ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Lauren Herseth, the Associate Head Volleyball Coach for Central Washington University, has been named the next Head Coach of the Wildcat program following the transition of current Head Coach Mario Andaya into the Deputy Athletics Director position, CWU Director of Athletics Dennis Francois announced on Monday.
 
“It has been a pleasure to see Lauren grow and develop over her time as a student-athlete and coach at Central,” Francois said. “Playing for and then working with Mario over the past six seasons, Lauren has learned from the best and has played a key role in the continued success of the program. I am extremely excited for Lauren, and I am confident that she will continue to evolve and grow as she takes the first chair as the leader of Wildcat Volleyball.”
 
Herseth congratulated Andaya on his new position in the Administration of CWU Athletics.
 
“Mario isn’t just a game changer, he’s a life changer, and I’m excited for his impact to span beyond our program,” Herseth said. “Our department is lucky to have him in this new capacity, and I’m excited for other coaches, staff, and admin to experience his leadership.”
 
Herseth’s collegiate volleyball career began at Central, competing for the Wildcats from 2011-2014. During her four-year playing career for the Crimson and Black, Herseth helped the program reach three NCAA appearances and finished ranked in the top ten in program history for both sets and matches played. A team captain, she was also a three-time GNAC All-Academic selection while majoring in Physical Education and School Health. Herseth was heavily involved in CWU Athletics, serving three years as SAAC President, and also competed on the Wildcats’ Women’s Basketball team during the 2013–2014 season.
 
After graduating, Herseth began her teaching and coaching career in Olympia, Washington. She joined the Saint Martin’s University Volleyball staff from 2016–2018, helping guide the Saints to their winningest season in program history in 2017. Her tenure also produced three All-Conference selections—Becky Mitchell (2017), as well as Megan Vernoy and Rachel Gondrezick (2018)—the first time SMU had multiple All-Conference honorees in a single season.
 
Following her time at SMU, Herseth returned to her high school alma mater, Olympia High School, in 2019, assisting longtime head coach Laurie Creighton in her 41st season with the Bears.
 
In February 2020, Herseth resigned from teaching to return to her collegiate alma mater, joining the CWU coaching staff. Since her arrival, the Wildcats have reached the NCAA West Regionals every year, including back-to-back regional semifinal appearances in 2021 and 2022. After the 2023 season, Herseth was promoted to Associate Head Volleyball Coach.
 
The 2024 season marked the Wildcats’ best campaign since 2005, finishing 18-7 overall and 16-2 in GNAC play, securing the program’s first GNAC title in 19 years. CWU advanced to its 12th-straight NCAA Tournament. The ‘Cats followed that up this season by going 18-7 overall, with a 14-4 conference record that saw CWU claim its second consecutive title and fourth total, as the Wildcats finished the season in a four-way split for the GNAC regular season title. Central went on to defeat Simon Fraser 3-2 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before narrowly falling to Fresno Pacific 2-3 in the regional semifinals.
 
Herseth is excited to begin the transition into the head coaching role and reflected on her time serving with Coach Andaya the past six seasons.

“Coaching alongside Mario has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, and our program will continue to do great things because of what he built over the last 30 years,” Herseth said. “I am honored to be stepping into this new role, with an extremely fun and talented roster,  and I can’t thank Dennis and Mario enough for investing in and preparing me for this moment. I love this program, and I am committed to carrying on the legacy of CWU Volleyball.”

 

Herseth will begin her new position effectively on Dec. 16, 2025.

The Spartan Club, comprised of Case Institute of Technology (CIT), Western Reserve University (WRU) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) alumni, parents of current students, faculty and staff, and friends of the University, is aimed at helping foster and honor the proud tradition of athletics at the University, while also supporting the current student-athletes. For more information on the Spartan Club, and to help support its purpose by becoming a member, CLICK HERE.

Case Western Reserve University first-year Antonio Sidoti, a sprinter on the men’s track and field team, and first-year Gianna Phipps, a sprinter on the women’s track and field team, have been named the Spartan Club Athletes of the Week for their performances this past week.

Sidoti matched a program record in the 60-meter dash in his first collegiate meet on Saturday, the Spartan Alumni Holiday Classic at the Veale Center in Cleveland. After running a time of 7.02 seconds in the prelims of the event, Sidoti tied the school record in the finals with a time of 6.96 seconds. The time currently ranks second in the University Athletic Association and 36th in Division III. The Spartans combined to win seven events with 11 finishes in the top three.

