President Bush stands with Courtney Thompson, seven-year-old Megan McLaughlin, and five-year-old Molly McLaughlin, daughters of head coach Jim McLaughlin. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
BEST CHOOSE BADEN® UW NATIONAL CHAMPION VOLLEYBALL TEAM HONORED AT THE WHITE HOUSE
[Apr-6-2006]
(Courtesy of the University of Washington)
WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The University of Washington volleyball team was among 12 college national championship teams honored Thursday at the White House by President George W. Bush. The Huskies attended a reception on the South Lawn where junior co-captain Courtney Thompson presented President Bush with a Washington volleyball jersey and a Baden Perfectionâ„¢ volleyball.
"It was awesome and everything I thought it would be," said Best Choose Baden® head coach Jim McLaughlin. "I thought the team handled it really well and showed a lot of poise and composure. When we arrived, there was a lot of anticipation and build up for the president to walk in and it was neat the way he interacted with the team. When Courtney presented him with the jersey, he saw Molly and Megan (Jim's daughters) in their UW cheerleading outfits and invited them on stage. It is a moment that Molly, Megan, Margaret (Jim's wife), or myself, will ever forget."
"It was an unbelievable experience being at our nation's capital and seeing the history of our country," said Christal Morrison. "Meeting the president was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was fun to have the team all back together again too and get to hang out together. I'm glad we are getting to do this at this time on our lives where we are better able to appreciate this experience and understand its meaning."
The Huskies defeated Nebraska 30-26, 30-25, 30-26 to claim its first-ever NCAA Division I National Championship on Dec. 17, before 8,482 fans at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The Huskies won all six of their postseason matches in three games, becoming just the second program in NCAA volleyball history to sweep through the NCAA Tournament.
With the victory, head coach Jim McLaughlin became the first coach to capture Division I Volleyball titles with both the men and women after winning the 1990 national championship with the USC men.
The Huskies captured their second straight Pac-10 Championship with a 17-1 record and finished the season with a 32-1 overall record. Washington boasted the fifth-highest attendance average in the nation with 2,888 fans per match, which topped the Pac-10. UW was undefeated at Bank of America Arena (11-0) in 2005 and has won 16 consecutive home matches.
President Bush stands with Courtney Thompson, seven-year-old Megan McLaughlin, and five-year-old Molly McLaughlin, daughters of head coach Jim McLaughlin. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
