In January, as preparation for the volleyball season began, the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s team set for itself a motto: limitless.
“They held true to the motto that they wanted for the 2015 season,” head coach Amy Bambenek said as the team now prepares for what is undoubtedly the biggest match in the program history: its first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament.
And for the VolleyHawks, who earned their spot in the tournament by winning the school’s first Colonial Athletic Association conference championship on Nov. 22, their tournament journey begins with a replay of one of the season highlights when it travels to face in-state rival University of North Carolina on Friday, Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m. Watch the match online here.
On Sept. 11, the Seahawks beat the Tar Heels 3-2 in a match that Bambenek said was a pivotal moment for the program. Earlier this year, senior Meredith Peacock, the second-leading blocker in UNCW history and CAA tournament most valuable player, said the UNC win was, so far, the highlight of her career.
“They never wanted to play us before and that was the most amazing experience,” Peacock said.
And while Bambenek said her players know they won’t be overlooked by UNC, they are still the underdog with something to prove.
“The first time around, we were fighting for something that’s never been done before by our program,” said Bambenek, whose Seahawks hadn’t played the Tar Heels since 1993 and had never beaten them in four tries. “We have the same task at hand and making it beyond the first round is something that nobody expects from us. We play as well as an underdog. I see us being more confident and composed.”
Bambenek also sees there being some crowd support for the Seahawks, even though the game will be played at UNC’s Carmichael Arena. Having led the CAA two straight years in attendance, she believes she’ll see “a lot of teal” in the gym on Friday night.
“We have tremendous fans and a huge following,” Bambenek said. “I expect Seahawk nation to come out in force.”
Seahawk fans that do make the journey will witness the high-point in Bambenek’s seven-year mission to return UNCW to its winning ways on the volleyball court. After producing competitive teams in the 1980s and early ’90s, Seahawks volleyball fell on hard times with nearly two decades of consistent losses.
Bambenek’s turnaround wasn’t instant. After she was hired in 2009, it took five seasons for her to lead the Seahawks to the team’s first winning record since 1996, when the 2013 squad put up a 20-10 record. This season, the 24-7 Seahawks have put up the most wins since the squad that won 30 games in 1988, and even that team didn’t play in the NCAA tournament.
“I’ve been coaching for 17 years now and this past season is one to remember,” Bambenek said. “We had to change the culture and mentality of the program, but we’ve done things the right way here. We developed a program that’s built for long-standing success.”
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