PLAINVIEW, TX – Wayland Baptist Volleyball struggled to find consistency at the conclusion of the 1990's and needed a special player to make them competitive in a tough Sooner Athletic Conference. Then came along Amy Smith Hancock – the perfect player to spark the resurgence of the program. Hancock's leadership, consistency, and dominating performances has cemented her place amongst the Wayland Baptist great, earning an induction into the WBU Athletics Hall of Honor Class of 2025.
"Being inducted is an acknowledgment of my efforts as an athlete and the contributions I made to my team and to the program as a whole. I'm deeply honored, and in whatever I do in my life professionally as a teacher, coach, and official, I want to do it well," said an appreciative Hancock when she learned of her induction.
A native of Lubbock, Texas, Hancock was a force to be reckoned with around the net for the Pioneers. She joined the Pioneer Volleyball program after the team experienced a tough stretch without much success. However, she embraced the challenge of turning the program around, which is exactly what she did beginning in 2000.
Hancock went into detail on why she chose to attend Wayland Baptist, "I liked going to Wayland because of the small classes and the chance to play volleyball for a program I could help elevate. I never wanted to sit in a huge lecture hall with hundreds of other students or go to a volleyball program that was well above my abilities so I would never see playing time. Wayland was a perfect fit. My professors knew my name, and I could find their offices if I needed to. Being close to home meant my family could come watch me play, which was important to us since matches weren't streamed online like they are today."
As a true freshman, Hancock led the team in kills with 296, while being second on the team in attack percentage at .258. She was the key cog defensively and finished the season with 92 total blocks. She displayed her offensive prowess in a game against Dallas Baptist University where she recorded an astounding 26 kills on 54 total attacks. She also had three games during the 2000 season where she recorded seven or more blocks in a single game.
In 2021, it became clear that her impact on the court was starting to shift the program towards the upward trajectory that they were seeking. Hancock and the Pioneers improved their record by six wins in the 2021 season – a season where she tied for the team lead in kills with 323 while leading the team in hitting percentage at .278.
Internally, Wayland Baptist could feel the program shifting towards success, yet Hancock wasn't receiving the national recognition she deserved. It wasn't until the 2022 season when the country would wake up and notice the work and dedication Hancock was putting in to be the best player and leader she could be.
Hancock saw her stock skyrocket in 2002 when she was named a SAC Front Row Specialist of the Year, First Team All-SAC, First Team All-Region, and Region Front Row Specialist of the Year.
Hancock helped the Pioneers win 18 games during the 2022 season, which more than doubled their total wins during her freshman campaign. Hancock led the team in kills for the third consecutive season after totaling 517, while also leading in hitting percentage with a .325. She averaged 3.615 kills per game during that season, including posting 22 kills against Howard Payne University.
Hancock continued that upward trajectory into 2003 – earning NAIA Honorable Mention All-American, while making it two straight seasons of receiving SAC Front Row Specialist of the Year, First Team All-SAC, and First Team All-Region.
For the fourth straight season, Hancock led the team in kills with 443, while leading the team in hitting percentage for the third straight year with .305. The team finished two games below .500, which was an astronomical improvement from where the program was before Hancock had joined.
After completing four seasons at Wayland Baptist, Hancock found herself near the top of the Pioneer Volleyball record books in multiple statistical categories. At the conclusion of her Pioneer career, Hancock finished as 2
nd in career kills (1,579), 2
nd in career hitting percentage (.296), 2
nd in block assists (357), 2
nd in total blocks (523), and 2
nd in total points (2,048.5). She also finished 2
nd in solo blocks (166), 5
th in kill attempts (3,705), and 3
rd in points per set (4.21). Hancock currently owns the program record for most solo blocks in a season with 71 during the 2003 season.
Hancock graduated from Wayland Baptist and pursued a career as an elementary school Physical Education teacher. She has been at Honey Elementary in Lubbock, Texas, and has earned the 2018 Honey Elementary Teacher of the Year award. Hancock is also continuing to grow the game of Volleyball by coaching youth boys and girls volleyball.
Hancock reflected on her time at Wayland Baptist and how it shaped her into the person and coach she is today, "At WBU, I learned what it meant to lead with integrity and to serve others. The relationships I built, and the culture of hard work and a growth mindset are a big part of who I am today. I already knew I wanted to go into education when I started college and Wayland's physical education program guided me to where I needed to be."
Amy Smith Hancock will be inducted into the WBU Athletics Hall of Honor Class of 2025 on Saturday, October 4
th at 9:00 AM in the McClung Center on the campus of Wayland Baptist University.
