Buzcek to Retire as Georgia Volleyball Coach
March 22, 2005 | Volleyball
March 22, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. ---- Georgia volleyball coach Mary Buczek, who has led the Bulldogs program for the past five years, has decided to retire from coaching according to an announcement by athletics director Damon Evans.
Buczek said family considerations played an important role in her decision.
"This is something I have to do for personal reasons," Buczek said. "I just have to put my family first. I am thankful to the University of Georgia for giving me the opportunity to coach here the past five years. It has been a positive experience."
"This is a tough loss for our athletic program," said Evans. "Mary has our volleyball team headed in the right direction as evidenced by the NCAA tournament appearance this past year. However, I completely understand her family considerations and have the utmost respect for her decision. We wish her nothing but the best."
Since Buczek joined the Bulldogs in 2000, her teams compiled an overall record of 82-69 and finished as high as third in the Southeastern Conference in 2002 and 2003. In 2004, she led Georgia to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 1995 season.
In 2002, Buczek led Georgia to its first 20-win season in five years. Academically, Buczek's teams were nothing short of stellar. The volleyball Bulldogs captured Georgia's Faculty Athletics Representatives Award for the 2001-02 season with a team GPA of 3.3, and in 2003 they placed a league-high nine players on the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Her 2004 team had a GPA of 3.29 that was second among Georgia sports.
At Georgia, Buczek coached one All-American, as Alexandra Oquendo was awarded with a third-team honor by the AVCA following the 2004 season. Oquendo also earned All-SEC and All-South Region mentions during her time under Buczek. Julia Petruschke was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2002 and was a two-time All-SEC second team pick. Setter Margot Wallace tied the all-time SEC single-season mark of 1,745 assists in 2002 and was named to the All-SEC second team in 2004. Buczek came to Athens from Wake Forest where she led that program to a four-year record of 63-67. She had back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1998 and 1999 and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coach of the Year following the '99 campaign.
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