When analyzing WSU’s fall sports season, it would be easy to look at the rebuilding football team’s record and proclaim the whole season as a debacle. However, this understandable thought process doesn’t reflect the fact that the Cougars experienced unprecedented success in women’s volleyball, women’s soccer and academics.

Let’s begin with WSU’s overachieving volleyball team. In just his second year at the helm, Head Coach Andrew Palileo showed he could cut it in the seamlessly, treacherous Pac-10 conference by leading the Cougar women to their first postseason appearance since 2002. At 18-13, the year was highlighted by a historic home win against the nationally ranked Washington Huskies in front of a rollicking, sold-out Bohler Gym crowd. Led all season by senior outside hitter Jackie Albright, these impressive Cougar women were a refreshing surprise for a growing number of volleyball aficionados in Pullman.

The women’s soccer team experienced similar levels of success on the field this fall. After finishing the regular season at 13-5-2, the Cougars advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in as many years. Even though their season ended at the hands of 1-0 defeat against No. 19 Maryland, the Cougars tied a number of school records that have stood for years. For instance, they matched a school record for victories with 14 while posting 11 shutouts along the way. Head Coach Matt Potter seems to be moving his squad in the right direction as the soccer program has slowly become a successful staple in the Pac-10 during his tenure.

Then of course there is the often-criticized state of the Cougar football program. The team’s struggles have been well documented on a local, state and even national level. Watching former Notre Dame Head Coach Lou Holtz make fun of the the Cougars’ performance for the Fighting Irish game this year was a collective low blow. While my faith in the football program’s direction has admittedly wavered during the 2009 season, one thing is for certain; our Cougs will be vastly improved in 2010.

Young, standout players like freshman defensive end Travis Long give fans a realistic hope that these proverbial dark ages of Cougar football will be swiftly coming to an end sooner rather than later. Long had a standout freshman campaign while being double-teamed week after week in WSU’s three man defensive front.

While 2009 may not have indicated a return to Pac-10 prominence on the field, Head Coach Paul Wulff has done an admirable job in recruiting and developing smart, respectable young men. In 2009, five Cougars garnered first team All-Academic honors while 18 players were placed on the Pac-10 All-Academic Teams.

This reflects strong character for a team that will have to be mentally tough to turn its fortunes around. With talented leaders like Long brimming with confidence about the program’s future, it is tough not to get excited about the direction the Cougars are heading in. If Wulff can rally his players to dedicate the same amount of effort to weight lifting and individual development that they’ve dedicated to the classroom, the Cougars have the potential to return to Pac-10 prominence once more.