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Pacific Lutheran athletic team has risen to national
prominence as quickly as the women's basketball
squad
Just 15 seasons ago the Lutes struggled
to a 2-22 record. Since the 1996-97 season, PLU
has put together 12 straight winning records. The
1997-98 campaign marked Pacific Lutheran's initial
Northwest Conference title. That team, led by PLU
career scoring leader and second team All-American
Kim Corbray, finished 21-7 and advanced to the national
tournament for the first time in the program's history.
The program has continued to raise the bar of expectations
each year. The 1998-99 squad won the school's second
straight conference crown and earned a spot in the
NCAA Division III national tournament. Three straight
wins, including a road upset of Simpson, the region's
top-rated team, sent the Lutes into the final eight.
Though a close defeat to the eventual national runner-up
ended the season with a 22-6 record and one game
short of the Division III semifinals, Pacific Lutheran
had earned national attention. Six seasons ago,
Pacific Lutheran tied for the conference title and
got as far as the second round, eventually finishing
with a 20-6 record. In 2000-01, the Lutes again
finished 20-6. The next year PLU set what was then
a school record for wins in a 23-4 campaign while
reaching the national quarterfinals. PLU compiled
a 21-8 record in 2001-02, the sixth straight 20-win
season for the Lutes, and won a school record 24
games during the 2005-06 season. Over the past 11
seasons, Pacific Lutheran has put together a total
of seven campaigns with at least 20 wins.
Head coach Kelly Warnke, who took over the program
prior to the 2007-08 season, brings with her eight
years of college assistant coaching experience in
which she helped teams to three conference championships
and one NCAA Elite Eight finish.
Contact Info:
Kelly Warnke
Women's Basketball Head Coach
Olson Auditorium
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447
Phone: (253) 535-7353
Email: warnkekm@plu.edu
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