Fall Flashback with Mike Gore: 1990 Volleyball Team

Throughout the fall, Big South Conference and UNC Asheville Athletic Hall of Famer Mike Gore will feature a team, student-athlete or single game from seasons past. Stay tuned to uncabulldogs.com to relive or learn about the storied history of Bulldog Athletics.

Thirty years ago this fall, the Big South's first volleyball dynasty began.

The UNC Asheville volleyball program became the unlikeliest team to dominate the Big South over a three-year period. They were able to accomplish this thanks to a determined head coach and a team that got better and better with each season. They were never satisfied and it showed on the court.

In 1990, Lisa Rhodes was in her second season as head coach of the Asheville volleyball program. She had some challenges. The former UNC Asheville women's basketball player not only coached volleyball but softball in the spring. You think coaches are busy now. Coaching two sports was the norm in the Big South for quite a few schools.

Rhodes did not inherit the most ideal situation when she took on the two-sport challenge in the spring of 1989. The volleyball program in 1998 had gone through two coaches but managed to finish fourth and qualify for the Big South Tournament that was held at Justice Center. But some of the members of the team had requested to play intramural volleyball prior to playing in the Big South championship. Some were more interested in intramural honors than winning a league title.

Things would change under Rhodes. She had come to Asheville after coaching Edneyville HS to back-to-back 1-A state championships. Her Yellow Jacket teams didn't just beat teams; they crushed opponents.

Her first season in 1989 was not an easy one. Rhodes was adamant about having a program act like a Division I team. Most bought into Rhodes' style; some did not. The Bulldogs finished 9-24 overall and in fifth place in the conference, just missing going to the conference tournament. However, no one asked Rhodes' permission to play intramural volleyball during the year.

The Asheville native didn't have a chance to recruit any volleyball players for the 1989 season due to when she was hired. She hit the recruiting trail hard, despite coaching softball in the spring, and landed an impressive class. Some came from the recruiting trail. One came from a phone call.

Ilona Fekete is probably the greatest volleyball player to ever wear a Bulldog uniform. The 6-3 middle blocker and native of Florida decided to move in with her aunt and uncle in Marion. She enjoyed a great prep career but wasn't sure whether she wanted to keep playing when Ilona moved to McDowell County.

Rhodes remembers getting an interesting phone call. In an interview in 1992, Rhodes described the first time she talked to Fekete.

"Well I was pretty through with recruiting when I got a phone call in my office from Ilona," recalled Rhodes. "She told me a little about her career and then mentioned she stood 6'3" tall. I asked her to repeat that to make sure I heard that right. When I Ilona told me she was 6'3", I told her how soon she could get to my office!!!!"

On Rhodes' first UNC Asheville team, the tallest player had been 5'11". Suddenly, the Bulldogs had a weapon in Fekete that no one else in the Big South had.

But Fekete wasn't the only new player who was going to make an impact. A sophomore outside hitter named Gina Golkiewicz moved from Cincinnati and wanted a chance to play. She would emerge as one of the greatest outside hitters in league history.

Fekete and Golkiewicz would be sophomore transfers. They would be joined by freshman setter Danielle Meyer. The Illinois native would overcome Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in her hands to become one of the best setters in league history. Another talented freshman coming to the program would be blocker Jennifer Hutchins from nearby Rutherfordton.

Asheville would have a solid nucleus from the previous year. Joining the program from the women's basketball program would be senior Aretha Barnes, who had enjoyed a great volleyball career in high school. The remaining players from the previous season would all make contributions and they would include senior defensive specialist Kim Wieters, junior Kelly O'Grady, sophomore Amber Mendenhall and Tina Bell.

It would take Rhodes' 1990 team time to come together with so many new parts. Also a demanding schedule made it tough for the Bulldogs. Asheville started out 0-6 but the improvement from the previous season was apparent.

The Bulldogs would get their first win when they opened league play at Radford. A tough five-set win sent a message to the league that this was a different Asheville club.

A week later, Asheville hosted Big South newcomer Davidson. The Wildcats were the preseason pick to win the league and had brought a talented program from their days in the Southern Conference. The Bulldogs lost a close first set but then roared past Davidson over the next three sets to go to 2-0 in league play. Two days later, Asheville clubbed Campbell in three sets to stay unbeaten in league action.

It would be an up-and-down year as injuries sidelined some of the Bulldogs' key players throughout the year but when it came to a Big South Conference match, Asheville was always ready. At 3-0 in league play, the Bulldogs were in first place. Could they stay there?

In a word – Yes. Asheville dominated its final four league opponents – Augusta, Coastal Carolina, Winthrop and Charleston Southern. The Bulldogs never lost a set to those four opponents and clinched their first ever regular-season title with a 3-0 win at defending BSC champ Charleston Southern.

Not bad for a team picked to finish in sixth place in preseason polls.

Fekete led the nation in blocks throughout the season and would be named Big South Player of the Year by the league's coaches. She would only get better over the next season but strangely that would be the only time she would be so honored. Golkiewicz was named to the All-Conference team.

The season would end bitterly for the Bulldogs. Asheville would be the #1 seed and crush Augusta in the quarterfinals before running into a tough Radford squad in the semifinals. The Highlanders had been the toughest match for the Bulldogs during league play and it would be another fight in the semifinals.

Radford won the first two sets before the Bulldogs roared to win the third set. Asheville built a 12-7 lead and the match seemed headed for a fifth set. But the Highlanders would simply not be denied, they would rally for the final eight points of the match to win 15-12 and end the Bulldogs' special season. Radford would rout Davidson in three sets to claim the title.

The Highlanders would celebrate their upset win over Asheville like they had won a championship. It would be remembered by the Bulldogs the next season when the teams would play again in the semifinals. And Radford should have been happy because it accomplished something that not many Big South teams would be able to do over the next two years.

A tournament championship had not been won but the dynasty had begun. Rhodes' second Asheville team became the first Big South club to go unbeaten in the regular season during conference play. The Bulldogs only lost three sets during the regular season. After losing the first set in a home win over Davidson, Asheville would not lose another set to a Big South opponent during the regular season for more than a year.

This kind of domination would go on for the next two seasons as the Bulldogs would only lose one more league match during that time. The first volleyball dynasty in the Big South had been born.

University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics

Fall Flashback with Mike Gore: 1990 Volleyball Team

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