The volleyball program was started at Washburn Rural High School in the spring of 1972. Patty Dick, P.E. teacher, was hired as the coach to start the sport for female participants. In its inaugural campaign, the newly formed team went 0-8.
In the fall of 1972, Coach Dick, who also coached the girls basketball team and later went on to fame as the long time Washburn University women's basketball coach, led the team to a 7-10 record but had to forfeit 5 matches for using an illegal player.
In 1975, the volleyball team made their first state tournament appearance and placed 2nd in the single elimination format used at the time. Ironically, not much information could be found on the outstanding season, so their final record of 12-3 is the best estimate from yearbook and school newspaper articles.
Terri Laswell took over the volleyball program beginning with the 1978 season and guided them to 3 state tournament appearances in her 6 seasons, highlighted by the first 30 win season and a 2nd place finish at the state tournament in 1983. Coach Laswell also coached the girls basketball team and went on to coach women's basketball at D-I Northern Iowa.
Mary (Vaughn) Palenske, a starter for the 2nd place 1975 team, took the reigns of the volleyball program in 1984 and coached for 7 seasons. In 1988 the squad went 24-15 and placed 4th at the state tournament. Penny Lane coached the team beginning in 1991 and coached for 4 seasons, and then Kevin Bordewick took over in 1995 and recently finished his 13th season.
All told, Washburn Rural has had 37 seasons of volleyball through the 2007 season, and has accumulated 796 wins against 387 losses. They have had only 9 losing seasons, while going to the state tournament 16 times, finishing 4th four times, 3rd three times, 2nd three times, and winning three state championships in 2004, 2006, and 2007.


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