BETHANY COLLEGE CELEBRATES WOMEN’S 50TH VOLLEYBALL ANNIVERSARY AND WOMEN’S LOCKER ROOM RENOVATION

On Friday evening, Sept. 23rd, nearly 500 students, faculty, staff, and alums gathered in Hahn Gymnasium to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the women’s volleyball team and the opening of the newly renovated women’s locker room appropriately named in honor of Dr. Joyce Pigge. Dr. Pigge founded and coached Bethany College’s first women’s basketball program in the spring of 1970 and the volleyball program two years later. From 1970 through the 1973-1974 academic year, she led women’s intramurals with the assistance of the Women’s Intramural Council, created by her for this purpose. 

Dr. Pigge announced for Swedes Volleyball, Basketball, and Football and maintained the scorebook for volleyball and basketball. She received the Bethany College Teaching Award in 1991, the Bethany Distinguished Service Award in 2003, the Meredith Humphreys Teaching and Service to Students Award in 2006, and the NAIA Wally Schwartz Award as Faculty Athletics Representative of the Year in 2009. 

"Bethany College and the Department of Athletics extend a sincere thank you to all the donors who made the Dr. Joyce Pigge Women's Locker Room possible. It is through generous donors and loyal supporters that this dream became a reality, and we are forever grateful. There is no better way to honor Dr. Pigge and what she means to Bethany College, the Department of Athletics, and women's sports. We cannot thank Dr. Pigge enough for all she has done. The locker room renovation is such an improvement, and its well-designed functionality now provides Women's Basketball and Volleyball a space for their student-athletes to utilize in a variety of ways. Thanks to generous donors, now over 65 female student-athletes have a quality space to use for pre-practice, post-practice, games, time in with their teammates to continue to build lasting memories at Bethany. Thank you to all who made this happen!" - Laura Moreno, Dean of Athletics. 

During the home volleyball game against Kansas Wesleyan, the 1972 inaugural volleyball team and their coach, Dr. Pigge, were introduced and recognized by Dr. Scott Crawford, Commissioner of the KCAC. Immediately following the game was the ribbon-cutting ceremony presenting the newly renovated locker room. 

Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The mission of Bethany College is to educate, develop, and challenge individuals to reach for truth and excellence as they lead lives of faith, learning, and service. At Bethany, students join a community of dedicated educators and caring mentors who walk alongside them as they discover, explore, and navigate the path to their purpose. Bethany College is online at bethanylb.edu and located in Lindsborg, Kansas, the fine arts and crafts capital of the state.