Greensboro, NC (April 16, 2019) – Teresa (Tere) K. Dail and Rick Bardolph, were inducted into the North Carolina Volleyball Hall of Fame on Saturday night at the Kau Restaurant in Greensboro.
Friends, family, and colleagues from across the state gathered to honor two individuals that were vital in promoting and growing the sport of volleyball in North Carolina from the beginning of USA Volleyball’s presence in the state.
The evening began with a chance for old friends to reconnect and socialize over drinks and dinner. A slide show of pictures of the honorees and their past teams and playing partners played on a television for viewing during the evening.
The induction ceremony began at 8:15 pm with an introduction by Kevin Wendelboe, Executive Director of the Carolina Regional Volleyball Association. He gave a brief history of the NC Hall of Fame and the criteria established to identify individuals for possible inclusion in the Hall.
Fred Wendelboe, the first Commissioner of the Carolina Region and inaugural inductee into the NC Hall of Fame, followed with a humorous story about the beginnings of the organization now known as the Carolina Region, and the impact that Tere and Rick had on both the organization and other individuals that promoted the sport at that time. It was a fun trip down memory lane that had many people laughing throughout.
Jim Ross, current President of the Carolina Region, took over to induct Tere Dail into the NC Volleyball Hall of Fame under the Founder category. Tere was one of three individuals listed on the Articles of Incorporation for the Carolina Regional Volleyball Association in 1981. She served as the Associate Commissioner for the Carolina Region from 1981-1985. She also served as the first Registrar and Treasurer for the Carolina Region from 1981-1984. She was the Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Wingate University from 1975-1976. She became the Assistant Women’s Volleyball Coach at UNC Greensboro in 1977 and took over as the Head Coach there in 1979. She continued as Head Coach at UNC Greensboro until 1999. She ended with an overall record of 490-259 (65.4%) and led the Spartans to four NCAA tournaments and fourteen seasons of 20 or more victories. Tere earned multiple Coaching honors during her time as head coach. She was the Division II Atlantic Region Coach of the Year in 1990; a three-time Dixie Conference Coach of the Year honoree; and the Big South Conference Coach of the Year in 1995. She also served as the Head Coach of the men’s volleyball program at UNC Greensboro from 1980-1981 and was the Softball Head Coach from 1981-1987. Tere was a three-year letter winner on the Wake Forest University volleyball team, graduating in 1974. She earned her Ph.D. in Exercise and Sport Science from UNC Greensboro in 2002.
Fred Wendelboe returned to induct Rick Bardolph into the NC Volleyball Hall of Fame under the Founder category. Rick was also one of the three individuals listed on the Articles of Incorporation for the Carolina Regional Volleyball Association. He served as the first Eligibility Chair for the Region. In 1982, he took over the Referee Chair position and served in that capacity until 1984. He discovered he had a knack for officiating and was a vital resource for the region at that time in educating and training some of the best referees in the South at that time. Although he picked up the game late, Rick was also an outstanding indoor and outdoor player. He earned multiple All-Region player awards during his career. He participated in two memorable USVBA National Championships, one in Schenectady, NY in 1976 and the other in Portland, OR in 1980.
The ceremony concluded with a video congratulations from friends not able to make it, and several friends came forward to offer stories and congratulations to Tere and Rick. Rick and Tere were always willing to do the hard work necessary to get the Carolina Region established in the days before computers, credit cards, and other modern-day conveniences. Their sacrifices set the standard to allow volleyball to take hold and thrive in North Carolina.
Additional information can be found at the NC Volleyball Hall of Fame page.