GALE LACKEY BECOMES ONLY SECOND WESLEYAN COACH TO REACH 400 WINS
(23-Year Veteran Wesleyan Women's Volleyball Coach Hits Milestone vs. Western Conn.)

      Directing the Cardinals to a 3-0 victory over visiting Western Connecticut, Wed., Sept. 26, Head Women's Volleyball Coach Gale Lackey notched victory number 400 in her career. Gale is in her 23rd year of coaching women's volleyball at Wesleyan with a cumulative mark of 387-307. She came to Wesleyan in 1978 with one year of college volleyball coaching at Bridgeport under her belt, posting a 13-13 record there. She took over the volleyball team at Wesleyan in 1985, the team's second varsity season, after coaching Wesleyan's field hockey squad during the fall for seven seasons. As a 30-year veteran at Wesleyan, Gale is an Associate Athletics Director and the department's Senior Woman Administrator.
      She becomes only the second head coach to reach a 400th career win while in the service of the university.  Peter Kostacopoulos, who coached Wesleyan's baseball team for 28 years while amassing 488 wins, is the other, thus making Gale the first women to achieve the feat for the Cardinals.
    Gale's 2001 charges set a team record for wins in a season, going 30-6 and qualifying for the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time.  Gale was honored as the NESCAC Coach of the Year for her accomplishment.  The season before, Gale directed the Cardinals to a 27-11 overall mark and an ECAC Division III North tournament title. Her teams have posted seven winning seasons in the last eight years and with a victory over Trinity Fri., Oct. 5, clinched another winning mark with a 13-3 record and only eight regular-season contests remaining.

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