ALPINE, Texas-Two national championship volleyball teams and three individuals will be among the ranks of Lobo greats during the 2015-16 Sul Ross State University Athletic Hall of Honor induction ceremony.
This year's induction will be held on Saturday, February 20, 2016 at the Morgan University Center.
----------
1969-70, 1970-71 Lady Lobo Volleyball TeamsA pair of back-to-back national titles put Sul Ross on the map in the infancy of Lady Lobo volleyball.
In the 1969-70 and 1970-71 seasons, the women's volleyball team won the first two Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Volleyball National Championships. The AWAI governed women's sports prior to NCAA recognition. Sul Ross State defeated UCLA and Long Beach State, respectively, in the championship matches. In addition, Sul Ross won Texas
Intercollegiate Athletic Association Conference Championship in 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1991.
The 69-70 team posted a perfect 3-0 record during the National Tournament held April 23-28 in Long Beach, California.
The Lady Lobos defeated the likes of west coast powerhouses UCLA and San Diego St.
In the opening round the Lady Lobos defeated UC Santa Barbara in a pair of sets by scores of 15-2 and 14-10 before downing San Diego St. in the semifinals the next day.
Sul Ross would go on to beat UCLA for the national championship coasting to 15-2 and 15-7 set victories.
Sul Ross repeated their 1969-70 performance with another 3-0 outing in 1971's National Tournament held in Lawrence, Kansas. A 15-4, 15-4 opening victory over Texas Women's University set up a semifinals match with Oregon, a charter member of the PAC 12 Conference.
Sul Ross prevailed in that match by scores of 15-7 and 15-5 sending the Lady Lobos to the championship match with Long Beach State.
Following a 15-8 opening set win, Sully dropped a five-point loss in the second set by a score of 15-10 before regrouping for another 15-8 victory in the rubber match as Sul Ross claimed its second straight national title.
------------
Poppy Rodriguez Rodriguez was a four-year letter winner for the Lobos under former head coach David Slaughter.
As a freshman Rodriguez returned three kicks of 85 yards or more including a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown in a 17-8 win over Eastern New Mexico and an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown in a 26-22 loss to Howard Payne in 1963.
Rodriguez finished with 122 yards rushing the following season in a 21-0 loss to former Lone Star Conference foe Stephen F. Austin and scored the Lobos' only touchdown in a 7-7 tie against No. 1 Texas A&I.
Poppy was one of Luz Pedraza's top targets during a 10-1 season in 1965. Rodriguez tallied six passes for 85 yards in a 24-13 Sul Ross victory over A&I and posted a 22-yard scoring catch against Linfield (OR) in a 30-27 playoff loss.
Rodriguez highlighted his senior campaign with a 40-yard punt return to help guide the Lobos to a 16-13 LSC victory over Southwest Texas State.
During his career at Sul Ross Rodriguez helped the Lobos to a 30-14-1 record. The Lobos improved from a 2-7-1 record in 1963 to 7-3-1 and 10-1 in 1964 and 1965.
Rodriguez and Sul Ross finished with a 6-3-1 record in 1966.
------------
Henry Paige
The success of Henry Paige at Sul Ross came from great role models such as his father Henry Holmes Paige, his sister Candy Paige, Coach Joe George, Dr. Chet Sample, the kindness of Bobbie McDaniel and the people of Alpine.
From Freshman of the Year to The All Decade team and three conference championships Paige started in every game for four years with the Lobos. He was a four time All-Conference cornerback , four time All-Conference return specialist, two time All District 8 and a two time All American cornerback.
Paige was ranked four years in the National Top Ten return specialists. He received four Golden Helmets, was a defensive captain and a 1983 powerlifting conference champion.
Henry was a successful teacher, athletics director and coach in California and Texas.
He is retired from teaching and is focused on farming in the Rio Grande Valley. He has also been in business for 20 years with a successful hay company, Henry's Hay, Inc. Henry has three wonderful children, Badger, Henry and Andrea Paige.
-----------
Javier Arrieta
Arrieta ranks as one of the top baseball players in the program's history.
A four-year starter Arrieta led the team in nearly every offensive category each season. He currently holds multiple Sul Ross baseball season and career records.
Arrieta earned First Team American Southwest Conference postseason honors three of his four years. Other honors include Conference Player of the Year (2009),
Second Team All-American (2009), and Pre-Season All- American (2010). He was also selected as American Southwest Conference Hitter of the Week three separate times.
He finished with a .326 batting average in 36 games as a freshman.
Arrieta received ASC First Team All West Division short stop his sophomore season (2008) after hitting .414 with 11 doubles, three triples, and six home runs.
As a junior he set Sul Ross State single season records (NCAA era) for batting average (.461), hits (70), and home runs (17). In addition to school records, Arrieta set the American Southwest Conference record for home runs per game (.47), a record that still stands today.
Arrieta finished with a .404 batting average as a senior with 14 doubles, a triple and 12 home runs.
He finished his baseball career at Sul Ross with a .404 batting average after 144 games. He scored 141 runs, amassed 222 hits, 46 doubles, eight triples, 36 home runs, 145 RBI's and 53 stolen bases.
