KALAMAZOO, MICH. - The wining culture of Western Michigan University's volleyball team was started in 1965 by the late Ruth Ann Meyer when the coach was unbeaten in her first two seasons.

And over the past 39 seasons, WMU has only had seven losing records en route to posting an amazing 1,002 victories, making the Broncos No. 26 on the NCAA list for program wins.

The way the 2019 season has begun with a 6-0 record, it might not take that long to post another 1,000 victories.

''I can't believe it's 1,000 wins,'' Colleen Munson, who is entering her 15^th season as head coach, said. ''It's a great thing the administration has supported volleyball for so long at such a high level.

''They have made it a priority sport. We're the first Mid-American Conference team to have 1,000 wins.''

From Meyer (115-82 record, 1965-75) to Janet Williams (9-23, 1976), Thelma Horn (14-23, 1977, Rob Buck (331-179, 1978-93), Teresa Knoechel (9-13, 1993), Cathy George (185-139, 1994-2004) and Munson (287-177, 2005-present), Western Michigan has achieved what only 25 other programs in the nation have done.

There are the heavyweights of volleyball on the list, like No. 1 Nebraska (1,337 wins), No. 2 UCLA (1,304), No. 3 Brigham Young (1,281), etc.

While the Broncos have had just seven coaches in 55 seasons, the culture hasn't changed.

''The national volleyball landscape has changed and budgets have changed, but the mentality around here hasn't changed,'' Munson said. ''We have a picture of Read Field House for the 1983 match against Nebraska right outside my office and I show recruits that photo of what volleyball is like and it's something we talk about.''

While Western Michigan had been ranked nationally while going unbeaten in the 1983 regular season, the Broncos were still considered by many of the bigger schools as a fluke. Because of the huge crowds during that season, the NCAA gave WMU a home match against Nebraska in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

It was nothing short of magic. The listed attendance was 8,543, but the thought was around 10,000 people shoe-horned themselves into the old field house. Nebraska won the first set and was well ahead in the second set when Buck called his final time out. From then on, it was all Western Michigan as it would win in four sets.

''It was a different time and era, but that's what we still strive for,'' Munson said.

It was that match which sealed the deal on getting Portage Northern star Katharine (Werme) Hermsen to come to Western Michigan.

''I was a ball runner in the Nebraska match and I still remember coming home afterwards with such a huge headache because of all the noise, intensity and heat,'' she said.

She had visits to Texas, Ohio State, USC, Northwestern and Western Michigan. She decided to stay close to home, and from 1985-88, her teams amassed 94 victories. In 1985, the NCAA gave Western Michigan the Division I semifinals and finals where a then record crowd of more than 8,000 came to the two nights of matches.

''Back in the 1980s, we were so far ahead of the game and that was another draw to Western Michigan,'' Hermsen, a real estate agent for Jaqua Realtors, said.

''Making it to 1,000 wins is a huge collective effort,'' Munson said. ''This is everyone's win…the coaches, athletes and support staff before us.''

Munson has actually been a part of 341 of the 1,002 victories because she was an assistant coach under George for three years at Western before taking the East Carolina head coaching position.

''We talk every day in our gym about getting better and making sure we are focusing on the culture and the people who came before us,'' the head coach said. ''It's bigger than us.''

There are several examples of what making 1,000 victories means to the alumni. Former setter Sam Viox wrote a passionate piece on Facebook about her time at WMU. After the Broncos won match No. 1,001, volleyball alumni Caroline Rose and Katie Eberling talked to the team in Chicago.

''They didn't remember the wins and losses, but how they made each other feel while in the program, and the memories and relationships they still have to this day,'' Munson said.

The current head coach deflects a lot of the success to others, but Hermsen doesn't.

''Colleen is always focused on the female student athlete and I respect the heck out of her for that,'' Hermsen said. ''She has kept a continuity of coaches, and the strength staff is much the same.''

This is a unique season for Munson and the Broncos. She has 17 players on the roster and uses quite a few of them during a match. She's also changed her offense around to use two talented and new setters, junior transfer Mary Marzo and freshman Rose Duffy.

Munson also utilizes an offense which moves around her outside, or pin, hitters. They can come from either the left or right sides. Junior Rachel Bontrager, a preseason All-MAC player, has a team high 100 kills, but five other players have at least 30 kills.

''Our middle hitters are holding the blocks for our pins, our pins create situations for our middles to be one on one with a blocker and our setters understand the game and are putting themselves in position to make the best set,'' the head coach said. ''We
have a great core of defensive players so our ball control is fantastic.

''We're excited about our start, but we're taking it one point at a time and one practice at a time.''

And watching those wins add up.