Lamar Lady Cardinals volleyball

The Lamar Lady Cardinals volleyball team represents Lamar University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. The Lady Cardinals compete in the Southland Conference and play their home games at McDonald Gym, an on campus facility in Beaumont, Texas. Ariel Apolinario was named head coach on January 5, 2024. He replaced former head coach Brandon Crisp who left the program on November 13, 2023.

History
The Lady Cardinals have competed every season from 1973. Since 1982, the program has competed as an NCAA Division I program. From 1973 to 1981, the program competed in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) (1973–1981). As an AIAW member, the Lady Cardinals won the state AIAW championship in 1975 and finished seventh in the AIAW Nationals. The team won regional AIAW championships in 1976 and 1977 finishing ninth in the AIAW Nationals both years and finished fourteenth in the AIAW Nationals in 1979.

Competing as an NCAA Division I program, the team has won four regular season conference championships including one American South Conference championship (1990), one Sun Belt Conference championship (1997), and two Southland Conference championships (2001, 2007). The team also won five conference tournament championships including three Southland Conference championships (1983, 1984, 2008), one American South Conference championship (1987), and one Sun Belt Conference championship (1993). The Lady Cardinals participated in the NCAA Division I Volleyball tournament four times (1983, 1984, 1993, 2008). Their best conference record was in 2007 with a 15–1 regular season Southland Conference championship record under head coach Justin Gilbert.

AIAW All-Southwest Region
Source:
 * Lucy Wiggins, 1975
 * Laura Broughton, 1976
 * Kathy MacEachern, 1976
 * Melonie Floyd, 1980, '81

American South Conference
Source:

1st Team all conference
 * Trisha Beissel, 1987
 * Leanne Zeek, 1988, '89
 * Cassi Presley, 1988
 * Lisa Kachel, 1990
 * Jenny Heisler, 1990

Tournament MVP
 * Trisha Beissel, 1987

Southland Conference
Source:

Player of the year
 * Liz Blue, 1983
 * Natalie Sarver, 2002
 * Molli Abel, 2007

Freshman of the year
 * Wendy Krell, 2009
 * Cortney Moore, 2011

Newcomer of the year
 * Kathy Givens, 1983
 * Trisha Beissel, 1984
 * Charyl Norwood, 2000
 * Shalayne Blythe, 2007
 * Christine Hobbs, 2010

1st Team all conference
 * Liz Blue, 1983
 * Ruby Randolph, 1984, '85
 * Veronica Carter, 1984, '85
 * Georgia Briones, 1986
 * Tracy Turner, 1986
 * Charyl Norwood, 2001
 * Urissa White, 2001
 * Natalie Sarver, 2001, '02
 * Buchi Okoh, 2006
 * Molli Abel, 2007
 * Adrian Meengs, 2007, '09
 * Kaci Brewer, 2007
 * Lauren Holdorff, 2008
 * Jayme Bazile, 2010
 * Chelsea Grant, 2015, '16

Coach of the year
 * Katrinka Jo Crawford, 1983, '84
 * Jim Barnes, 2001
 * Justin Gilbert, 2007

Sun Belt Conference
Source:

Freshman of the year
 * Mirian Erikson, 1991
 * Kim Green, 1992

Most outstanding player
 * Miriam Erikson, 1993

1st Team all conference
 * Mirian Erikson, 1992, '93
 * Shawn Flowers, 1993
 * Kim Green, 1994
 * Meredith Terrell, 1997
 * Jaime Ewing, 1997

Coach of the year
 * Jim Barnes, 1997

Year-by-year results
Source:

(Results reflect games through November 11, 2023.)

NCAA Division I Tournament
Source: The Lady Cardinals have appeared in the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship four times. They have a record of 0–4.

Home court
While McDonald Gym has been home court since 2007, both McDonald Gym and the Montagne Center have served as home courts over the life of the program. The most recent move to the Montagne Center was when McDonald Gym was completely renovated in 2006-07 as part of the $17,800,000 126,000 sq ft Sheila Umphrey Recreational Center project. Following renovations, the volleyball team moved back to its current home, McDonald Gym.