University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Banachowski, Williams Recognized
October 27, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
WVB on Twitter | WVB on Facebook | WVB on Instagram
SAN FRANCISCO - Legendary UCLA women's volleyball head coach Andy Banachowski has been named the Pac-12 Women's Volleyball Coach of the Century, while four-time All-American Natalie Williams was recognized on the Pac-12 All-Century Team, as announced by the conference Tuesday morning.
The Pac-12 All-Century Women's Volleyball roster is comprised of four setters, three middle blockers, eight outside hitters and one libero. The sixteen players were chosen from a field of 60 nominees and a panel made up of current coaches, former players and members of the media conducted voting.
Banachowski retired in June 2010 as the winningest Division I women's volleyball coach in history following a 43-year career at the helm of the UCLA program. His final career record was 1,106-301 for a .786 winning percentage. The Bruins won six national championships over Banachowski's tenure, winning titles in 1972, 1974, 1975, 1984, 1990 and 1991. The Bruins had 22 National Top Four finishes under Banachowski and produced 30-win seasons 16 times.
The first women's volleyball coach inducted into the National Volleyball Hall of Fame (1997) coached players to 42 AVCA All-American and 52 Volleyball Magazine All-American awards, as well as five Pac-10 Players of the Year, three Honda Award winners and the National Player of the Year in 1992 (Williams). Banachowski was honored as the AVCA National Coach of the Year twice in 1989 and 2006, as well as both Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year and Pacific-10 Conference COY on five occasions. Banachowski was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 2010.
One of Banachowski's best players was Williams, who helped the Bruins to back-to-back, NCAA Championships in 1990 and 1991, as well as a National Runner-Up finish in 1992 and a National Semifinal appearance in 1989. Williams was the Most Outstanding Player during both titles. Williams is first in UCLA history in points (2,531), second in kills (2,115) and kills per set (4.62), fourth in total attacks (4,263), sixth in hitting percentage (.335) and total blocks (508) and 11th in service aces (128).
Williams was the winner of the Honda Award, given to the best athlete in the nation, in 1991 and 1992. She was also the 1992 AVCA National Player of the Year, a four-time AVCA and Volleyball Magazine All-American and the Pac-10 Athlete of the Decade (named in 1996). She was the 1992 Pac-10 POY and an eight-time conference Player of the Week. Williams was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 2004.
