Press Releases
2003-20042004-05 Recruits
Click here for new 2004-05 recruit press releases and photos04-12-04 Morris Finalist for National Sportsmanship Award
Maggie Morris, a senior on the Graceland women’s volleyball team, was a finalist for the 2004 NAIA Dr. LeRoy Walker Sportsmanship Award.Morris, a senior from Thompsonville, Ill., was the Heart of America Athletic Conference nominee for the award, thus representing all sports for each of the 11 institutions in the HAAC.
Morris is a middle hitter for Stew McDole’s varsity volleyball team, where she served as a team captain in 2003. She is also a varsity statistician and a junior varsity coach for the men’s volleyball team at Graceland. In the summer, Morris has worked as a camp coach and equipment manager for the United States Volleyball Association Camps
Maggie is an NAIA Daktronics All-America Scholar-Athlete and is consistently on the President’s Honor Roll at Graceland. She received the 2003 senior fall honors seminar “Best Presentation” award winner. Morris is the recipient of the Coca-Cola Leadership Scholarship, the Graceland President’s Grant, the Velma Ruch English Scholarship and the Wallace B. Smith Scholarship.
Morris is active in campus student life, serving as the Hanthorne House Chaplain, the Council of House Chaplains President and a member of the Graceland Student Education Association. She is also a Graceland student summer representative. In the Community of Christ leadership program, Maggie coordinates the campus worship and senior support workshop group and is a steering committee member.
Maggie is majoring in English literature and writing with a concentration in language arts for grades 7-12 and a minor in church leadership. She will be student teaching next fall and plans to graduate from Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa in December of 2004.
According to the NAIA, the Walker award was created as part of the NAIA's association with the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA), a group including nine other member organizations from the world of sports with the aim of promoting sportsmanship. The award is named for the past-president of the United States Olympic Committee and the former president of the NAIA from Benedict College (S.C.). As an athlete at Benedict, Walker earned 12 letters in three sports and, as a coach and administrator, he mentored 11 Olympic medallists.
Jessica Stollings of King College (Tenn.) was the national recipient of the award, which was established to recognize a student-athlete who best exemplifies the qualities of scholarship, character and sportsmanship.
Graceland’s Stew McDole Inducted into AVCA Hall of Fame
Graceland head women’s volleyball coach Stew McDole is one of 23 members of the inaugural Hall of Fame class inducted by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on December 18. Ceremonies were held in conjunction with the 2003 AVCA Annual Convention at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas. The AVCA Hall of Fame was created to recognize individuals who have made and continue to make significant contributions to the sport of volleyball.McDole has been at the helm of the Graceland women’s volleyball program for the last 22 seasons amassing a 683-319 win/loss record and 21 consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins. During 17 of those years, he has led the squad to a Heart of America Athletic Conference regular or post season title and has been named the HAAC Coach of the Year 12 times. A post season qualifier in each of his 22 seasons his Yellowjacket programs have produced 19 All-America selections and 24 All-America Scholar-Athletes.
Through McDole’s leadership Graceland has been one of the summer homes for USA Volleyball National Development Camps since 1972. Literally dozens of “name” coaches nation and world-wide have served as staff touching the volleyball lives of thousands of high school and adult players over this 30 year span. Stew, as he is addressed by players and colleagues alike, is a 1965 Graceland graduate; he later completed both a masters and a doctorate in Leisure Services at Indiana University-Bloomington. Part of his assignment includes teaching physical education and leisure services administration at Graceland where he served a seven year stint as the academic division chair.
McDole is an elected officer of USA Volleyball (NGB for volleyball and national teams in the country) where he served as a board member for 10 years and subsequently as corporate treasurer for a total of nine years and executive vice president for four. USA Volleyball recognized him with the George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award in 1978.
Graceland is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). McDole has functioned as an NAIA national volleyball rater for 15 years serving twice as the national rating chair. He is presently the volleyball chair for NAIA Region V. Stew is also just completing a 14 year stint as an officer of the NAIA Volleyball Coaches Association where he has twice served as president. During that period he has been a member of the VCA recognition committee annually sharing in All-America, Player and Coach of the Year selections. He has functioned on 15 tournament committees for the NAIA National Volleyball Championships serving as tournament chair seven times. In 1986 he was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame.
McDole served 18 years on the AVCA Board of Directors as the NAIA Representative and was a member of the AVCA Executive Committee. In February 1990 McDole was the cover feature for the AVCA Journal “Coaching Volleyball”. He received the AVCA Founders Award in 1997.
"The establishment of the AVCA Hall of Fame marks an important juncture in the recognition of coaching excellence for the volleyball community," Stephanie Schleuder, head volleyball coach at Macalester College and AVCA President, said. "Induction into the AVCA Hall of Fame will become synonymous with reaching the pinnacle of success as a professional coach. In addition to honoring coaches, the AVCA has established other important categories such as education and administration, where we will honor individuals for their vital professional contributions to the growth of volleyball. We are truly excited to be inducting our first class at the convention in Dallas."
