Homecoming Weekend will be a true homecoming for the Pacific volleyball program. A significant number of former players from the golden era of Pacific volleyball plan to return to campus that weekend thanks to the efforts of former players Cathy Lumb Edwards, Melanie (Beckenhauer) Heller, Leona (Bielefeld) Sublett and Danielle (Shinn) Hardcastle. For Edwards, Heller and Sublett, the event will have special meaning because their daughters are on the current Tiger team.
 
"I look forward to introducing my daughter to the women that paved the way, building volleyball into the most storied athletics program at Pacific," said Edwards, who played from 1980 to 1983.
 
The idea of a reunion of the players from the "Final Four teams" was germinated last spring when large groups of football and baseball alumni returned for the dedication of the Stagg Memorial Football Plaza and special events honoring former baseball players at Klein Family Field. Sublett, who said that her team remains close to the former players from both of those sport groups, was in attendance.
 
"The impact of the events resonated with me, and I thought we should do something similar for volleyball. We remain a tight alumni group and continue to keep in touch with GroupMe to chat about volleyball final fours and other items. When we started talking about coming back to campus as a group, it was almost a no brainer."
 
"I sense the excitement to see each other again," said Heller. "Many of us haven't seen each other or gotten together in several years. But, also many want to meet this new generation of Tigers and to see what the new energy and talent is all about!"
 
"Everyone has very busy lives, but they are making this a priority which is great," said Hardcastle, who was a junior on the 1999 team that advanced to the final four.
 
A special focus will be on the teams and former Pacific players that played on the nine teams that finished among the top four in the nation. Those teams are expected to be honored with a reposting of the final four banners in the Alex G. Spanos Center, joining the banners that already honor the national championship teams from 1985 and 1986.
 
How dominant were the Tiger volleyball teams? Before the NCAA sponsored women's sports and national championships were organized by the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), Pacific developed one of the top programs in the nation under coach Terry Liskevych, finishing fourth in 1979 and second in 1980, losing to USC in the title match.
 
In 1981, the NCAA started women's championships and Pacific switched to the new affiliation. The Tigers were in the field every year for the first 24 seasons. In the first NCAA championship in 1981, Pacific was one of the final four teams, along with three other California teams, USC, UCLA and San Diego State.
 
"Going to final fours became the expectation of our program," said Edwards, '84, who played on the team in the final AIAW season and through the first three years of NCAA competition.
 
"We really respected and cared about each other, and we didn't want to settle for anything less than reaching the Final Four," Heller explained about the drive behind the program. She was a member of the 1990 team that advanced to the final four. "There was always an expectation and desire to be successful and compete. Nothing was taken for granted, we wanted to win so we worked hard to achieve it!"
 
The program went to the final four again in 1983 and 1984. After Liskevych left to coach the U.S. Olympic team, John Dunning took over. Pacific won the national championship in 1985 and 1986. Pacific remained a fixture in the NCAA field for the next 18 years. The Tigers returned to the national championship in 1990, finishing second and were in the final four for a ninth time in 1999, losing in the semifinals.
 
"The response from former players about the chance to return is quite frankly phenomenal," said Edwards. "It has become clear it will be one of those moments that you won't want to miss."
 
The returning players and coaches will be honored as part of the program at the Orange & Black Ball on Friday, October 14. On the following day, the group will have a tour of the athletics facilities, be honored during the noon volleyball match against BYU and will have a post-match reception with the 2022 team at the Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center.
 
"This event has created energy within the group of former players," Edwards said. "There is a connection, and we share a common bond, even if we did not play together. Plus, we think this gathering will help our current team take even more pride in playing for one of the most storied programs in our sport's history."

When asked what sets this program apart during the run to nine top four finishes, Edwards identified two things. "It's the people," she said. "I must give credit to Terry (Liskevych) for his vision, plus the great players that were recruited. And, it's the community. I had the chance to introduce my daughter to boosters that cheered for me when I played. We had great community support, but never lost the small family environment that provided that connection."
 
Hardcastle, who played for the 1999 team that advanced to the final four, identified Pacific's "storied history with alumni that were very involved in coming back and sharing what they had done. They paved the way and made it known that the expectation level was still high. We always wanted to win but knowing we were part of something bigger was truly special."
 
"I think this generation of Pacific volleyball players feels the same connection between coaches and players that we felt," explained Sublett, who played on both national championship teams. "I think we were surprised that our daughters would want to come here, but I know my daughter felt at home at Pacific as soon as she walked on campus."
 
During Homecoming Weekend, the community will have another chance to cheer for the returning Tigers that provided so many glory days for the program, as well as for the current team as Pacific battles defending West Coast Conference champion BYU in a critical contest.
 
Admission to the volleyball contest is free for alumni that register for Homecoming Weekend.