Those familiar with the history of athletics at The W recall that – in November of 2002 – a tornado ripped through the campus and destroyed the old Pohl Gym. Along with decimating the physical building, also lost were all archived statistical files from the Blues (as they were known then) sports teams…including those from volleyball.
But for Lee Cole – a member of MUW’s volleyball program from 1985-88 – a legacy of excellence could not be erased by Mother Nature. Cole’s accomplishments, both during her four-year career (during which she also played two seasons of basketball) and afterward, have remained firm as the benchmark of excellence in her primary sport and as an MUW alumnae.
That is why Cole – a native of Florence, Alabama (Coffee H.S.) - stands as a member of The W Athletics Hall of Fame “Class of 2025”.
At 5-foot-9 and listed as a middle hitter, Cole was undersized by most volleyball metrics. But someone forgot to tell that to Cole, dubbed a “blocking machine” by MUW head coach Samye Johnson.
While actual statistical totals from her career were gone with the wind, the awards, honors, accolades, and general impact could not disappear. Chief among those was the simple reality of how good the Blues were during her time on the volleyball court. During Cole’s tenure, MUW amassed a won-lost record of 131-27, a sterling winning percentage of 83 percent, and had two national postseason bids.
The team reached the NCAA Division II national tournament during both her freshman and sophomore seasons. In 1985, the team posted a school-record 44 victories (44-3), followed by a 37-4 campaign in 1986 in which the squad won a record 27-consecutive matches. Both teams finished within the top-8, nationally, in the final polls.
Individually, Cole has the distinction of being the first – and only - NCAA Division II First Team All-American in volleyball from MUW (a fact that, in all likelihood, will always
stand since today’s teams compete at the NCAA III level). Additionally, Cole was tabbed as an NCAA II All-South Region selection all four of her seasons as a spiker.
But Cole’s accomplishments probably didn’t surprise too many close to the team, especially after her freshman season. Upon completion of the 1985 national championship tournament, the NCAA released a list of seven tournament single-game statistical “highs”, with Cole owning three of those match marks: 24 kills, 8 solo blocks, and 4 assisted blocks.
Her senior year, Cole was named as the recipient of MUW’s Joan Thomas Most Valuable Player Award.
After graduation, Cole’s abilities – in volleyball and in real life - were magnified, even more. In 1991, Cole joined the Army, where she worked in a highly specialized job as an equipment parts and repair clerk for Apache and Black Hawk helicopters. She began competing on the All-Army volleyball team, facing other armed forces teams. In 1993, Cole was asked to join the Combined All-Forces Volleyball Team, comprised of the best players from the four branches of the military and playing a slate of matches domestically, as well as internationally. She earned a spot on the All-American team that year, as well.
Even after her tour of duty was up, Cole continued to serve for six more years as a member of the National Guard in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Currently residing in Franklin, Tennessee, where she works as an account manager, Cole’s immense Faith has guided her to numerous service and volunteer ventures during her adult life. Regardless of where she was physically living, Cole planted the seeds of a Servant’s Heart wherever she called home. She has used her MUW degree (a broadcasting major) to assist with her church’s audio-visual needs, as well as working on food drives, clothing drives, and Toys for Tots, to name just a few.
Cole was nominated for The W Athletics Hall of Fame by her close friend (and fellow 2025 HOF inductee) Celeste Waguespack (Vial), who was Cole’s setter on the 1985 and 1986 teams. “This humble, caring, fun-loving, hard-working, Christ-like human is very deserving of this honor,” Vial said.
It’s doubtful anyone would argue with that. Especially for an individual, such as Cole, who ascended to the highest levels, both as an athlete, as a person, and as a representative of The W.
