VUVB adds second Polish hitter in six-foot-three Malgorzata Banasiak to Fall 2021 roster

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Volleyball team closed out their 2021 recruiting class with the big addition of six-foot-three Polish outside hitter Malgorzata Banasiak.

Banasiak comes to Vincennes from Gdynia, Poland where she played for the SMS Police club team that took first place at the Polish Championships.

"We were looking for a very athletic right-side player that can hit and block, because when you are in the right-front position you usually face the power hitter of the other team," VUVB head coach Gary Sien said. "We were able to bring in a really solid athlete on that side in Malgorzata, who also has the ability to both serve and ball control as well."

"When you look at Malgorzata, she's so tall that you wouldn't think she can move much, but she moves really well," Sien added. "She has also played at a very high level of volleyball in Poland, where volleyball is one of their top sports."

Banasiak is the daughter of Janek and Agnieszka Banasiak and plans to major in Kinesiology and Sports, with a Sports Management concentration at Vincennes University.

Banasiak finishes out an already stacked 2021 recruiting class for the VUVB program, which includes the addition of two IHSAA State Champions in Addison Ainscough and Hannah Graber from Barr-Reeve, as well as Kaley Roush from Shoals, Josephine Mulligan from Lake Central HS in Northwest Indiana and International additions in Lara Gomes de Castro from Sao Paulo, Brazil and fellow Polish hitter Jagoda Szybinska.

"If you look at everybody's potential in this recruiting class I would say it's very high," Sien said. "If we reach our potential, as the saying goes, the sky's the limit. On the front row we have attackers and potential blockers that can really take over the game at the net."

"The thing I like is that we have a lot of depth," Sien added. "Every person can play multiple positions, with some that can play all three positions on the front row and many of our back-row players are former hitters, so even they know how to take a swing if they need to. Because of everyone's versatility, we can do a lot of different things here this year, which gives us a lot to work with."

The Vincennes University Athletic Department is excited to welcome Malgorzata to the 2021 recruiting class and wishes all the VUVB athletes good luck as they begin their season with their first scrimmage on Wed. Aug. 18 against Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods at the P.E. Complex. The scrimmage is set to begin at 7 p.m. eastern.