The 2002 UT Arlington volleyball team, which made the program's most recent NCAA Tournament appearance, returns to campus Saturday to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of its championship season.  
 
The Mavericks finished 26-7 overall and 18-2 in Southland Conference play that season, winning the regular season and tournament championships before advancing to the NCAA Tournament. From Sept. 14 to Nov. 2, UTA won 17-consecutive matches and captured the program's 800th all-time win on Sept. 6 before finishing the season 10-0 inside Texas Hall. They will be honored Saturday between the second and third sets of the 11 a.m. match against Southern Utah as part of Homecoming weekend.
 
Former head coach Janine Smith, 2002 Southland Conference Coach of the Year, said that this was a special group of women who played great together with each team member contributing to the success of the season.
 
"It took everybody on any given night to go in and win," Smith said. "They knew what they wanted and worked towards it. They were very competitive kids who brought it together."
 
Heather (Dunn) Woodman was the starting setter, collecting 1,443 assists and earning Second Team All-Southland honors.
 
Woodman, an Arlington native who is now the head volleyball coach at Lamar High School, credited the great hitters on the team to set, which made her job easy. She said her favorite part of playing for UTA was her teammates.
 
"I was surrounded by people who were like-minded," Woodman commented. "They were a vital part of what created a good time."
 
A key factor of the Mavs' success in 2002 was their powerful offense, highlighted by five players with at least 300 kills – Olaya Pazo (376), Amber (Pack) Gailey (353), Caley (Smith) Baillio (337), Carol Bozikis (322) and Melissa Robinett (317).
 
Gailey, who joined Bozikis as a Second Team All-Southland selection, spoke to the atmosphere inside Texas Hall creating a home-court advantage for the Mavs during the regular season.
 
"I loved that we were not in a big, empty arena," Gailey said. "The stage was an advantage for us, and we were closer with the fans who came to watch us."
 
Pazo, a Caracas, Venezuela, native who was named SLC Player of the Year, also joined Gailey on the SLC All-Tournament team.
  
Smith said that another important component to the victorious season was Baillio's "huge volleyball IQ" and her ability to score points. Baillio racked up 337 kills, 259 digs and 97 blocks during the 2002 season. 
 
Baillio said that a season-opening tournament in Louisville set the tone for the Mavs that year. Coming in as a self-proclaimed underrated team, UTA finished the tournament by taking Louisville, a top-20 ranked team, to five sets.
 
"It was the mark of a great season ahead of us," Baillio said.
 
Woodman also commented on that Louisville tournament and how the Mavs were able to show up against tough teams. She said another memorable match for the team was a four-set win over Lamar in the Southland Tournament Final match, which took place at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas.
 
In the middle, Smith stated she would rotate several of the women in and out of that position. She would often keep Melissa Robinett, a 6-3 transfer from Wyoming, as middle blocker. Robinett ended the season with 317 kills as well as 138 total blocks.
 
Smith spoke to the goal of the season being to win the conference, recounting some of the most memorable matches against Stephen F. Austin, Lamar and Sam Houston. The Mavs swept SFA at home but lost in four on the road. They also went 1-and-1 against Lamar – sweeping at home and falling in five on the road – before picking up two straight-set wins over Sam Houston.
 
"There were intense matches every night," Smith said. "It was just fun to see (the team) come together."
 
Woodman alluded to this period being a great time for UTA athletics, with the championship run creating a lasting impact on the program.
 
"We were part of building something for UTA volleyball," Woodman, who considers it an honor to have the team recognized, recalled. "It carried on the tradition of who we were."
 
Smith is looking forward to the reunion, as she hopes it is a chance to reconnect with the team. It means a lot to her to be the last conference championship team, and she said that it "speaks volumes to these girls."
 
"This was a special group off the court," Smith proclaimed. "They turned on the switch to bring the intensity on the court."