amazing women for their accomplishments."
The 1983 squad posted a 29-15 record during their historic season, which to this day still ranks as the most wins in program history.
In addition to the events on Saturday, Nov. 4, all returning volleyball letterwinners are also invited to request complementary tickets to the South Alabama football game on Thursday Nov. 2. Letterwinners are also welcome to join the current volleyball coaches and team for pregame festivities on Friday Nov. 3.
Letterwinners are asked to please RSVP by Friday Oct. 20, to Peyton Rodie via email at prodie@troy.edu or by phone at (334)-322-3861
The following is an excerpt written by Mandi Ashcraft, a sophomore on the 1983 championship team.
"Magic" was the word I kept running into when I began gathering details and collecting quotes concerning the 1983 Gulf Coast Conference champion Troy volleyball team.
I suppose a little of the magic from those days has remained in the hearts and minds of the once-young-and-hopeful women who experienced that Cinderella season. Though most have forgotten the scores, the stories and relationships have remained.
The magic still weaves through our memories.
Part of the magic was the unity Coach Ginger Sprague (Lowe) brought to an unlikely collection of senior leadership and youthful innocents who shared a simple desire to be part of something special. When asked to describe their team, the words "family," "heart" and "work" defined a closeness that, in itself, was magical.
That year, the 24-14 team headed for Martin, Tenn., as the third seed in the Gulf South Conference Tournament. The Trojans played UT-Martin in the first round on a Friday afternoon. They fell to the host team in a brawl that lasted two hours and 40 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, they were on the court again against rival Jacksonville State, knowing that the loser would be eliminated from the tournament.
The match went to five games, another two-hour-plus battle that ended with Troy on top.
Thirty minutes later, they defeated West Georgia before calling it a day.
"We were in the gym for 10 hours," Lowe confessed. "We were exhausted and sore."
Saturday morning, the Trojans again faced off against UT-Martin. However, the victory celebration was brief because the team then advanced to the final round against perennial champion North Alabama, which had played just one match the prior afternoon to advance. The Trojans lost to UNA during the season. They now had to defeat the Lady Lions twice in the same day to become Gulf South Conference champions.
In a grueling match, Troy showed such heart that they earned the admiration and respect of everyone in the stands, both fans and foes alike. They defeated UNA in yet another two-hour, five-game contest. After just a 30-minute Coke and Snickers bar break, both teams suited up and went at it again.
The rest is now history.
The Trojans defeated UNA for the championship in a four-game match. Altogether, it took 26 games over 17 hours in just a day and a half for the Trojans to claim the title of "Champion."
The 1983 team shares the memory of a time when dreams became real, and all was right with the world.
The players' eyes still hold some of the magic when they have occasion to get together, laugh at their old photos and reminisce about the "good ol' days."
Where are they now? They are teachers, coaches, moms, business professionals, scientists and ministers. Each has sought to give a little of the magic back in their own corner of the world, to share their faith and "heart magic" that was woven into the tapestry of a year to remember.
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