11-16-03 Final HAAC Standings
| HAAC | ALL | |||
| Team | Win | Loss | Win | Loss |
| Lindenwood | 10 | 0 | 31 | 12 |
| Benedictine | 8 | 2 | 26 | 8 |
| Central Methodist | 8 | 2 | 29 | 7 |
| Culver-Stockton | 7 | 3 | 20 | 11 |
| Graceland | 5 | 5 | 9 | 18 |
| Evangel | 5 | 5 | 9 | 18 |
| Missouri Valley | 4 | 6 | 16 | 16 |
| Baker | 3 | 7 | 13 | 24 |
| MidAmerica Nazarene | 3 | 7 | 13 | 20 |
| William Jewell | 1 | 9 | 6 | 34 |
| Avila | 1 | 9 | 8 | 21 |
10-14-03 Another Loss
The struggling Yellowjackets drop to a 5-16 overall record and a 3-3 conference record after a tough loss to the Culver-Stockton Wildcats last night in Lamoni, Iowa.In game one Graceland looked as if they were going to pull out all the stops and put it to Culver. Culver had a different plan. It was a back and forth battle with Culver pulling ahead and winning game one 30-23. They continued the momentum in the second game winning in convincing fashion 30-20.
The Yellowjackets had enough in the third game and came full force at the Wildcats winning 30-27.
With the moment in their favor the Yellowjackets looked pumped to follow this season’s tradition of going to five and getting the upset. Culver came out strong in the fourth game and put any hopes of a come back to rest winning 30-26 and taking the match 3 games to 1.
The Yellowjacket’s next game will be Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2003 against Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo.
10-06-03 Volleyball has a Rough Weekend
The weekend was quite a challenge for the Graceland women’s volleyball team at the Simpson Invitational on Oct. 3-4.The challenge was playing with different rules. The rules were those governed by the NCAA Div III rulebook, which only allowed 12 subs and the libero. This is a slight difference from the NAIA rules with unlimited subs and the libero.
The Yellowjackets first match was versus Wartburg. The first game revealed the affects of the different rules as Graceland lost 11-30. After that the Yellowjackets came alive and won the second game 30-21. The next two games went to Wartburg 25-30, 21-30.
Graceland’s next opponent was St. Olaf. The Yellowjackets were swept in three games 20-30, 18-30, and 19-30. On Saturday the team played Simpson and struggled once more with the substitution rules losing in three 20-30, 20-30, and 24-30.
The afternoon match was against William Penn. Being as William Penn is another NAIA school the Yellowjackets were allowed to play their game and return to the rules that they are accustomed too. The first game the Yellowjackets spent most of the time knocking the rust off from playing with different rules. In the second game the Jackets came on strong and gave William Penn a run for their money but came up just short losing 34-36 along with the third game 21-30.
A bright note on the weekend, senior captain Heidee Gilbert made the Simpson Invitational All-Tournament Team. Her best match was against Wartburg with 9 kills, 6 blocks, and 2 aces.
The Yellowjackets next match will be at home against the Avila University Eagles on Oct. 7, 2003 at 7:30 pm.
09-24-03 Volleyball in Another Nail Biter
The Graceland women’s volleyball team lost a tough one in five on Tuesday night in Lamoni, Iowa, to the Lindenwood University Lions.The Yellowjackets were ready for the fight against the 2nd ranked team in the region and tops in the conference in Lindenwood. Led by senior middle Heidi Gilbert, Graceland took the first game with authority 30-19. The Lions controlled the second and third games as they fought back and took the two games to one lead (20-30, 24-30). The Yellowjackets wouldn’t go quietly and squeak by in the fourth game 30-25. The fifth and deciding game was all Lindenwood. The Lions jumped out to an 8-2 lead and never looked back (3-15).
The Yellowjackets move to 2-2 in the conference and 4-10 overall. Graceland’s next match in against Missouri Valley in Marshall, Mo. on Sept. 30, 2003.
09-02-03 Graceland Begins with a Win
The Graceland University women’s volleyball team defeated Baker University (30-24, 20-30, 30-27, 25-30, 15-11) Tuesday night in Baldwin City, Kan. in the first regular season game of the year.
The Yellowjackets' home opener is September 9 at 7:30 p.m. against the Central Methodist College Eagles. The Graceland ladies also host the Pizza Shack Invitational on September 12-13 in the Closson Gymnasium.
08-30-03 HAAC Preseason Tournament
The Graceland women's volleyball team beat William Jewell (30-15, 21-30, 31-34, 30-12, 15-11), but lost to Avila (28-30, 18-30, 30-26, 27-30), MidAmerica (21-30, 26-30, 32-30, 13-15) and Culver-Stockton (21-30, 31-33, 25-31) in the HAAC Preseason Tournament in Olathe, Kan.
