With Friday's 3-0 win over Hamline, Falcon volleyball coach Patti Ford won her 500th career match.
Ford is in her 22nd year with the Falcons and all of the wins have come during her career at UWRF.
She has guided the Falcons to an overall record of 500-272, garnered four Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championships and earned six NCAA Div. III national tournament appearances.
Over the past 21 seasons Ford has guided the Falcons to 16 20+-win seasons. In six of those seasons the Falcons captured 30 or more wins. UWRF won back-to-back WIAC regular season titles under Ford's direction in 2002 and 2003. The Falcons had a banner year in 2003 winning the WIAC regular season title and advancing to the WIAC playoff championship match and into the NCAA Div. III national playoffs. UWRF finished the year 35-6 overall and advanced to the NCAA "Sweet 16." In 2002 the Falcons finished 31-8 overall and 7-1 in the WIAC. In 2002 Ford earned her third WIAC Coach of the Year award.
During Ford's tenure at UW-River Falls four Falcon volleyball players (Melissa Mattson, Melissa Tvrdik, Nina Petersen and Kat Krtnick) earned the prestigious WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award. Amy Holm, Cara Gustafson, Tvrdik and Krtnick were name CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. Mattson and Tvrdik, who both had illustrious careers, were also named the WIAC Player of the Year. Ford's athletes have also garnered conference, regional and national awards. Ford has coached 59 athletes to All-WIAC honors, 29 athletes to AVCA All-Midwest Region, and 15 athletes to All-American honors.
She earned her undergraduate degree from Mount Marty College, S.D., in 1983 in health, physical education and recreation. She earned her master's degree at NDSU in education/physical education in 1994.
Beside her coaching duties, Ford teaches in the UWRF health & human performance department.
