1972 Co-Ed Volleyball Team - Outstanding Team

In the 1960’s and 1970’s at Glendale College, co-ed sports were among the most popular physical education classes offered on campus. In any given semester, as many of 500 students would flock to offerings such as co-ed volleyball on the sand courts where bungalows now stand as the Financial Aid office and classrooms. 

But for a special group of 20 men and women that represented Glendale College in intercollegiate competition, the 1972 GCC Co-Ed volleyball team that won the Southern California Championships remains the only co-ed team in school history to hold that distinction. 

The 1972 GCC Co-Ed volleyball team won the Southern California Championship “AA”’ title over El Camino College and remains the only co-ed team in school history to capture that title. The team was made up of eight players and was coached by 2006 Hall of Fame inductee Blanche Donovan. The 1972 “AA” team also won the Division I title sanctioned by the Southern California Community College Intercollegiate Athletic Council. The players on the team were Captain Judy Thomsen, Jody Gallagher, Karen Huck, Julie Goodwin, Mike Cram, Richard Holder, Roy Nichols and Jim Whiting. 

“It’s really a thrill,’’ said head coach Blanche Donovan in a 1972 article in the El Vaquero student newspaper. “The best we had ever done prior to this is a second place finish in 1969.’’ Donovan went on to say that she had to limit her indoor co-ed teams to 20 players as it would be difficult to other quality instruction to a larger group and practices were held in the gym and not outdoors. Three men and three women had to be on the court at the same time and the winner of a match was determined by winning two out of three games up to 15. 

The coupling of men and women in an intercollegiate sport was not new to Glendale College in that era as the school did not field men or women’s volleyball teams at that time, but the landmark season of 1972 was significant for more than the championship that was won. 

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law enacted on June 23, 1972 that stated that, “No person in the United States, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance...’’ 

While Title IX ultimately help pave the way for women to compete on intercollegiate teams in high school and college, the co-ed volleyball teams at Glendale College were a great case study of how men and women could compete together on an equal playing field and become successful by working together. 

Three players on that team including Judy Thomsen, Mike Cram and Roy Nichols continued their volleyball careers at four years schools with Thomsen playing at Cal State Northridge, Cram at Pepperdine and Nichols at Cal State Fullerton showed that the skills they learned at Glendale College helped them succeed at four-year schools. 

The GCC Athletic Hall of Fame is pleased to honor the 1972 Co-Ed Volleyball team for induction intop the class of 2011.