By Wesley Gullett, Pride sports information

The Greensboro College Pride volleyball team finished the 2004 season
with a 27-10 overall record. The Pride went 12-2 in USA South Conference
matches and was regular season tri-conference champion along with Averett and CNU. For Head Coach Jean Lojko, it was her 12th season with 20 or more victories.

During the season, The Pride posted two huge winning streaks of ten
games and twelve games respectively. Greensboro was also a perfect 12-0
when playing at Hanes Gym.

GC had three student-athletes earn USA South awards. Katie Smith (546
Kills) and Lauren Smith (383 Kills) were named first team all conference.
Sarah Davis was a second team USAS pick. Additionally, Head Coach Jean
Lojko was awarded her fifth career coach-of-the-year honor.

Katie Smith was also named the 2004 player-of-the Year in the USA South
Conference. Additionally, she earned all-region, honorable mention All-American, all-tournament team honors at the prestigious Washington, MO tournament, and won the conference player-of-the-week distinction five times (four straight to end the regular season).

In the USA South Conference tournament, top-seeded GC faced Ferrum in
the first round and swept the Panthers, 3-0. In the semi-finals, The Pride then defeated NC Wesleyan, 3-0.

CNU and GC faced-off in the USAS championship match. The teams had
split the two meetings in the regular season. The Captains defeated The Pride 30-25, 30-19, 30-26 to win the tournament and earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

“I believe the team was totally prepared to play against CNU,” Lojko said.
“Christopher Newport played a near perfect match against us and took us out of our rhythm. It could have worked the other way for us, but it didn’t.”
The Pride, however, appears primed for another run at the conference
crown next year. While senior Karen Gordon will be missed, next year’s roster will have four seniors, two juniors and four sophomores.

“We have some key players returning including Katie Smith, along with
Lauren Smith and Sarah Davis,” Lojko said. "It will still be a very competitive conference because the other top teams will have key players returning also.”

I’m pretty excited about our potential recruits, too,” said Lojko. “If we get
the people we’re after, I think we will be the team to beat in the conference.

I also believe that we will be regionally ranked—as we were this season—and make it to the NCAA tournament.”