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Locke belongs atop Davies

Commentary

For those still interested in volleyball this season, take a look at the rafters of Davies Gymnasium during one of the team's final home matches this weekend.

There is only one banner in the gym, signifying the only Saluki volleyball player to ever have her number retired - No. 5 Debbie Barr, SIU's all-time assist leader and one of the best setters in the history of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Of course, fans without a media guide would never know this, and I did not know this the first time I went into the gym.

The first time I saw the banner, my first thought was, "Who in the bloody hell is Barr?"

Now I know, but I am still less than impressed.

Not by her 5,057 career assists, her old single-season set record that stood until Britten Follett broke it last year or her second-place standing on the all-time digs list.

Rather, I am not convinced of her supposed status as the greatest legend in the history of SIU volleyball.

Should she have had her number retired? Of course she should. SIU may never have another setter like that.

But Barr is not the most notable figure in the history of Saluki volleyball and does not deserve to be the lone honoree of a retired number.

SIU's greatest legend continues to go unnoticed, and her place as a Saluki volleyball immortal is long overdue.

After four seasons of play and 20 years of coaching - 13 as head coach - it is time to retire Sonya Locke's No. 7.

She was a great player, having her number on at least a half-dozen all-time and single season top-10 lists. Locke remains the all-time attack percentage leader at SIU.

She's not a half-bad coach either. Last June Locke stood beside Notre Dame football head coach Tyrone Willingham, accepting her Black Coaches Association 2003 National Female Coach of the Year award. Before that, she was named MVC Coach of the Year.

In her time as both a coach and player at SIU, she has been part of 395 Saluki victories. As head coach, she has 179 wins and will likely catch Debbie Hunter's record of 294 victories before she retires.

She also cares more about SIU Athletics than Superfan. I have seen her at softball games, football games and basketball games, whooping it up with the Saluki faithful. Even though her team is struggling this year, she's ecstatic about the success of the football team.

But there is one problem - someone has to take the initiative to honor Locke. She is way too humble to do it herself.

Locke was the one who made sure Barr was honored and made sure it was done in a timely fashion, securing Barr's honor during her senior season. Now it is someone else's turn, be it Athletic Director Paul Kowalczyk or one of her players, to give Locke her just desserts.

"You don't want to wait until someone is long gone before you do that," Locke said of why she pushed so hard to retire Barr's number, inadvertently giving a reason why No. 7 should be permanently enshrined. "I thought it was just awesome that we could have gotten that done while she was still a player. To see the look on that individual's face was just - that's what you dream about when you're a coach."

Imagine the look on Locke's face if her number was retired. SIU volleyball is her life, and there is no higher honor the school could bestow upon her.

When asked what she would feel like if her number was retired, Locke suddenly got a lump in her throat.

"I don't know if I could put that into words, to be honest with you," she said.

And when Sonya Locke, not a quiet person by any means, cannot put something into words, you know it's serious.

She wants it and she deserves it, but she would never suggest it should be done.

Locke was never much for self-promotion. When she was named MVC Coach of the Year, she gave full credit to her players and told me she was just happy to be along for the ride.

Someone else has to set the wheels in motion for Locke to receive this honor, and I am not the person to do it. The Athletic Department is not going to listen to a sportswriter, and I know the good folks over at Lingle Hall are not my greatest fans.

The burden is on those within Saluki Athletics, particularly Locke's players. I'm sure Marissa Washington would give up her No. 7 to see it hoisted to the top of Davies with her coach's name under it.

It would be a small price to pay to see Locke secure her rightful place as a Saluki legend.