After serving and spiking their way to a regional title this year, 10 Dallas women will be aiming for a national volleyball championship in 1985, thanks to the financial punch of Southland Corp.
The 7-Eleven volleyball team, whose roster includes several former Ail-Americans, competes on the highest level of play as a member of the United States Volleyball Association. Last season, the team won seven of the 11 tournaments in which it competed, including the Texoma Regional Championship tournament.
Southland, a corporate sponsor of the Los Angeles Olympic Games, provided $7,500 to sponsor the team, according to company spokesman Doug Reed. “We thought it would fit right in with the spirit of the Olympic Games,” he says.
Team member Tamra Chambers, an administrator for the Texas Instruments employees recreation and fitness program, says that the squad was dedicated to making a good showing for Southland. “We all love volleyball, and we wanted to do well for them.” Members of the squad, several of whom are coaches in area high schools and colleges, met while playing in recreation centers and various tournaments in the area.
The team, which practices at the downtown YMCA, consists mostly of former collegiate players, including Lee Flachmeier, whose sister, Laurie, was a member of the U.S. Olympic women’s volleyball team.
Even though the squad was in its rookie season, it ranked among the top teams in the nation. It automatically qualified as one of 40 teams that traveled to Seattle in May for the nationals by virtue of its regional championship victory over powerhouse Oral Roberts University. Unfortunately, the team’s dream of a national championship was thwarted by the No. 1-ranked University of Hawaii squad and a California team. The local contingent’s third-place finish in one of the tourney’s toughest pools wasn’t enough to move them on to the finals, since only the top two teams advanced.
“Next year, our plans are to get a better draw and hopefully go on from there,” Chambers says.
The team’s season runs from December (when it begins its twice-a-week practice schedule) until mid-May. In November, the team will be holding tryouts for squad positions. The team plays on weekends, and its 1985 schedule includes trips to Tulsa, San Antonio, Austin and Vail.
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