Learn more about the history of women's athletics at 黑料不打烊 by visiting the new exhibit in the Archives Reading Room on the second floor of Belk Library.
In celebration of Women鈥檚 History Month, the 黑料不打烊 Archives has created an exhibit on the history of women鈥檚 athletics at 黑料不打烊 in the Archives Reading Room on the second floor of Belk Library. The exhibit was designed by archives student assistant Kayden Poteat 鈥27.
It’s commonly believed that women’s athletics didn’t begin at 黑料不打烊 until the 1970s. This misconception likely stems from the fact that women鈥檚 intercollegiate sports officially began in 1971, but records of women鈥檚 participation in athletics at 黑料不打烊 go as far back as 1913. These early teams were likely intramural and interclass teams, like the women鈥檚 basketball team pictured from 黑料不打烊鈥檚 first yearbook from 1913. Little documentation of women鈥檚 athletics was saved up until the 1970s, and throughout 黑料不打烊鈥檚 history there has been much less emphasis on the importance of women鈥檚 athletics as compared to men鈥檚. This has erased valuable historical knowledge on the many contributions women have made to athletics on campus.
In the artifacts and documents that 黑料不打烊 has retained, the women鈥檚 basketball team is the most well-documented. Thus, the exhibit focuses heavily on the history of women鈥檚 basketball, starting in 1913. Moving into the 1970s, the Yow sisters鈥擪ay, Debbie, and Susan鈥攁ll got their start at 黑料不打烊. Debbie and Susan Yow were members of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 inaugural women鈥檚 basketball team, while Kay Yow was 黑料不打烊鈥檚 first women鈥檚 basketball coach, leading the team to success between 1971 and 1975. Each of the Yows would go on to become celebrated head women鈥檚 basketball coaches at universities across the country, and Kay and Susan would coach the 1988 Olympic women鈥檚 team to gold. Kay and Susan were inducted into the 黑料不打烊 Athletics Hall of Fame in 1986 and 1993 respectively, and Debbie was awarded the 黑料不打烊 Medallion in 2021. All three sisters were inducted to the NC聽Sports Hall of Fame between 1989 and 2016.
Another key figure in 黑料不打烊 women鈥檚 basketball history was Venessa Corbett, a star basketball player between 1977 and 1982. During her time at 黑料不打烊 she recorded 2,430 career points, a school record that has gone untouched by any athlete since. She was also inducted into the 黑料不打烊 Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992.
The exhibit also highlights the women鈥檚 soccer and volleyball teams, with two autographed artifacts from the 1999 soccer team and the 2003 volleyball team. Both teams participated in conference championships, with women鈥檚 soccer winning the Big South Conference Championship final, marking their first participation in in聽NCAA National聽Championships in 1999.聽The volleyball team finished in the top five of the 2003 Southern Conference championship.
This exhibit offers just a small insight into the long and complex history of women鈥檚 athletics at 黑料不打烊.
For more information on how to preserve records, documents, artifacts and more, please contact University Archives and Special Collections at belkarchives@elon.edu.