On a night already filled with Homecoming festivities, Friday’s volleyball match marked a historic night for the University of Tampa volleyball team’s coach.
UT hosted its annual Homecoming Game against Lynn at the Martinez Center. The No. 7 Spartans (22-2) won the match in straight sets, 25-12, 25-22, and 25-21.
The victory marked the 800th win in the career of UT head coach Chris Catanach.
Catanach graduated from UT in 1983 with a degree in physical education.
After spending one year as an admissions representative, Catanach was hired as the head volleyball coach at UT in 1984. This was not his first experience with the squad.
As a student, he had served as an assistant to the team. While there, he also met his future wife, Linda. She was inducted to the UT Hall of Fame for her accomplishments in 1989.
Coach Catanach recalls that he was so young when hired to the position (22 at the time) that he grew a moustache to look older than his players who were as old as 21.
Despite his youth, he led the Spartans to a 32-4 record and an appearance in the NCAA South Region tournament in his first season. He picked up his first victory against the South Florida Bulls on Sept. 17, 1984.
The winning seasons continued from there, as UT has never compiled a losing record with Catanach at the helm.
His team appeared in the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time in 1988, reaching the quarterfinals in a 40-3 season.
Despite their regular season success, Catanach’s team did not advance past the Elite Eight until 1996, when the Spartans reached the National Championship game only to come up short to Nebraska-Omaha.
Three years later UT reached the title game for the second time but again left in defeat, this time to BYU-Hawaii.
Both squads featured future UT and SSC Hall of Famer Danielle Faggion. In addition, the 1996 team boasted four All-Region players while the 1999 team produced five.
Despite the accomplishments, the “big one” still avoided Catanach’s otherwise successful program.
Several more seasons passed with the volleyball program having not fulfilled its quest for the ultimate prize. The 2006 season changed that.
Led by Katelen Dixon, Alisha Green, Gabriela Saade, Margeaux Sinibaldi and a host of others, the Spartans marched toward the NCAA II Championship with a 34-1 record heading into Catanach’s third title game. This time they would take on South Region foe North Alabama, and this time the outcome was different.
UT won the match three sets to one, giving the program its first National Championship.
“It was a confirmation of all the things I’ve done,” Catanach said. “You work at it the right way and it can work.”
Catanach also described the National Championship as his greatest accomplishment and has fond memories of the team that won it all. He said the team realized how special the group was as the season progressed and eventually felt it would be their year.
As another reward for his success, Catanach is a member of both the SSC and UT Halls of Fame, earning inductions in 1993 and 2002, respectively.
Now in his 26th season, Catanach is still going strong, guiding his team through an effort to capture its fifth consecutive SSC Championship.
Catanach’s time and accolades with the team led to Friday night’s game, one that the team and many of the 649 fans in attendance knew the significance of.
“You can’t beat a crowd that’s energized,” Catanach said of the game’s atmosphere.
“We knew it was going to be a big game,” said junior Kaleigh Cunningham, who earned SSC Offensive Player of the Week honors for her efforts in both weekend games.
Catanach called the milestone “secondary,” citing the importance of simply winning yet another match to maintain their spot in the SSC.
“(Catanach) didn’t even want us to think about the 800th win,” Cunningham said. “Playing for Coach has been an incredible opportunity. He has taught me not only about the game, but about life.”
The team had a quick turnaround following the game, however. The Spartans focused on win 801 the next afternoon. UT swept Nova Southeastern to improve to 22-2, but also noted the significance of the team’s “Think Pink” Dig for the Cure Fundraiser.
Fans were asked to donate money for each dig recorded by the Spartans. UT finished the match with 38 team digs.
“(Breast cancer) is a real problem, and we hope to contribute awareness to it,” Catanach said.
“I think it is such an awesome thing to do,” Cunningham said of the fundraiser. “Thirty-eight digs isn’t too shabby.”
With more than 800 wins and counting, Catanach credited players, assistant coaches, trainers and the university for establishing a successful volleyball program.
Coach Catanach has yet another family tie to UT, as his nephew, also named Chris Catanach, is a senior on the cross country team. In addition to his athletic commitments, the younger Catanach is currently studying film and media arts.
Coach Catanach and Linda Catanach have two daughters, Kellie and Tina. Coincidentally, both are volleyball players.
Ryan can be reached at rburkett@ut.edu.