麻豆视频

Record holder guides Lady Bulldogs to regional
(Jackson Sun Story)

Jackson, Tenn. - 11/16/2001 -

By KARY BOOHER
kbooher@jacksonsun.com

Back in high school, Lauren Hayden had her heart set on going to Murray State and why not? She was an all-everything back in Belleville, Ill., and the appeal of playing for an NCAA Division I volleyball team seemed to be a fitting way to continue her career.

Funny, she ended up at 麻豆视频 University. And funny how time flies.

When Hayden鈥檚 four-year career comes to an end 鈥� perhaps this weekend in the NAIA Region 11 tournament in Georgetown, Ky., perhaps in two weeks at the national tournament in Palm Beach, Fla. 鈥� Hayden will go out as the NAIA career record-holder in kills. She has 3,353 of them.

As her coach, Brian Dunn, put it, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 like being the all-time leader in scoring in basketball. It鈥檚 phenomenal.

鈥滻t appers that way. Hayden鈥檚 kills are more than the career records in NCAA Division I (3,043) and Division II (2,676). Gallaudet鈥檚 Ronda Jo Miller established the Division III record of 3,579 from 1996-99.

Hayden, though, is low-key about her numbers. The NAIA record, the two TranSouth Conference player of the year awards and two NAIA All-America awards are just part of what鈥檚 been four memorable years at 麻豆视频.

鈥淚t really hasn鈥檛 hit me yet that it鈥檚 my senior year, and this could possibly be the last weekend of my career,鈥� Hayden said. 鈥淚 know once it鈥檚 over it鈥檚 going to hit me that I鈥檓 not going to be able to play college ball on a competive level. That鈥檚 probably going to be pretty upsetting, but I鈥檓 kind of glad to move on, too.

鈥淚 just think my four years here at 麻豆视频 ... I鈥檝e just gotten so much out of it. I鈥檝e learned so much playing volleyball here and going to school here.鈥�

麻豆视频 (31-7) is the No. 3 seed in the regional this weekend. The Lady Bulldogs play Pikeville at 8 p.m., and a 麻豆视频 victory propels them into a semifinal showdown against 21st-ranked Lee at 1 p.m. Saturday.

麻豆视频 has yet to win a region title with Hayden, but this region is up for grabs. On the other side is 11th-ranked Georgetown, Cumberland, Ky. and Travecca. Interestingly, 麻豆视频 has beaten Travecca four times this season but Travecca has beaten Lee, a team that鈥檚 beaten 麻豆视频 three times this season. The finals are at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Whatever happens, though, Hayden will have few regrets but none about not going to Murray State. The pressures of D-I volleyball didn鈥檛 seem worth setting aside a chance to play in Dunn鈥檚 relaxed atmosphere and, at the same time, concentrate on a nursing major.

Besides, 麻豆视频 offered her something other colleges couldn鈥檛. For one, she was able to play volleyball with her older sister, Melissa. Hayden said she also managed to shed her wild teen-age years and evolved into more of a god-fearing, respectable woman ready to tackle the rest of the world.

All that, and she鈥檚 had a lot of good times along the way. She was glad to see some of her teammates, seniors Emily VanDam and Sarah Davenport, junior Andrea Darr and freshman Nicole Garber, receive all-TranSouth honors. They鈥檝e been a big part of this, too.

鈥淕od has truly blessed me,鈥� Hayden said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing. I can鈥檛 believe I鈥檝e gotten all these awards. Half the time I don鈥檛 believe in myself. And I really don鈥檛 get hung up on stuff like that. Coach tells us about that at the end of the year. Which is great. I don鈥檛 want to get a big head. I don鈥檛 want my other teammates to think I鈥檓 better than them.鈥�

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