Friday, October 24, 1997
Coach honored in Hall of Fame
FEATURE: Banachowski’s 30 years of volleyball greatness
recognized
By Jennifer Kollenborn
Daily Bruin Staff
Andy Banachowski concentrates on a video of a past volleyball
match in his cubicle on the second floor of the Morgan Center. His
eyes are fixed on the game, and from the pensive look on his face,
it is obvious he is trying to locate the faulty play of the UCLA
women’s volleyball team.
As I approach, he barely sees me because he is completely
engrossed in the match as he sits two feet away from the
television, eyebrows scrunched and his chin rested in the palm of
his hand.
"Oh, hi," Banachowski casually said when he saw me.
I returned the welcome and sat down directly across from him.
Suddenly relaxed, Banachowski leaned back in his big chair and
verbalized his thoughts on being inducted into the Volleyball Hall
of Fame for his 30 years as a coach at UCLA.
"It’s a very big honor," Banachowski stated. "It’s a nice
accomplishment, and I’m sure that I will appreciate it more and
more in the years to come, but right now, I’m trying to get my team
going on all cylinders all the time. That’s really my focus right
now, so I’m not really taking time to sit back and enjoy this
honor."
Let up or slow down are not in Banachowski’s vocabulary. He is
intent on turning around UCLA’s as yet unsuccessful season, as the
Bruins (4-5 in the Pac-10, 9-7 overall) slipped to No. 23 this week
in the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association (AVCA) women’s top
25 poll .
Consequently, Banachowski opted to stay in Westwood tonight to
coach the Bruins as they challenge No. 10 Washington State, in lieu
of traveling to Holyoke, Mass., and being inducted into the
Volleyball Hall of Fame. His brother, Alex Banachowski, will accept
the honor in his place tonight.
The enshrinement of Banachowski into the Volleyball Hall Fame
pays homage to a coach who has accumulated more victories than any
other NCAA Division I women’s coach. Banachowski teaches his
players to be the best, and as a result, he has led the Bruins to
top-four national finishes in 20 of the last 26 years. He has also
surpassed other coaches with an outstanding postseason record of
119-22 (.843) while winning six national championships. His
incomparable success is evident when looking at UCLA’s 30 victories
in the last seven of nine seasons. Perhaps Banachowski’s devotion
to the prestige of UCLA volleyball is what compels him to stand by
his team tonight and guide them against Washington State.
Banachowski is used to producing championship-caliber players,
and his devotion to his team speaks for itself.
Since the inception of the AVCA awards in 1981, 16 Bruin
athletes have earned 28 All-American certificates. His advisement
earned 21 players Volleyball Monthly Magazine All-American honors,
nine claimed U.S. Volleyball Association All-America status and 12
individuals were selected to the NCAA All-Tournament Team. In
addition, 15 former Bruin players trained with the U.S. national
team, including four indoor and two beach Olympians. Banachowski
also advised the 1996 Olympic volleyball team in Atlanta. He
continued to advise in volleyball competitions in many countries,
including Australia, Malaysia, Spain, Russia, Switzerland,
Barcelona and the 1995 PanAm Games in Argentina. Yet his greatest
achievement is thought to be when he served as the head coach of
the 1993 U.S. team that finished the World University Games with
the silver medal in Buffalo, N.Y.
With all his experience, Banachowski hopes that his honor will
help in furthering UCLA’s success.
"I hope that players will want to come to UCLA", Banachowski
said. "Anything and everything we can do to make our program more
successful, we need to do."
Success has always come naturally to Banachowski, who was a
four-year player and two-time All-American setter for Al Scates on
the UCLA men’s volleyball team. Upon graduation, he aided Scates as
an assistant coach in 1972, in addition to coaching the women. In
the four years he served on Scates’ staff, the men won four
consecutive NCAA titles. The insight which Banachowski has gained
as a player and long-time coach at UCLA has helped to place him
just below Al Scates in volleyball NCAA wins. Banachowski’s 812-175
record is below Scates’ 918-13, but Banachowski has been with the
Bruins 30 years, compared to Scates’ 35 years, which still gives
him time to surpass Scates.
But, for now, Banachowski is set on bringing the Bruins back to
the volleyball spotlight and putting his own acclaim on hold.
He wants to add another 1997 title to UCLA’s collection of
national victories which the Bruins have amassed over the past 30
years.