Shar Buhlig is a cornerstone of women’s athletics at UC  Irvine. Before Title IX, it was Shar’s pioneering spirit that laid the groundwork for thousands of coaches and athletes to come.

She served as the head coach of the women's volleyball team from 1972-79, immediately making the Anteaters contenders. With Shar at the helm, UCI was the 1972 Southern California Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Division II League B Champions with an 8-0 record. The team won the Southern California Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Division III Championships in 1973 and the Division II League Champions in 1974. In 1975, UCI went 18-15 overall and made the post-season taking third place at the AIAW Small College National Championships.  

She shared how she got started and some memories of her time as an Anteater with ucirvinesports.com before the Hall Of Fame on Friday, Feb. 13.

How did you get into the sport of volleyball and did you have any role models?

I was a competitive swimmer. My boyfriend, who was also a swimmer, took me to Little Corona Del Mar Beach to body surf.  After surfing we saw some men playing volleyball who were pounding the ball over the net.  Basketball great George Yardley was amongst them; the first time I ever witnessed the game of volleyball.  My friend and I went back to the Pasadena Athletic Club where we were on their swim team and talked other swimmers into trying to play the game in the club’s gym.  It caught on and we all loved playing.  Now we had to go from “jungle ball” to learning the skills to play the game correctly within the rules.

We heard that State Beach in Santa Monica was the hotbed of volleyball.  Off we went and met people who knew the game to play with.  These players also competed on indoor teams.  And that was the beginning for me to spend many years competing, coaching, and then officiating volleyball. I was hooked! 

My role models were Gene Selznick, at the time considered the greatest volleyball player to ever play the game, and Jane Ward, who was an All-American at the USVBA/USAV Nationals every year.

You were an accomplished player when you arrived at UC Irvine.  What do you think was the biggest thing you brought to the program?

UCI opened the door for me to share my knowledge of volleyball.  I coached the women’s team for eight years.  During that time I also coached the men’s and co-ed recreation teams in competition in the off season.  I also taught all of the volleyball activity classes.  Then UCI offered volleyball youth summer camps, which I ran.  We hired well-known players to be our coaches in those camps.   

Why do you think your teams were so successful?

My top two coaches that I played for were Gene Selznick, the best club coach in USA volleyball, and Harlan Cohen, coach of the 1968 World Games women’s team. They taught me the art of winning when playing volleyball. I passed that on to my players.

Was there a favorite memory of your time at UCI?

My very first season, my team of walk-on players performed my drills very well.  Those drills helped us play clean, error-free volleyball.  We defeated every team we played and won the Southern California Division II Championship.

What was it like being a trailblazer for women’s sports?

At the time when I was coaching it was just so enjoyable to teach my walk-on players how to play the game that I didn’t fully know that indeed I was a trailblazer.  I entered women’s sports and the game of volleyball at the right time.

Anything else you wanted to share?

At the age of 91, I figured my obituary would read, “She used to play volleyball.”  But now it will read, “Shar Wallander, inducted into the UC Irvine Athletics Hall of Fame.”