List of Inductees 2017
Terry
Danyluk
Athlete
At the Jasper Volleyball Camp in 1974, a young Terry Danyluk decided he was going to be a volleyball player, despite being only 5’ 2” tall at the time. Although it was a stretch to think that he could become an elite level athlete, it was only three years later in 1977 that Terry made the Junior National Team at 17 years of age and competed in Brazil at the first Under 21 World Championships. That was only the beginning of a stellar career as one of the best and most versatile elite volleyball players in the country.
Following his high school years, Terry joined the University of Alberta Golden Bears where he demonstrated his skill and his leadership capabilities. In 1979-80 and again in 1980-81, he was chosen as the CIAU Championship Tournament MVP and was selected as the CIAU Player of the Year in 1980-81 leading his team to its first national title. That year he was also selected as the Male Athlete of the Year at the University of Alberta.
Terry joined the Canadian Senior Men’s team briefly in 1978 and then resumed his career as a member of the Senior National team from 1981-1987. During that time, he competed at World Championships, numerous qualification tournaments, the first-ever Commonwealth Volleyball Championship in 1982 and the 1983 Universiade Games held in Edmonton where the team came away with a silver medal. Terry was also a member of the Canadian Olympic team at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles where the team finished 4th, the highest ever placing for a Canadian Senior Team in an Olympic competition. Terry was a very proud Canadian Team member and competing for and representing his country was something he was very proud of.
Terry was also one of the first Canadian athletes to compete internationally at the professional level. He played in Japan for Suntory Limited in 1984-85, in France in 1986-87 and in Switzerland from 1987-91. In Japan he helped his team win the Toshtaiko Cup and, while playing in Switzerland, was honoured as Player of the Year three years in a row.
Terry was one of the most versatile, talented and exciting players of his day. He had these comments on his career: “As for being a player, I was pretty lucky with my timing in Volleyball, having both great team mates and wonderful coaches who really cared for me when I started. That helped me "love" the game but also helped me develop a complete game. By that I mean both setting and hitting and helping to create a good ability to "read" situations and players well defensively. I played as both setter and hitter on Team Canada and as a pro and if there would have been a Libero back in the day it may have been the best position for me, and could have kept me playing even longer.”
Following his retirement as an active player, Terry returned to his alma mater and began his remarkable tenure as a coach with the Alberta Golden Bears team. The 2016-17 season marked his 24th year as the head coach and his 28th year as a member of Golden Bears Volleyball. During that time he has been named as U Sport and Canada West Coach of the Year five times while winning 6 National Championships as Head Coach. He has been instrumental in winning 13 Canada West titles: coached his team to 11 titles , earned one as a player and was an assistant coach for another. During his time as Golden Bears Head Coach, Terry has sported a remarkable 700 win-198 loss record (.778) and an 81-37 playoff record.
Terry indicates that he has great memories of working with most of the Team Canada coaches over the last 25 years, running the Junior National Team in Edmonton for a few cycles and placing numerous athletes on Youth, Junior, National A and B squads over the years and seeing those athletes reach their own personal goals.
Terry was inducted into the University of Albert Sports Wall of fame in 1985 and into the City of Edmonton Wall of Fame in 2016. We are honoured today to induct Terry Danyluk as an athlete in the Volleyball Canada Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding career as an athlete, a coach and builder.