Bio

The 1994-95 women’s basketball team put together the best season in program history.  That year, the Vikings finished with a 28-9 overall record, a perfect record at home that season, and captured the program’s first Heart of America Athletic Conference regular season championship, and the program’s first Heart Postseason Tournament title.  The team won 15 of its final 16 games in the regular season, which helped the Vikings earn a berth into the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship, the only appearance in the National tournament in the program’s history.  Missouri Valley lost in the first round of the National tournament, but was given the No. 9 overall seed heading into tournament play.  The team averaged 72.4 points scored per game, while giving up an average of 63.9 points per game.  Other highlights from the season include a 16-2 record in conference play.

In her second season as head coach, Elaine Piha led the team, which improved by 10 wins from the season before.  A number of Vikings were named to the all-conference team following the season.  Leading those selections was Michelle (Renschin) Reinke, who was selected to the all-conference first team, along with being chosen as the conference Player of the Year.  Reinke was also selected as an NAIA All-American, and was inducted as an individual into the Missouri Valley College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.  Stacey Ahrens, Jana (Champion) Caudle, Stacey Jemison and Kimberly (Soendker) Wilton were also named to the all-conference team following the 1994-95 season.  Wilton, Caudle and Dawn Williams each earned NAIA Scholar Athlete honors that season.

From the 1995 Missouri Valley Sabiduria, Piha is quoted as saying, “This team enjoyed the team unity that was there.  They accepted their roles well, which is hard at the college level.”  Those that played on the team credit the coaching staff, faculty, the rest of the student body and their teammates for having a great impact on them during the season.