HILLSBORO, Kan. – Tabor College has a long history of athletic tradition, and fans will get a sneak peak of some of this history every Friday in the form of Flashback Friday.
 
In the first 2026 installment of Flashback Friday, the spotlight shines on Bluejay Volleyball. 
 
The year was 1999, and Tabor College was in search of a new volleyball coach. Amy Ratzlaff was approached about potentially leading the program and was initially unsure about the opportunity, as she was married with young children and hadn't thought about the prospect of coaching a college team.
 
Fast forward to 2003, where the Bluejays reached the NAIA Region IV Tournament for the first time in program history. The team recorded a 16-2 record in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) regular season, earning a bye in the first round of the KCAC Tournament before breezing through the tournament and earning their first KCAC Volleyball Tournament title under Ratzlaff.
 
Following the conference tournament, the team earned a trip to the NAIA Region IV Tournament, which at that time served as one of the qualifier tournaments for the NAIA Volleyball National Tournament. Tabor traveled to Crete, Neb. to take on a strong Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) team in Doane College (now known as Doane University), falling 0-3 to end their season.
 
Amy Raztlaff was named as the KCAC Coach of the Year following the historic season. Freshman sensation Staci Whitcomb was named KCAC Freshman of the Year and was also named as a KCAC All-Conference First Team selection. Sara McAllister was also named a KCAC All-Conference First Team selection, as well as NAIA Region IV All-Region, while Laura Campbell and Angela Kroeker earned Second Team All-KCAC honors.
 
The 2003 team is just one of a handful of teams in program history to achieve great success and helped Ratzlaff's coaching career blossom.
 
Be sure to stay up to date with all information regarding Bluejay Athletics by following us on X at @gotaborbluejays, on Instagram and Facebook @taborbluejays, and on our official athletic website, taborbluejays.com.

Tabor College is a Christ-centered institution located in Hillsboro, Kansas. The Bluejays are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).