The 1990 women's volleyball team made an indelible mark on the rich and highly successful tradition of the Pacific women's volleyball program, and will go down as one of the greatest teams in the history of Pacific athletics.Â
As a team, Pacific authored one of the most successful starts in school history. The Tigers won 19 of its first 20 matches on the season and their first six matches, including the BYU Tournament. After dropping its first match, Pacific rattled off 13 straight wins including victories over Nebraska, Stanford, Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara and San Jose State. During that stretch, the Tigers compiled the third longest consecutive games winning streak in school history with 27 straight from Sept. 25 to Oct. 23.
Pacific finished the 1990 season with a record of 30-7 and a 14-4 mark in Big West Conference play on the heels of All-Americans Krissy Fifer, Cathey Scotlan and Melanie Beckenhauer-Heller. The Tigers played a total of 16 matches on the season against teams that finished in the final AVCA Top-10, including three matches against Big West rivals Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara. Pacific knocked out the Gauchos and 49ers in the NCAA West Regional to advance to the school's eighth Final Four appearance. A quick turnaround sent the Tigers from Hawaii to Maryland where they earned a victory over Nebraska before falling to UCLA in the National Championship match, the program's third NCAA Championship appearance.
The 1990 Pacific squad was one of the most versatile squads in the history of the program, with four different players registered over 300 kills. 10 players had 100 digs or more on the year and five registered over 200 digs. Three different players also totaled 100 blocks or more for the season.
The Tigers had several players enter the record books during the 1990 season. Beckenhauer-Heller led the way with a school record 1,617 assists on the season. Scotlan added to her career record in block assists with 152 on the season, the second-highest total in school history. Sharon Kasser had the eighth highest single season total with 134 block assists during the 1990 season. Katy Eldridge had the sixth-highest dig total at 419 and Vikki Simonis had 55 service aces for the sixth best single season mark.
Pacific racked up many different honors during the course of the 1990 season. Along with having three All-American selections, Fifer and Scotlan were named First Team All-Big West, while Beckenhauer-Heller was named to the Second Team and Eldridge earned Honorable Mention honors. Scotlan was also a nominee for the Broderick Award, given to the top female athlete in the NCAA. Heather Schoeny and Simonis played in the U.S. Olympic Festival, while Fifer, Scotlan and Schmitt were part of the 1990 U.S. Junior National Team.
The 1990 team was one of four Pacific squads to play for the National Title, after an AIAW National Championship appearance in 1980, and NCAA National Championships in 1985 and 1986.
