Wildcats volleyball name new head coach

ELLENSBURG — Longtime head coach Mario Andaya, who just completed his 30th season at the helm, has accepted a new position as the Deputy Director of Athletics and is turning over the reins to Lauren Hersesth, who joined the program in 2020 and served as associate head coach for the past three seasons. 

Andaya is proud of everything CWU Volleyball has accomplished during his tenure, including four conference championships and 13 consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II tournament. 

“The experience leading this program was more than I could have ever imagined when I began my coaching career over 30 years ago,” said Andaya, a former track and field athlete at Central who will begin his new position December 16. “All the people that I have shared this experience with throughout my tenure is what I will cherish the most. I am very sad to leave this current team and coaches, but I am so excited to see what they will accomplish in the future.” 

Andaya joined the CWU volleyball program in 1992 as a student assistant under the late John Pearson. He became junior varsity coach from 1993-94, and also served as assistant coach during the 1995 season. 

He was named head coach before the school's penultimate season in the NAIA in 1996 and guided the program through its move to NCAA Division II. The Wildcats spent three years in the Pacific West Conference (1998-2000) before moving to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) in 2001. 

Under Andaya, the Wildcats have produced five 20-win seasons and 18 winning campaigns, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament every year since 2012. In 2024, Central had its best season since 2005, going 18-7 overall and 16-2 in conference play to capture the program's third GNAC title. Andaya also earned his third GNAC Coach of the Year honor. 

The 'Cats followed up their success this fall with another standout season, going 18-7 overall (14-4 GNAC) and earning a four-way tie for the GNAC regular season title, the program’s fourth under Andaya. The No. 7 seed Wildcats went on to defeat conference rival and No. 2 seed Simon Fraser 3-2 in the first round of the NCAA West Regional tournament on Dec. 4 before narrowly falling to Fresno Pacific 3-2 in the semifinals. 

Andaya completes his tenure at CWU as the winningest coach in program history with an overall record of 489-315. While he has mixed emotions about leaving the program he helped build into a Division II power, Andaya knows the Wildcats will be in capable hands with Herseth. 

“I am so excited for Lauren to step in as the new leader of this program and for the new era of CWU Volleyball,” he said, thanking Director of Athletics Dennis Francois and CWU President Jim Wohlpart for offering him a new role with CWU Athletics. “We have incredible people working in this department and institution, all who have high expectations and energy to achieve big things. I am excited to get started.” 

Herseth competed for the Wildcats from 2011-14, helping the program reach three NCAA tournaments. The former team captain finished ranked among the top 10 in program history for both sets and matches played. Herseth was a three-time GNAC All-Academic selection while majoring in Physical Education and School Health. She was heavily involved in CWU Athletics, during her time in Ellensburg serving three years as SAAC President and playing basketball during the 2013-14 season. 

Herseth said she is excited to transition into the head coaching role, and she talked about how much she benefited from working with Andaya over 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.” 

Francois applauded Andaya’s commitment to both the volleyball program and CWU Athletics. He looks forward to tapping Andaya’s proven leadership skills to move the entire department forward. 

“Mario’s passion for CWU is unmatched, and his commitment to excellence is evident in everything he does,” Francois said. “I am confident he will approach his new role as Deputy Athletics Director with the same level of commitment, and he will be instrumental in the future success of all of our programs."