JANICE GIBSON RUDNICK
Volleyball, 1974-77
Inducted February 16, 2002

Janice Gibson was an SMS volleyball standout from 1974 through 1977 for the Bears of coach Linda Dollar and Gibson starred on four of the most successful teams in the history of the program as SMS was on its way to becoming one of the top teams in the country. Competing at a time when SMS was an AIAW Division I independent, Gibson was a four-year starter at middle blocker as the Bears posted a four-year overall record of 217-25-10 and a winning percentage of .881. In 1975, Gibson and the Bears put together a 64-5 mark which still stands as the school record for wins in a single season and also for season winning percentage (.928). In the four years Gibson was at SMS, the Bears’ won four Missouri AIAW titles and four Region VI AIAW championships in regional play which annually included the top schools from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa.  The Bears also finished seventh in the AIAW national tournament in both 1976 and 1977. During the four years Gibson was on the team, the Bears won 22 of the 29 tournaments they entered, with that stretch including their four appearances in the AIAW national tournament.