Bruin Volleyball Coach Tries for No. 500 Tonight

UCLA’s Andy Banachowski will attempt to become only the second coach in Division I women’s volleyball ever to win 500 matches when the Bruins open a two-match series against the University of Texas tonight at Austin, Tex.

UCLA has a 10-2 record this season and is ranked No. 5 in the latest coaches’ poll. No. 8-rated Texas has a 5-2 mark.

“Right now, my attitude is that it’s just another win,” Banachowski said. “But when I do get it, I’m sure it will bring a lot of good feelings.

“It’s going to come in the middle of a season, so there is no real time to look back and enjoy it. But when the season is over, it will come up again and really give me some pleasurable moments to reflect back on.”

Linda Dollar of Southwest Missouri State has a record of 558-167-22, due in large part to liberal record-keeping that counted one-game, pool-play victories in a tournament as match wins. Considering that uncommon practice, it’s understandable that Dollar, in her 15th season with the Lady Bears, could have coached 121 more matches than Banachowski in five fewer years.

The NCAA does not keep or verify coaching records and simply accepts whatever information schools supply, so the issue of who is the real winningest coach in history, from combined records of the now-defunct AIAW and the NCAA, may never be settled.

Anyway, Banachowski has a record of 499-117 for 81% at UCLA.