Janet (Baier) Howes

Charter Member
U.S. Olympians & Paralympians Mo-IL Chapter
1980 Olympic Team / Moscow-U.S.S.R.
XXII Olympiad
The U.S. women's volleyball team established itself as a contender for gold or silver in 1980. After defeating the Ukraine volleyballers and upsetting the potent Moscow squad, the American women narrowly lost a grueling, five-game match to the Russian Federation, the Soviet national team. The American women live and practice together six days a week in Colorado Springs, under the auspices of the newly invigorated U.S. Volleyball Association. Mostly in their mid-20s, they have interrupted college, romances and careers to serve and spike. Said Janet Baier, 24, an aspiring cellist from St. Louis: "I can play the cello till I'm 90, like Casals did, but I can only play volleyball now."
Congressional Medals Awarded to 1980 Olympians Officially Honored

story provided by the USOC

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 17, 2007) – The 1980 U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team was recognized this week by Congress with full congressional medals 27 years after Congress authorized President Jimmy Carter to present the honor to the 461 athletes of the 1980 United States Olympic Team. The medal, the highest civilian honor that can be bestowed by Congress, had previously been denied full recognition due to a technicality in production.

Diane McCormick French, a member of the 1980 U.S. Women's Olympic Volleyball Team and current technical coordinator for the squad, was interviewed today by KRDO Channel 13 and will be seen in the Colorado Springs vicinity on the 5 p.m. MT sports cast on Dec. 18.

In addition to French, the members of the 1980 U.S. Women's Olympic Volleyball Team were Janet Baier, Carolyn Becker, Rita Crockett, Patty Dowdell, Laurie Flachmeier, Debbie Green, Flo Hyman, Laurel Brassey, Debbie Landreth, Terry Place, Sue Woodstra.

Submitted by olympian on Sun, 02/24/2008 - 23:12.
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