Maggie Catherina Named Goucher College Women's Volleyball Head Coach

BALTIMORE, Md. – Goucher College Director of Athletics/Associate Dean of Students Andrew Wu has announced the hiring of Maggie Catherina as the women's volleyball head coach.

"I'm thrilled to be welcoming Coach Catherina to our team and very happy for our volleyball student-athletes who have their leader for the coming years," said Wu. "Maggie seemed to have a smile on her face throughout her entire interview process, and she's in a great position to elevate a program that has momentum and loads of potential."

Catherina comes to Goucher after serving as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Rowan University since 2016. The Profs improved 10 wins from her first season as an assistant coach to her final season before accepting the Goucher post in 2019. She helped the team to a 17-16 record in 2018 for the program's first winning season in six seasons and then assisted the squad to a 19-15 mark in 2019 to notch the ninth-most wins in the program's 31-year history. Rowan participated in the conference tournament all four seasons, and the team advanced to the championship game in 2019 for the first time since her junior year as a player on the team (2014). 

"I am very excited to have this opportunity as the women's volleyball head coach at Goucher College," said Catherina. "I look forward to being a part of the team's success on and off the court. I have great expectations and all the confidence that this is a special place to be, and I am excited to grow along with this program."

She coached Kailey Gallagher, who was the first player in program history to earn All-America status. Gallagher was named to the 2019 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Honorable Mention All-America Team in addition to the All-Northeast Region Team. Catherina has also mentored the 2018 New Jersey Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, two All-NJAC first-team selections, six second-team honorees, and three honorable mentions. 

In the classroom, the Profs have been named to the AVCA Team Academic Award all four years. The honor is given to teams that boast at least a 3.30 grade-point average during the academic year. 

She has also served as the club volleyball coach since 2015 for the Mystique Volleyball Club. She organized and conducted skills clinics for grades five through 12 and coached the team of 13 to 16-year-olds. In addition, Catherina worked as a Nike Performance Camp Director (2019-present) and Gold Medal Squared Coach (2018-20). She also has been the Assistant Strength & Conditioning at Rowan since 2019.

Catherina, a 2016 graduate of Rowan with a Bachelor of General Studies, was a four-year member of the women's volleyball team with the Profs. She appeared in 65 matches including 58 starts in her final two seasons and served as a team captain and was named an All-NJAC honorable mention in her senior campaign. The squad went 72-56 in her four seasons and advanced to the NJAC title game in her first three years. 

As a player, she visited Goucher College and the Decker Sports and Recreation Center in her junior year and notched a season-high five blocks in that match. 

What They Are Saying About Catherina:
Deana Jespersen, Women's Volleyball Head Coach, Rowan University
"I am absolutely thrilled for the Goucher women's volleyball program as Maggie takes the reigns as their new head coach. Her passion for the game of volleyball, and her love of her student athletes will make such an immediate impact on the Goucher program. When thinking of Maggie, I think we all would say that her joy and energy are two of the things we will miss the most. She is about to create an environment for that team where friendships, hard work, determination and positivity will be valued. During her tenure at Rowan, she gave everything she had to help build a volleyball program that was more than just offensive and defensive systems, instead helping to create an environment of trust, and community and a true understanding of what a team is. Her dedication and loyalty to her players, her passion and determination to be the best coach she can be, and her ability to form relationships and help her players mature on and off the court are what will make her successful as a head coach. She will be so missed by so many, but all of us are unanimous in saying that we are so happy for her and we know that becoming a head coach is well deserved and hard earned. We love her and are all behind her." 

David Naphy, Ed.D., Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and Academic Support, Rowan University
"Maggie will always be a valued member of the Rowan Athletics family. Her contributions to the Goucher community will transcend the sport of volleyball, as it did at Rowan, and her impact on the lives of student-athletes and culture of the program will be felt for years to come. She is a natural leader, fierce competitor, and brings with her an unmatched positive energy and attitude. I have had the pleasure of watching Maggie's path unfold, both as a student-athlete and coach, and look forward to following her many successes at Goucher College."

Cedric Dawkins, Strength & Conditioning Head Coach, Rowan University
"I have had the tremendous opportunity to coach & work with Maggie in strength & conditioning over the last eight years. Maggie has the ability to teach, communicate with, and influence a variety of athletes in an impactful manner. She one of the most motivated people I have had the pleasure to be around and an immense asset to the Goucher community."