Legendary head coach Bill Odeneal led the 1985 New Paltz men's volleyball team to an astounding 34-2 record, including the East Coast Volleyball League (ECVL) Championship. He coached the Hawks from 1967-87. Odeneal was a pioneer in the intercollegiate volleyball world, becoming the nation's first full-time college coach at Florida State University in 1949. With the Seminoles, Odeneal earned three national titles in the '50s. Odeneal also co-authored "Beginning Volleyball," a book written in 1962, in addition to other books and articles about the sport. He also served on many national athletic bodies and was an original member of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament Committee.
Sitting in the second row of the team photo is
Tony Bonilla, former New Paltz head men's volleyball coach and current assistant men's volleyball coach. Bonilla eventually became the program's second head coach, taking over for Odeneal in 1988.
The 1985 men's volleyball team included:
Top row: Burget Reinoehl, Denis Delgado, Coach Bill Odeneal
Second row: Rufus Shepard, Tony Bonilla, Eugene Kruchowy, Adam Fallon
Third row: Carlos Hernandez, Vincent Hum, Peter Byrne, Yidong Zhou
Bottom row: Octavio Cabrera, Robert Gonzalez
