VIDEO: Cat Collins Press Conference
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman Vice President for Athletics Matt Pope named Cat Collins (ne' Lind) the ninth coach in the history of the volleyball program removing the Interim Director of Volleyball tag Thursday and giving her the head coaching role moving forward.
Lind has been an assistant with the indoor program since 2020. She led the beach program as its head coach starting during the 2021 season.
"When we hire coaches, we are looking for someone with Christian character, integrity, and someone who is a high achiever and knows how to win," Pope said. "Most important is a great fit and can express our Christian mission here at Carson-Newman. Cat has been working with both volleyball programs as an interim and has proven over the last few months she has proven to be the leader that we need in our volleyball program."
As an assistant with the indoor program, Carson-Newman has a 66-41 record and an appearance in the 2022 NCAA Southeast Regionals under its belt with Collins on staff. As C-N's head beach coach, Collins has guided the Eagles to a 67-49 record over the last four seasons. Her beach teams have tallied three consecutive winning seasons for the first time in the program's nine-year history.
Collins will be the head coach for both indoor and beach programs, with Shelby Cooper as her top assistant. A search for a new graduate assistant coach for the programs is underway.
"I'm so excited to be here," Collins said. "I'm grateful to be entrusted with this position. I am thrilled for this season to get here and I am honored to be here. I'm humbled for this opportunity, and I recognize that there are a lot of people out there who have helped get me to this point. This is truly a blessing and a gift from God. It's my prayer each day that I am a great steward of that gift."
Carson-Newman's beach volleyball program has its three highest win totals for a season under Collins' leadership. The 2023 team holds the record with 25 wins against eight losses.
As an indoor assistant, she helped the development of Julia Wheeler into a multi-year all-region and all-SAC selection and All-America honors in 2022. With her assistance, Wheeler, Abbey Hildenbrand, EmmaGrace Cobb, Blake Cherry, Megan Oldenburger, Erin Edwards and Hayden Barton all earned all-conference honors.
The Colorado Springs, Colo. native spent the 2019 season as an assistant coach for Sioux Falls helping guide the club to a 17-11 overall record in one of the most difficult conferences in the country, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. She provided guidance to a pair of second-team all-conference selections in Abby Feyereisen and KaSandra Springer for the Cougars.
On top of recruiting, training, organizing travel and team equipment, Collins has experience in club and beach volleyball. In 2019, she was the head coach for the Sanford Pentagon 15 Regional Team and coached the 17 National Team for the organization.
After playing both indoors and on the sand, the former libero spent the spring of 2018 as an intern for the Warner Beach Program.
As an athlete, Collins was a co-captain for Warner's (Fla.) Volleyball Team in 2016 as a defensive specialist for the team. After arriving at Warner, she accumulated 352 digs, 39 assists, 34 service aces in 174 games played during two seasons. Collins was named to the Sun Conference's All-Academic Team in 2016 and 2017.
She graduated Magna Cum Laude in sports management in 2018 from Warner, was a player on Warner's Small College Sand Volleyball Dual National Championship team. Also in 2017-18, she was an intern coordinator for the B.A.L.L. Sport Ministry. She also served as a FCA Organizational Ministry Leader at Warner from 2015-18.
Collins (ne' Lind) is married to former Carson-Newman track and field discus athlete Ro Collins. The couple resides in Talbott, Tenn. with their dogs Dakota and Harley.
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