Dec. 9, 2008

Chicago, Ill.- UIC assistant volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley has been named interim head coach of the team, UIC athletic director Jim Schmidt announced on Tuesday.

Schumacher-Cawley replaces Nancy Mueller, whose contract was not renewed after five seasons with the Flames.

"Coach Schumacher-Cawley is a local icon and has a sterling reputation in the Chicagoland volleyball community that has earned her the respect of her players and peers," Schmidt said. "She has a vision for the future of UIC volleyball and the enthusiasm and knowledge of this program to make that vision a reality."

Schumacher-Cawley, who was an assistant under Mueller for the last five years and has been at UIC for the last six seasons, is a former Chicago prep standout at Mother McAuley High School and 2002 graduate of Penn State University.

She was a two-time All-American for the Nittany Lions, leading her team to three Big Ten titles and the 1999 NCAA Division I National Championship. This past October Schumacher-Cawley was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.

Schumacher-Cawley got her coaching start at the University of Illinois, serving as a volunteer coach in 2002. She joined Don August's staff at UIC in 2003 as an assistant coach.