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The resurgence of Bucknell's volleyball program can be traced directly to Cindy Opalski's arrival in 1990. Granted the turnaround didn't come overnight, but after a couple of years of growing pains and some energetic recruiting efforts, Opalski has transformed the Bison volleyball program into one of the top programs in the East. Bucknell made NCAA Tournament appearances in both 1998 and 2000 and has averaged more than 16 victories over the last 15 seasons. Under Opalski the Bison were recognized as the most improved team in the nation by Volleyball Monthly in 1993; recorded the best record in school history in 1995 at 26-7; won the first-ever Patriot League automatic bid to the 1998 NCAA Tournament; and in 2003 posted a school-record 11 Patriot League wins en route to a second-place finish. Bucknell has won four of the last 14 Patriot League regular season titles under Opalski, who has been named the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 1995, 2000 and 2003. The Bison have qualified for the PL Tournament in 18 of 20 years in the league. Opalski won her 300th career match in 2004, and with 371 career victories is the second-winningest active volleyball coach in the Patriot League. In 2006, Opalski won her 250th match as coach of the Bison. Now in her 23rd season as a collegiate head coach, Opalski wrote essentially the same script at Clarion University. In her four years there (1986-1989), Opalski led Clarion to a record of 92-48 and the school's first-ever conference title in 1988. She was selected as the American Volleyball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in the Atlantic Region, and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year during her tenure. Opalski graduated from Southern Connecticut State in 1977 and earned a Master of Science degree from that school in 1984. A savvy outside hitter for the Owls, she played in two AIAW national tournaments and captained the squad in her senior year. From 1979 through 1985 as head coach at Maloney High School in her native Meriden, Conn., Opalski led that school to two state titles. Her resume there included six undefeated regular seasons and an eye-popping overall record of 147-11. Opalski's success in volleyball has been documented by her 2006 induction as a player to the F.T. Maloney High School Hall of Fame and as a coach in the Connecticut Scholastic Women's Volleyball Hall of Fame soon afterwards. Opalski worked with the U.S. Volleyball Junior Olympic Program in the 1980s, coaching the Connecticut team at numerous national qualifiers. For five years she coached and trained some of the top players that have ever come out of the Nutmeg State as well as several teams that qualified for the USVBA National tournament. During the summer, Opalski serves as a technical consultant at numerous volleyball camps throughout the East, in addition to directing the Bentley College and Kutztown University Volleyball camps. |
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