Whitman Hall of Fame
A versatile 6-foot middle blocker, Barb Ream capped her career at Whitman by earning a spot on the 12-woman NCAA Division III All-West Region team following her senior season. She was also voted a First-Team All-Northwest Conference performer that season, after leading the conference with a .403 hitting percentage—15th-best in the nation—and in total blocks with 104.
Ream’s senior season saw Whitman post its best record in two decades including an 11-5 mark within the league, only two wins shy of first place. Ream’s play helped Whitman enjoy winning seasons each of her last three years in the program, earning honorable mention recognition her sophomore and junior years. Ream finished with career numbers that include 351 blocks, 685 kills and 829 digs.
“Barby was an outstanding all-court player,” said Dean Snider, her coach at the time. “With her height you would expect her to play well at the net, in terms of blocking and attacking, but what really made her outstanding was that she played super defense for us on the back row.”
An art history major, Ream made her debut as a professional artist during her senior year with a solo exhibit of metal sculptures in Seattle. A selection of those works, all representations of musical instruments, continues to hang in the Whitman Hall of Music.
