Dallas Belles
Encyclopedia
The Dallas Belles were one of six teams in the Major League Volleyball
franchise. The league began in 1987 and ended short of completing a full season in 1989. Players consisted of former collegiate All Americans and Olympians. The level of play was highly competitive (above that of even the best Division I college teams) and fast paced and utilized either a 5-1 and 6-2 offense.
The Dallas Belles placed 4th in 1987. This franchise was disbanded after one year.
Rules at the time were a bit different. The ball could not touch the net on a serve, and games were to 15 (no rally scoring). In 1988 the franchise changed the rules so that game five would move to rally scoring.
Dallas Belles' Roster:
Lisa Franco (OH)
Heather Hafner (OH)
Ruth Lawanson (S/OH)
Sheryl Joseph-Moore (OH)
Laurel Brassey Kessel (S/OH)
Patty Dowdell (MB)
Penny Lucas
Claudia Lee (DS)
Ellen Crandall Orner (MB)
Paula Rideau
Head Coach, Ruth N. Nelson and former Head Coach at George Williams College (1970-1972); University of Houston
(1973-1981); Louisiana State University
(1981-1985) and the University of Iowa
(1989-1991)
The Dallas Belles were the only team in the league to utilize a 6-2 offense, with Ruth Lawanson and Laurel Brassey-Kessel setting the offense. Both Lawanson and Kessel would later go on to repeat performances with the U.S. National Team to play in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics respectively.
The Belles were known as the team that began each match with Texas
created original cow bells and throwing t-shirts to fans which later began a tradition in collegiate volleyball
.
Major League Volleyball
Major League Volleyball was a women's professional volleyball league in the United States. It was established in 1987 and disbanded during its third season on March 20, 1989. The content, records, and player information were obtained from my collection of VCR recordings of the original ESPN...
franchise. The league began in 1987 and ended short of completing a full season in 1989. Players consisted of former collegiate All Americans and Olympians. The level of play was highly competitive (above that of even the best Division I college teams) and fast paced and utilized either a 5-1 and 6-2 offense.
The Dallas Belles placed 4th in 1987. This franchise was disbanded after one year.
Rules at the time were a bit different. The ball could not touch the net on a serve, and games were to 15 (no rally scoring). In 1988 the franchise changed the rules so that game five would move to rally scoring.
Dallas Belles' Roster:
Lisa Franco (OH)
Heather Hafner (OH)
Ruth Lawanson (S/OH)
Sheryl Joseph-Moore (OH)
Laurel Brassey Kessel (S/OH)
Patty Dowdell (MB)
Penny Lucas
Claudia Lee (DS)
Ellen Crandall Orner (MB)
Paula Rideau
Head Coach, Ruth N. Nelson and former Head Coach at George Williams College (1970-1972); University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
(1973-1981); Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
(1981-1985) and the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
(1989-1991)
The Dallas Belles were the only team in the league to utilize a 6-2 offense, with Ruth Lawanson and Laurel Brassey-Kessel setting the offense. Both Lawanson and Kessel would later go on to repeat performances with the U.S. National Team to play in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics respectively.
The Belles were known as the team that began each match with Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
created original cow bells and throwing t-shirts to fans which later began a tradition in collegiate volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
.