Gil’s destination still in question
By Farzad Mashhood
Jan. 13, 2010 10:30 p.m.
Former UCLA women’s volleyball player Amanda Gil, who left from the university at the start of this quarter for personal reasons, has not decided on a destination.
A swirl of rumors have circulated on Gil’s destination, but both Hawai’i and Washington, two schools that have entered discussion, have said Gil has not joined either team.
UCLA’s junior outside hitter Dicey McGraw said Gil’s transfer, similar to Lauren Cook’s transfer last week, came as a surprise. McGraw added that both players were not happy with what they were getting at UCLA.
“If they aren’t happy or don’t think they are getting what they need at UCLA, then good for them because they can go find it somewhere else,” the team’s sole senior-to-be said. “I’m not going to hold a grudge at all. If they weren’t happy, I want them to find happiness somewhere else.”
If Gil is to transfer to a Pac-10 institution, she may have to sit out one season unless she appeals for a one-time transfer exemption. Neither Gil nor the Pac-10 could be reached as of press time.
“For Amanda, I don’t exactly know where she is going,” McGraw said. “But I know she wasn’t happy here, or satisfied here, so I hope she can find it somewhere else.”
The 6-foot-6-inch Gil, a San Jose native, led the Pac-10 in blocks per set during the 2009 season with 1.57.
Gil is just one of two women’s volleyball players to transfer over winter break. Cook, a freshman setter this past season for the Bruins, also left for personal reasons, returning to her home state to play for Nebraska.
“I know Lauren missed home a lot, wanted to be back in Nebraska with her dad and her family, which is understandable,” McGraw said. “Everyone is homesick.”
McGraw added that coach Andy Banachowski’s surprise announcement to retire on Monday was unrelated to Gil and Cook’s departures.
“I know strongly that it had nothing to do with Lauren and Gil leaving,” McGraw said of Banachowski’s retirement, adding it was a “coincidence” that the transfers happened within a week of Banachowski’s retirement.
“We back them 100 percent,” she said of the transfers.
McGraw comments on
coaching search
McGraw said she is unsure of UCLA’s prospect for the new women’s volleyball coach, adding assistant head coach Kim Jagd’s status with the team is undetermined.
“Andy is the one that resigned,” McGraw said. “Kim didn’t resign so we don’t know exactly what’s happening with that. But hopefully she stays because we love her.”
With a tumultuous two weeks behind them, McGraw said the team remains close, echoing Banachowski’s comments earlier this week that this year’s team has shown “tremendous closeness.”
“The team is sticking together even though we’ve had the hardest two weeks of my life, and the team’s life,” McGraw said.
“It’s been a lot of disappointments.”
