PULLMAN, Wash. -- The 1996 Washington State volleyball team, one of the most successful and honored in the history of the program, will be reunited in Pullman Oct. 14-16, for Homecoming 2016. The team will be introduced at Bohler Gym after the first set of the Oct. 14 Cougar volleyball match against Colorado. The team will also be attending the Oct. 15 WSU football game with UCLA.
Jen Greeny, head coach of the currently No. 13-ranked WSU volleyball team, and assistant coach Shannon Hunt, were prominent members of the 1996 team.
The 1996 Cougars, coached by Cindy Fredrick, with her husband, Dr. Mashallah Farokhmanesh and WSU All-American Keri Killebrew serving as assistant coaches, accumulated a 27-6 overall record and reached second place in the Pac-10 Conference with a 14-4 record. The team advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Championship Tournament: at that time, the 1996 volleyball team was the furthest any WSU women's team, in any sport, had advanced in NCAA post-season play and was the first WSU women's team to advance past the NCAA second round (the last men's team to do so was the 1941 basketball team). The Cougars' national finish was a four-way tie at fifth place.
Here are some other milestones of the team in 1996:
Here are the members of the 1996 WSU team listed by class with their original hometowns and what they are doing today:
1996 Seniors:
Sarah Silvernail (6-1, Middle Blocker, Tacoma, Wash.) - General manager of Westlake Athletic & Community Center (West Lake Hills, Texas) and head volleyball coach at St. Michael's Catholic Academy (Austin, Texas)
Amanda McDonald (5-11, Middle Blocker, Vancouver, Wash.) - Talent Acquisition Manager at Apple, Inc. (Boise, Idaho)
1996 Juniors:
Tanna Bushnell (5-8, Setter, Colville, Wash.) - now Tanna Belitz, coaches middle school daughter's volleyball and basketball teams in Spokane, Wash.
Elis Arias (5-9, Outside Hitter, Mexico City, Mexico) - high school and middle school volleyball coach and son's soccer team in Federal Way, Wash.
Keren Oigman (5-10, Middle Hitter, Bat Yam, Israel) - now Keren Oigman-Apel, Sales manager at Tel Aviv Convention Center
Stephanie Papke (6-0, Setter, Auburn, Wash.) - owns Jump Start Espresso in Federal Way, Wash., coaches for Puget Sound Volleyball Academy
Shannon Wyckoff (5-11, Outside Hitter, Brush Prairie, Wash.) - now Shannon Hunt, Assistant coach WSU volleyball
1996 Sophomores:
Jen Canevari (5-8, Outside Hitter, Stockton, Calif.) - now Jen Agresti, College advising counselor and varsity volleyball coach Notre Dame High School (Belmont Calif.), Head of player and coach Development, coach at Encore Volleyball Club
Kim Kleven (5-5, Setter/Defensive Specialist, Spokane, Wash.) - now Kim Krishnaswamy, Compliance Manager at T-Mobile
Paige Nelson (5-5, Defensive Specialist, Manhattan Beach, Calif.) - owns advertising agency in Los Angeles, lives in Redondo Beach, Calif.
Melissa Merkley (6-0, Middle Blocker, Okanogan, Wash.) - Managing Director at Charles Schwab Investment Management, lives in San Francisco
Wendy Rouse (6-3, Middle Blocker, Reno, Nev.) - now Wendy Rohin, Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho
Jennifer Stinson (6-1, Outside Hitter, Davenport, Wash.) - now Jen Greeny, Head Coach WSU Volleyball
1996 Freshman:
Jessica Martin (6-0, Middle Blocker, Wilbur, Wash.) - now Jessica Durgan, Registered Dietician in Spokane, Wash.
The 1996 WSU head coach, Cindy Fredrick and her husband and assistant coach Dr. Mashallah Farokhmanesh, are in their sixth season with the UNLV volleyball team and will not be able to attend.
Jen Greeny, head coach of the currently No. 13-ranked WSU volleyball team, and assistant coach Shannon Hunt, were prominent members of the 1996 team.
