In conjunction with the 50^th Anniversary of Title IX and the 100^th Year of the Muleriders, please enjoy the first installment of a special series from Mulerider Athletics that will document many of the outstanding moments of women's athletics at Southern Arkansas University
 
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – There's always a first. Forty years ago, this fall, the 1982 Riderette Volleyball team, under then sixth year head coach Dr. Ginger Hurst*, not only accomplished several "firsts" in program history, but did so in such dominating fashion that the historic campaign remains a benchmark in a bygone era of Southern Arkansas Volleyball.
 
In her previous five seasons, Hurst's squads won a combined 44 matches with a season-high 13 coming during the 1979 campaign. But in year six, things would be different. And that all started with the roster.
 
Seven players returned from the 8-12 1981 team and Hurst added six new players to the fold via recruiting. Two-time All-Arkansas Women's Intercollegiate Sports Association (AWISA) performer Shirley Easter* headlined the returners for Hurst who was quoted as saying that Easter "is one of those rare individuals that is always a positive force… and she displays the attitude every coach desires in a player."
 
Along with Easter, Becky Teeter of Russellville, a transfer from Arkansas Tech a couple of years prior and Cindy Williams of Texarkana served as the lone seniors on the team in 1982. Hurst was noted saying during the preseason of that year that Teeter "may be one of the most underrated players in the state" and mentioned that her serving, passing and defensive ability had led the Riderettes to more than one victory in the past. Williams' ability "to work well under pressure" led to her being a "contributing factor" in SAU's successes.
 
A strong-hitting Shawn Burkins of Texarkana, Texas and a healthy Lisa Daniels from Longview, Texas, both returned for their sophomore seasons. Julie Morgan of Camden and Dolores Watson* of Texarkana, Texas both saw ample playing time as true freshmen and were expected to heavily aid Southern Arkansas in '82. Hurst grabbed three junior college transfers, all from Kilgore College, and added them to an already experienced group of returners. Longview, Texas' Michelle Chapel and Pam Opiela and Gilmer, Texas' Wanda Walker came to Magnolia following standout careers at Kilgore, while Helena-West Helena's Lucinda Campbell, the 1979 Arkansas Volleyball Player of the Year, transferred in from the University of Alabama.
 
Hurst capped the roster by signing two talented high school signees in Hooks, Texas' Sheila Fort and New Boston's Sherry Williams.
 
With a quality mix of veteran returners and experienced newcomers, Hurst's squad prepared for what was usually a tough AWISA schedule year in and year out. The conference schedule in '82 was tough… especially when opponents hosted Southern Arkansas as well as when the Riderettes played at home in Magnolia.
 
Under Hurst, the Riderette's 1982 season saw the team win nearly half as many matches in that one season as it had combined through the previous five campaigns.
 
Southern Arkansas posted a then-program record 20 wins, was a flawless 14-0 in AWISA play; the only undefeated conference season in program history, and won all eight of its home matches in the regular season. The Natural State was not safe from the Riderettes during those three-plus months of action as SAU recorded an unbeaten 18-0 mark against opponents from Arkansas.
 
Southern Arkansas posted win streaks of eight matches and 11 matches with the latter leading up to the NAIA Bi-District Playoff. Eight of the team's win were in straight sets and SAU lost the opening set of a league match just three times and the squad would rally back to win all three contests: Sept. 9 at Central Arkansas in the AWISA opener (10-15, 15-8, 15-1, 15-0), Oct. 14 at Ouachita in the only five-set match of the regular season (6-15, 15-9, 15-5, 14-16, 15-8) and Oct. 20 at Arkansas-Little Rock in the final conference matchup ever between the two programs (14-16, 15-8, 15-8, 15-8).
 
Three of the team's five losses were to nationally-ranked opposition as East Texas State, which held a top five ranking for a majority of the season, defeated SAU twice, while Missouri Western, the fifth-ranked team in the country ended the Riderette's season in the Bi-District title match. Division I Baylor and Sam Houston State also edged SAU as the latter opened the season at a highly-competitive regional invitational where it went 1-3 to start the historic campaign.
 
With its perfect play in AWISA, the Riderettes won the program's third AWISA Championship title in what was the last year of play for the association as the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) was set to sponsor women's intercollegiate athletics beginning in 1983. Southern Arkansas carried its outstanding play into the district tournament and won the program's first NAIA District 17 title with wins over John Brown (15-7, 15-9, 0-15, 16-18, 15-6) and Henderson State (15-6, 12-15, 15-13, 15-11) before being edged in the Bi-District Playoff by nationally-prominent Missouri Western in a contest that would have sent the Riderettes to the national tournament round of 16.
 
Easter and Watson were named NAIA All-District 17 performers, the program's first two regional award recipients, and the pair was joined by Daniels, Teeter and Williams on the All-AWISA honoree list which saw a program-record five Riderettes recognized.
 
*- Denotes SAU Hall of Famer
- Roster information above taken from 1982-83 SAU All-Sports Guide
(Any corrections/additions/subtractions should be emailed to sausid@saumag.edu)