Volleyball’s Sydney Floyd was Born to Set

South Carolina’s senior setter Sydney Floyd has volleyball in her blood. Floyd’s grandfather Andy Banachowski was an All-American volleyball player at UCLA and coached the Bruins women’s volleyball program for 43 years, guiding the program to six national championships as a coach, another as a player, and made the UCLA, AVCA and National Volleyball halls of fame. Her mother, Amy, also played volleyball at UCLA.

“My grandpa started the women’s program at UCLA,” Floyd said. “My mom played for him, and my grandma also played for him. My uncle also played for UCLA on the men’s team. It’s what I grew up with. I have pictures of myself as a baby crawling on the floor at UCLA with my grandpa. After every game, I would go to his office, and he would toss me one of those mini-balls and teach me how to put my platform out and set with me.

“I remember eating postgame meals with the players, and they seemed like giants! My grandpa was also my softball coach for some time, and my mom coached me in softball in middle school.”

Despite growing up around volleyball royalty in California, Floyd came across the country to carve her own path in the sport that is synonymous with her family tree.

“I wanted something different,” said Floyd, who is majoring in advertising with a minor in sports media. “I wanted to go away from home and make my own choice. I came here for my visit, and the facilities were great. The coaches who recruited me were awesome, and the coaches here now are super-awesome as well. My parents never pressured me to be at UCLA. They knew that this was my own journey.”

There were some adjustments in coming all the way across the country.

“I was really homesick my freshman year and the first part of my sophomore year,” Floyd said. “It was hard being that far away from home. I love the beach, too. That was my escape. Where we lived, I could just walk down to the beach at any time. Now, it’s kind of hard because the beach is a couple hours away instead of a quick bike ride.”

Floyd played a lot of different sports growing up and started going to volleyball clinics that were coached by someone other than family early in elementary school. Despite the volleyball lineage, she didn’t feel any pressure to play the “family” sport, but she did it anyway.

“I feel fortunate that my parents never put that kind of pressure on me,” Floyd said. “They said it was for me. I really enjoyed softball, and I played soccer, too. Volleyball just stuck with me. I remember doing clinics, and one of the coaches said that if you want to be a setter, you have to be able to set it from one end line to the other end line, so you have to be really strong to do that. I was so determined to do that. I was a setter my whole life. I just loved it. I loved diving on the floor. I still do. I love playing defense and flying everywhere.

“With my grandfather, when he coached, he coached me like any other player. Then when we had our grandfather/granddaughter time, we’d go golfing or play pickleball and he’d coach me up on that, but it was fun. Even now, he will text me before every game and tell me to stay ready.”

Floyd also credits her grandmother, Jo, for having a big impact on her life as well.

“I’m really close with my family members,” Floyd said. “My grandmother is one who has always been straight with me. She always told me what I needed to hear, and not always just what I wanted to hear. She loves watching me do all the things I love.”

Now a senior, Floyd wants to make the most of her senior season.

“I want to have the best last year possible!” Floyd said. “I want to take whatever coach says to do and just run with it. I’ve set a goal to just have fun with it, be present, and make the most of it without any regrets.”