Talk about ambitious.

Birmingham-Southern College implemented women's volleyball in 1998 at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) level. In only its fourth season, the team is now playing a full Division I schedule, making the transition to full membership in the Big South Conference by 2003.

While many institutions have moved from one level to another, not many have taken the leap from the NAIA to Division I. And while many of Birmingham-Southern's sports teams have enjoyed 45 years of existence, the fledgling volleyball team has had to build its foundation on shifting ground because of a unilateral decision by the athletics department to institute swift and sweeping change.

In 1998, the school began discussions about joining the NCAA. In summer 1999, it applied for Division I membership and hired a new athletics director. By 2000, Birmingham-Southern got the nod from the Division I Management Council, and athletes and coaches knew they were playing their final seasons of NAIA competition.

Joe Dean Jr., named Birmingham-Southern's director of athletics in 1999, said the school's decision to move to Division I was based on past athletics success.

"We had a lot of success in NAIA with two national basketball championships and a baseball championship last year. Even though we identify with Division III schools (in terms of institutional priorities), we felt Division I was the best fit," he said.

Also, he said the department was concerned it would lose a lot of its top athletes if it moved to a less competitive division. Coaches, especially the successful ones, had reservations. But Dean said, "The school deserved the prestige the NCAA offered. The coaches bought into it. They knew it would be hard at first."

Head volleyball coach Tonya Charland signed on in 2000 to ease the transition and take advantage of a great opportunity to mold a new program.

"I was ready to be a head coach. I came on campus and knew this is where I needed to be," she said. Charland had been an assistant coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for three seasons.

Charland said she knew that building a solid team would be a gradual process, so the squad measures success by small but significant steps. For the 2001 season, the team's goal is to finish at .500 and to beat some of the more established Division I programs. As of October 25, the team had a 7-11 record and one upset victory to savor. The Panthers defeated Liberty University, the conference's second-ranked team, in a 3-2 match at home.

If that seems impressive, consider the feat was accomplished with just a nine-member squad.

"We had some players who decided they didn't want to play Division I ball. We lost three players in the preseason," Charland said. The players were upperclassmen who had originally signed on for NAIA-level commitment and got more than they bargained for.

Big picture, big changes

The loss of players represents just one of several challenges for transitioning into Division I. Since Birmingham-Southern is restricted from postseason play until 2003, it means the upperclassmen have no conference title to pursue and no hopes of hardware to take with them when they leave. The 2001 volleyball season debuted with a new and unfamiliar rally scoring system and other major rules changes, as well. Furthermore, players have to adjust to the increased physical demands and heftier time commitments.

Senior Bailey Mixon has witnessed the program at all levels. She was the Panthers' first recruit.

"At first, I was a bit apprehensive about the change. It was kind of hard being my senior year and all. But the question is what's best for the program? You want to have a postseason but you want to look at the big picture," she said.

The big picture includes big changes.

"We have to be physically and mentally prepared for every practice. We're a lot more disciplined to weight training, practice and time management," she said.

Charland said, "The expectations I have for them in terms of weight training, conditioning, eating healthy and taking care of academics is different. Academics are a huge focus. They're also being trained a lot harder."

Since her hiring, Charland has faced the difficult task of implementing the hallmarks of Division I-level training, while attracting recruits to a program without a history, significant accomplishment or experience in Division I. Luckily, Charland said, most of the existing team members welcomed the changes in training, and the strength of the school's academics attracted top recruits despite the conference holding pattern.

The 2001 freshman class presented the existing players with an added dimension -- a higher level of skill and ability.

Knowing that Division I-caliber freshmen would join the team in 2001 was a welcome event for Mixon.

"(The upperclassmen) were real excited about them. We knew they'd push us. We were expecting that," she said.

And push they did. Several freshmen have starting roles.

"Our freshman class is so good," Charland said. "They probably don't even know what the differences are in the program since they weren't here to experience them."

No postseason no deterrent

When freshman setter Kyndall Waters signed on, she just knew Birmingham-Southern was the right fit for her, regardless of volleyball.

"First and foremost, I wanted a good education. Getting to play Division I was just icing on the cake," she said.

The lack of postseason prospects for the next few years was never a deterrent.

"I didn't even think about it. It wasn't an issue. It's not like we're playing for nothing. We're having fun and we're gaining so much respect," Waters said.

Fellow frosh Stephanie Harrington said she views the transition time as an opportunity instead of a detriment.

"It gives us two big growing years for us to develop," she said. "I have every intention of winning a conference championship in 2003."

She said her decision to take a chance on the young program was secondary to her resolve to attend a solid academic institution.

"I wanted a good education and a good major. I wanted a team that was welcoming and worked hard. I wanted to be part of a team that loved playing. When I came here, I felt at home," Harrington said.

The campus community has embraced the team almost as much as the players have embraced their new status. The Panthers played a September 22 home game versus Samford University, and though they lost a five-game battle, the 400 fans in attendance -- the most ever for a Panthers home game -- gave them a morale boost.

"The support here is great. Everyone is behind us 100 percent," Harrington said.

Senior Milijana Lazarevic's achievement of reaching the 1,000-kill career mark in that match likely aided in the crowd's excitement.

Charland said, "People think we're working hard. Our reputation is improving. The girls are proud walking around campus."

Increased pride is just one of many subtle changes the upperclassmen have experienced.

Mixon said, "I can remember taking bus trips to Chicago or Florida. Now, we'd fly to places like that. And the equipment and things we get to wear, we appreciate them more. It feels good to look good."

If the newcomers didn't know what the team went without before their joining the team, the older players are sure to remind them.

"They like to talk about what they had in the past. We've heard many stories. They said they're going to write a book about it," Waters said.

Before they write a book or capture a conference title, the team is just hoping to break even. Then, when it gets the opportunity, it hopes to have a breakthrough conference season.

Until that time comes, Charland said, "I want to make sure they're successful and happy, or none of this is worth it."