Phipps recorded three national top-12 marks and set a pair of school records in her first collegiate meet, the Spartan Alumni Holiday Classic at the Veale Center in Cleveland on Saturday. She ran the 11th-fastest time in Division III this season in the 200-meter dash, setting a school record with a time of 25.88 seconds. To end the meet, Phipps anchored the 4×400-meter relay which broke the program record with a time of 4:02.40, the seventh-best mark in the country this season. She also fell 0.07 seconds shy of the school record in the 400-meter dash, running a time of 58.88 seconds. Phipps ranks 12th in Division III with the time. 

The Spartans will take a break from finals before returning to the Veale Center for the Spartan Icebreaker on Saturday, January 17, 2026. Action is slated to begin at 11 a.m. 

The Spartan Club Athletes of the Week are selected by the CWRU Department of Athletics each Monday, based on their performance during the previous week of competition.

Honorable Mentions:

First-year sprinter Samaria Benochi (women’s track and field) placed in the top eight in three events at the Spartan Alumni Holiday Classic at the Veale Center in Cleveland on Saturday. Benochi helped the Spartans set a school record in the 4×400-meter relay with a time of 4:02.40, the seventh-best mark in Division III. She placed fifth in the triple jump by bounding 10.39 meters, the sixth-furthest leap in the conference this season. Finally, Benochi completed the 400-meter dash in 1:03.33 to place seventh, the ninth-fastest time in the UAA. 

Junior guard Mya Hartjes (women’s basketball) led all Spartans with 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game over a pair of contests last week. Hartjes finished the week shooting 48.4% (15-of-31) overall, 30.8% (4-of-13) from three-point range, and 57.1% (4-of-7) from the free throw line. She led the team with 22 points in a 67-66 loss at home to Marietta on Wednesday, making eight-of-15 shots overall, two-of-six from behind the three-point line, and four-of-seven free throw attempts, while adding seven rebounds and two assists. She added a team-high 16 points, nine rebounds, and three assists during the Spartans’ 74-61 setback on the road to Denison on Saturday, making seven-of-16 attempts from the floor and two-of-seven from long range. Through the team’s first eight games of the season, Hartjes has averaged 15.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per contest. CWRU stands at 5-3 overall during the 2025-26 season.

The Spartans will be on hiatus for the next three weeks for finals and the holidays before returning to action at the Baldwin Wallace Holiday Classic at the end of the month. The Spartans will face Oberlin at 3 p.m. on Monday, December 29, followed by a matchup against host and 21st-ranked Baldwin Wallace on Tuesday, December 30, also at 3 p.m.

Sophomore thrower Ishaan Solanki (men’s track and field) recorded a pair of career-best marks at the Spartan Alumni Holiday Classic on Saturday. Solanki placed ninth in the weight throw with a toss of 12.66 meters, which ranks fifth in the UAA. In the shot put, he heaved the ball 11.43 meters, finishing 14th. 

Senior Art Martinez (wrestling) won all three of his matches at the Yellow Jacket Duals, hosted by Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, on Friday night. He pinned Samuel Hutchinson of UNC Pembroke in the first dual, an eventual 35-12 CWRU loss, and defeated Baldwin Wallace’s Dorian Hoffman by decision 6-1 in a 31-15 Spartan setback. Hoffman is ranked second in the region at 125 pounds. Martinez ended the day with a pin of Jason Louiso of Wilmington in just 22 seconds, helping CWRU defeat the Quakers 45-7. Martinez, ranked third in the region at 133 pounds, improved to a team-best 14-1 with the three wins, including five pins and four technical falls. The Spartans dropped to 2-2 in dual matches this season.

The Spartans will be off for final exams before resuming their season with the Chocolate Duals hosted by Messiah University in Grantham, Pennsylvania on Saturday, December 20.

2025-26 Spartan Club Athletes of the Week:

Sept. 2: Jacob Slater (men’s cross country) & Jamie Goldfarb (women’s soccer)

Sept. 8: Mitchell Fein (men’s soccer) & Maggie Farra (women’s soccer)

Sept. 15: Bradley Winter (men’s soccer) & Ceci Dapino (women’s soccer)

Sept. 22: Daniel King (football) & Halina Tompkins (women’s cross country)

Sept. 29: Sam DeTillio (football) & Kalli Wall (volleyball)

Oct. 6: Osi Chukwuocha (football) & Ceci Dapino (women’s soccer)

Oct. 13: Kalli Wall (volleyball) & Claire Kozma (women’s swimming and diving)

Oct. 20: Jacob Slater (men’s cross country) & Halina Tompkins (women’s cross country)

Oct. 27: Bradley Winter (men’s soccer) & Ellie Palaian (women’s soccer)

Nov. 3: Art Martinez (wrestling) & Sohalya Rawlins (women’s swimming and diving)

Nov. 10: Thomas Wagner (wrestling) & Emily Plachta (women’s basketball)

