Nearly 20 years later, Liz Masakayan has returned to UCLA since
completing a lifelong dream.
Masakayan, the queen of UCLA women’s volleyball during
the
mid-1980s, is now both a program assistant for the women’s
volleyball team and a student completing her bachelor’s
degree in sociology.
As a member of a special administrative program for former
athletes ““Â known as Final Score ““ Masakayan has
the chance to finish her degree and work with the women’s
volleyball program that jumpstarted her career. Masakayan has been
back before, as an assistant coach and student in 1991-1992 but
decided to pursue a professional career on the Association of
Volleyball Professionals full time. Now Masakayan is dedicated to
fulfilling her academic goals.
Her return to UCLA student has also led her to a different role
on the volleyball team. As program assistant, she is in charge of
revitalizing the Bruins’ volleyball alumni fan base and
helping out the team during practice. Although she is not allowed
to specifically coach the team during drills, she can mentor and
provide guidance to the players.
During her tenure, Masakayan was voted UCLA female athlete of
the year during the 1985-1986 season.
“My greatest moment as a Bruin athlete came when we won
the championship on our home floor at Pauley Pavilion,”
Masakayan said.
From UCLA, Masakayan went on to represent the U.S. national team
in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea. She was a member of the U.S.
national team for five years and said that playing in the Olympics
was one of her greatest achievements.
However, the prime of her career came on the beach, where she
roamed the AVP tour for 14 years with her partner Linda Hanley.
There, she accumulated 47 tournament victories, which ranks third
all-time and placed seventh on the all-time money list with over
$700,000 in prize money.
The culmination of Masakayan’s career came in 1996, when
she was elected to the UCLA Hall of Fame.
“Being elected is one of the accomplishments I am most
proud of. If you look at the list, only 20 percent of those elected
are women, and it is a great honor to be one of the few,”
Masakayan said.
Now as a committee member of the Hall of Fame, she plays an
important role in selecting the athletes and coaches that will be
elected.
Masakayan’s last professional match came at the 2003 AVP
Nissan Series.
“(The experience) wasn’t as emotional as I expected
it to be, but I’m sure I will remember it when next season
comes around and I see the players on the court,” Masakayan
said.
One of the special relationships Masakayan developed over the
years is with women’s volleyball coach Andy Banachowski, who
coached Masakayan when she played at UCLA. Now Masakayan finds
herself as a part of his coaching staff.
“One of the greatest things about Liz is that she loves to
play; she loves to compete. It is that same passion and attitude
that I hope she can bring into our program and pass onto the
athletes,” Banachowski said.
While juggling school and work, Masakayan is also coordinating a
20- and 30-year reunion for the 1974 and 1984 women’s
volleyball championship teams. She hopes the reunion will revive
more interest in the program and lead the Bruins to more NCAA
titles in the future.
When she is not at UCLA, Masakayan is coaching two AVP players,
Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs, in their preparation for the 2004
Olympics.
Still, for all she has accomplished on the volleyball court,
Masakayan will achieve something that eluded her for nearly two
decades ““ a college degree. That may prove to be one of her
proudest moments.