Park University’s Women’s Volleyball team stands as the undefeated NAIA Champions for the first time in the school’s history.

The last game of the season, Park’s Pirates played against the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics champion defenders University of Texas at Brownsville. The Dec. 6 match was a clean sweep scoring 25-23, 25-19, 25-16, giving the team the national title and a storybook finish to the season.

Head Coach Mike Talamantes, who was recently named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Coach of the Year, discussed the season’s challenges.

“I don’t know if there was just one singular challenge that stood out as we faced a new challenge almost weekly,” he said. “The schedule was very tough, you wouldn’t know it by our record but we faced the best competition almost every week so maintaining our focus was tough to do but obviously the group found a way to do that every night.”

The AVCA also named Park for three awards for the Midwest Region including Player of the Year Wendy Romero, Coach of the Year Mike Talamantes, and Assistant Coach of the Year Vinicius Baigan.

“I have never seen something like this, all the girls got along really well,” Baigan said. “I think we can go back to nationals…it depends on how well the girls connect. It’s been a great experience.  I am looking forward to see what the future holds.  I think the team is living day by day working hard now, not just thinking they can do it again, but knowing they will have to practice, working hard now.”

Baigan is a 2012 Park graduate and is a proud owner of three championship rings.

“I have won in every possible way, as a player for the men’s (volleyball team), as an assistant coach for the men’s (volleyball team) and as an assistant coach for the women’s (volleyball team).”

He said his view as player has helped his view as an assistant coach to make sure the players do not make the same mistakes.

The best part of the season wasn’t about the final win, Talamantes said.

“The final point of the national championship match was probably the most emotional moment of the season but my favorite part was the start of the fourth set in the semifinals against Biola,” he said. “We were down 2-1 for the first time this season and lost the third set after being up big, so we could have fallen apart but came together and rolled to a 9-0 lead in the fourth set and just never let up.”

“It was great to be so dominant but until you face adversity as a group, you never quite know what kind of team you have. Once they rallied and knocked off a great Biola team, I really didn’t think anyone was going to stop them,” he said.

Talamantes noted he would enjoy that another undefeated season.

“Ha ha that be great,” he said. “But we’re going to enjoy this for a while before getting back to work. We have to replace two All-Americans so that’ll be the first order of business but we have a great core coming back so the goal will be to put ourselves in a position to compete for another title. There are a lot of great players and coaches in the NAIA, so it’ll be a huge challenge but I know this group returning will relish the opportunity.”

The championship banner will be unveiled for a celebration at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29th, during halftime of the men’s volleyball game against Freed-Hardeman in the Breckon Sports Center.

There will be an additional ceremony Tuesday, Feb. 3, at Parkville’s City Hall Board of Alderman meeting to honor the women’s volleyball team for their achievement.

For more details about this event and for details on all of Park’s Champions, visit www.parkathletics.com.