Nov. 18: Jacob Slater (men’s cross country) & Kalli Wall (volleyball)

Nov. 24: John Drumm (men’s swimming and diving) & Claire Kozma (women’s swimming and diving)

Dec. 1: Andrew Fox (men’s basketball) & Maura Schorr (women’s basketball)

Dec. 8: Antonio Sidoti (men’s track and field) & Gianna Phipps (women’s track and field)

The University of Iowa Department of Athletics seeks applications for a HawkVision Intern. This is a full-time (temporary, PZ04 intern, and FLSA nonexempt) for one year, with the opportunity to be extended to two years determined by performance and departmental need. The University of Iowa is an NCAA Division I institution and a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Department of Athletics manages 22 varsity sports programs and related events with a workforce of approximately 250 regular employees and 300 temporary employees. Athletics is a people-centric organization that operates under a “Win. Graduate. Do It Right.” philosophy. For more information regarding Athletics, please click here.

Responsibilities: The Athletics HawkVision Intern will contribute to the activities of the External Relations Unit of the UI Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, to advance the outreach efforts of the department and its 22 varsity sports programs. Attain the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to compete for a professional-level position within or outside of the University of Iowa. The HawkVision Internship provides practical work experience within the University of Iowa Athletics HawkVision video office. The Intern will assist the Director of HawkVision in gameday video board operations, content creation, and live event production and streaming.

Highlights: The University of Iowa is a Big Ten, nationally ranked research university with 30,000 students located in Iowa City. A vibrant community boasting excellent public schools, safe, comfortable neighborhoods, affordable housing, a highly educated population, and numerous cultural, recreational, and sporting opportunities and events contribute to the Iowa City area frequently appearing high on the best-places-to-live listings. Go to “Working at Iowa” to learn more.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, graphic arts, video production, design or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Ability to work effectively with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, demonstrating strong interpersonal skills and ability to build trusting relationships;
• A valid U.S. driving license and the ability to meet and maintain University of Iowa Driving Policy standards;
• Working knowledge of and ability to utilize basic office support software (word processing, email, presentation software and spreadsheets);
• Must be able to move and load 50 pounds; work 40 hours per week which may include evening, weekend, and holiday hours.

Desired qualifications:

• Basic knowledge and understanding of the professionalism and intensity necessary to successfully contribute to Division I athletics program;
• Demonstrates a working knowledge of video production, professional-grade cameras, editing software, and a basic understanding of broadcast studio production;
• Demonstrates the ability to coordinate and stream live events;
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite, Daktronics, Evertz, and Ross Systems.

Application Process:  Visit our website at http://jobs.uiowa.edu and search for keywords “HawkVision”. Only applications submitted at https://jobs.uiowa.edu will be accepted.

• Job openings are posted for a minimum of 7 calendar days and may be removed from posting and filled any time after the original posting period has ended.
• Applicants must upload a resume and cover letter and mark them as a relevant file to the submission. Applications without both a cover letter and resume will be considered incomplete and ineligible for consideration.
• Successful candidates will be subject to a credential/education verification and criminal background check and be required to self-disclose any conviction history.
• Five professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process.
• As a part of the University of Iowa’s review of your application and consistent with its policies and practices, the University may access and/or view information about you that is job-related and publicly available on the internet, including but not limited to information on social media sites. The access, viewing and/or use of such information is governed by the University’s Policy on Human Rights, as well as state and federal law.
• For questions or additional information, please contact athletics tanner-erwin@uiowa.edu.

About Iowa: 

• Joining the University of Iowa means becoming a vital part of the Hawkeye community, where your work directly impacts education, research, and student success. 
• Enjoy exceptional health coverage, university-paid life insurance, robust retirement plans, and generous leave policies. Benefit from 24/7 support services, well-being resources, and access to UI Health Care specialists. Grow professionally with advanced training, leadership development, and tuition assistance. 
• Iowa City offers a great quality of life with world-class performances at Hancher Auditorium, Big Ten athletics, top-ranked public schools, and outdoor recreation. 
• Join us in making a difference at a leading Big Ten university and premier public research institution. 

The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, or associational preferences.

About University of Iowa Athletics

The University of Iowa is a Big Ten, nationally ranked research university with 30,000 students located in Iowa City. A vibrant community boasting excellent public schools, safe, comfortable neighborhoods, affordable housing, a highly educated population, and numerous cultural, recreational and sporting opportunities and events contribute to the Iowa City area frequently appearing high on the best-places-to-live listings. Go to “Working at Iowa” at https://jobs.uiowa.edu/working-at-iowa to learn more.

The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, or associational preferences.

Connections working at University of Iowa Athletics