The 1996 Cougars, coached by Cindy Fredrick, with her husband, Dr. Mashallah Farokhmanesh and WSU All-American Keri Killebrew serving as assistant coaches, accumulated a 27-6 overall record and reached second place in the Pac-10 Conference with a 14-4 record. The team advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Championship Tournament: at that time, the 1996 volleyball team was the furthest any WSU women's team, in any sport, had advanced in NCAA post-season play and was the first WSU women's team to advance past the NCAA second round (the last men's team to do so was the 1941 basketball team). The Cougars' national finish was a four-way tie at fifth place.
Here are some other milestones of the team in 1996:
- Most wins in a regular season 25-5
- Most Pac-10 wins in a season 14-4 (second)
- First undefeated home season at Bohler Gym (14-0)
- First defeat of Stanford 3-1 (10/27/96, Pullman)
- First defeat of UCLA at Pauley Pavilion (10/12/96)
- Sarah Silvernail, selected first team All-America, and Pac-10 Player of the Year
- Stephanie Papke selected second team All-America; named All-Pac-10
- Keren Oigman, selected All-Pac-10 honorable mention
- Pac-10 All-Academic honors - Stephanie Papke, first team; Wendy Rouse and Jennifer Stinson, second team; Shannon Wyckoff honorable mention
- Best team hitting percentage is WSU history (.283)
- Second-best Pac-10 history single-season team kills average (17.83 kills per game)
- Third-best Pac-10 history single-season team assists average (15.95 assists per game)
Here are the members of the 1996 WSU team listed by class with their original hometowns and what they are doing today:
1996 Seniors:
Sarah Silvernail (6-1, Middle Blocker, Tacoma, Wash.) - General manager of Westlake Athletic & Community Center (West Lake Hills, Texas) and head volleyball coach at St. Michael's Catholic Academy (Austin, Texas)
Amanda McDonald (5-11, Middle Blocker, Vancouver, Wash.) - Talent Acquisition Manager at Apple, Inc. (Boise, Idaho)
1996 Juniors:
Tanna Bushnell (5-8, Setter, Colville, Wash.) - now Tanna Belitz, coaches middle school daughter's volleyball and basketball teams in Spokane, Wash.
Elis Arias (5-9, Outside Hitter, Mexico City, Mexico) - high school and middle school volleyball coach and son's soccer team in Federal Way, Wash.
Keren Oigman (5-10, Middle Hitter, Bat Yam, Israel) - now Keren Oigman-Apel, Sales manager at Tel Aviv Convention Center
Stephanie Papke (6-0, Setter, Auburn, Wash.) - owns Jump Start Espresso in Federal Way, Wash., coaches for Puget Sound Volleyball Academy
Shannon Wyckoff (5-11, Outside Hitter, Brush Prairie, Wash.) - now Shannon Hunt, Assistant coach WSU volleyball
1996 Sophomores:
Jen Canevari (5-8, Outside Hitter, Stockton, Calif.) - now Jen Agresti, College advising counselor and varsity volleyball coach Notre Dame High School (Belmont Calif.), Head of player and coach Development, coach at Encore Volleyball Club
Kim Kleven (5-5, Setter/Defensive Specialist, Spokane, Wash.) - now Kim Krishnaswamy, Compliance Manager at T-Mobile
Paige Nelson (5-5, Defensive Specialist, Manhattan Beach, Calif.) - owns advertising agency in Los Angeles, lives in Redondo Beach, Calif.
Melissa Merkley (6-0, Middle Blocker, Okanogan, Wash.) - Managing Director at Charles Schwab Investment Management, lives in San Francisco
Wendy Rouse (6-3, Middle Blocker, Reno, Nev.) - now Wendy Rohin, Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho
Jennifer Stinson (6-1, Outside Hitter, Davenport, Wash.) - now Jen Greeny, Head Coach WSU Volleyball
1996 Freshman:
Jessica Martin (6-0, Middle Blocker, Wilbur, Wash.) - now Jessica Durgan, Registered Dietician in Spokane, Wash.
The 1996 WSU head coach, Cindy Fredrick and her husband and assistant coach Dr. Mashallah Farokhmanesh, are in their sixth season with the UNLV volleyball team and will not be able to attend.