Jan. 27, 2010
CHICAGO- UIC Director of Athletics Jim Schmidt announced on Wednesday, Jan. 27 that head volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley has signed a four-year contract extension that runs through the 2013 season.
In her first season as a head coach this past fall, Schumacher-Cawley led the Flames to their best Horizon League finish since 2006. UIC finished 8-8 in conference play to earn fifth place, improving from an eighth-place finish of 5-11 in 2008, before making a run to the Horizon League tournament semifinals for the first time in three years.
Under Schumacher-Cawley's watch, UIC chalked up marquee wins over league regular-season champion Cleveland State and league tournament champion Milwaukee during the regular season.
"Our volleyball program made tremendous strides during Katie's first season, and we are committed to Katie and her vision for the program's future success," said Schmidt. "Her energy, enthusiasm and approach throughout this past year have set a tone for great expectations for UIC volleyball in 2010 and beyond."
"I would like to thank Jim Schmidt, [associate athletic director] Tonya McGowan, [special assistant to athletics] Denny Wills and the rest of the administration for their support and dedication to the UIC volleyball program," said Schumacher-Cawley. "I am very excited and grateful for this opportunity to lead this program and to continue to build off of last season.
"I am excited to work and represent the University of Illinois at Chicago," Schumacher-Cawley continued. "This is a great place to build a volleyball program because of the great traditions of academic and athletic excellence.
"We have a great group of young women here who have taken ownership in moving this program forward," Schumacher-Cawley said. "Through recruiting great student-athletes, and good people, the sky is the limit for UIC volleyball now and in the future. I am truly looking forward to next season as well as many more to come."
Schumacher-Cawley took over the program in December of 2008 after spending the previous six seasons as an assistant coach at UIC.
Her volleyball pedigree includes All-America accolades and the 1999 NCAA Division I National Championship during a decorated four-year career at Penn State from 1998-2001. Schumacher-Cawley was a state and national volleyball champion for local prep powerhouse Mother McAuley from 1993-1997, garnering Player of the Year honors from The Star newspaper and earning the prestigious title of Chicago Sun-Times Female Athlete of the Year in 1997.
"I'm thrilled to hear that the administration at UIC knows what Penn State University and the entire South Side of Chicago have known about Katie Schumacher-Cawley," said legendary Penn State head coach Russ Rose. "Katie is a great representative of her family, her neighborhood and the city of Chicago."
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