ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Mario Andaya, the Head Coach of the Central Washington University volleyball team since 1996, will step down from his position at the helm of the program to begin a new chapter as the new Deputy Athletics Director of CWU. Lauren Herseth, the Associate Head Coach of the program, will be named the next head coach of Wildcat Volleyball, CWU Director of Athletics Dennis Francois announced on Monday.
 
"It has been amazing to work with Mario over the past 13 years and witness not only the success he has had leading our volleyball program, but also the trust and respect he has earned from our entire athletic staff," Francois said. "His passion for CWU is unmatched, and his commitment to excellence is evident in everything he does. I am confident he will approach his new role as Deputy Athletics Director with the same level of commitment and be instrumental in the future successes of all of our programs and the Department as a whole."
 
A former track and field standout at Central in the long and triple jump, Andaya first joined the CWU volleyball team in 1992 as a Student Assistant Volleyball Coach under his predecessor, the late John Pearson. He then became the Wildcats' Junior Varsity Volleyball Coach from 1993 to 1994, while also serving as Assistant Volleyball Coach until the end of the 1995 season. Andaya was then named Head Coach of the program before the school's penultimate season in the NAIA in 1996. Andaya proceeded to guide Central Washington through its final days in the NAIA into its move to NCAA Division II with a three-year stay in the Pacific West Conference (1998-2000), before its move to the GNAC in 2001.
 
Andaya and the Wildcats saw great success in 2004, when the team won all 26 of its regular-season matches, becoming just the sixth team in NCAA Division II history to complete the regular season without a loss while also capturing their first GNAC title. The Wildcats repeated as conference champions in 2005 and, after receiving an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament, Andaya guided Central to its first postseason victory since 1991 with a five-set defeat of second-seeded Cal Poly Pomona. The Wildcats also came within one game of the regional championship match, losing to Cal State San Bernardino in five sets in the regional semifinals. The Wildcats' success culminated with Andaya earning GNAC Coach of the Year honors for both 2004 and 2005.
 
Under Andaya's guidance, the Wildcats have also produced five 20-win seasons and 18 winning campaigns, including making the NCAA Tournament every year since 2012. In 2024, Central had its best season since 2005–going 18-7 overall, while going 16-2 in the conference to capture the program's third GNAC title, with Andaya earning his third GNAC Coach of the Year honors. The 'Cats followed that up this season by going 18-7 overall, with a 14-4 conference record that saw CWU claim its second consecutive title and fourth total, as the Wildcats finished the season in a four-way split for the GNAC regular season title. Central went on to defeat Simon Fraser 3-2 in the first round before narrowly falling to Fresno Pacific 2-3 in the regional semifinals.
 
"The experience leading this program was more than I could have ever imagined when I began my coaching career over thirty years ago," Andaya said. "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. I have been blessed to have had this final season with them and for the journey we experienced together. I want to thank the alumni and supporters of this program for making Wildcat Volleyball such a wonderful family to be a part of. I am so excited for Lauren to step in as the new leader of this program and for the new era of CWU Volleyball.
 
I want to thank Dr. Dennis Francois and President Wohlpart for the opportunity to move into 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."
 
Since joining the Division II ranks, the Wildcats have appeared in 15 NCAA Regionals, produced 23 AVCA All-Region selections, 16 AVCA All-Americans, seven GNAC Players of the Year (overall and defense), and 41 All-GNAC first-team selections.
 
Off the court, Andaya has coached over 100 academic all-conference players during his tenure. In 2002, the Wildcats set a then-conference record with eight selections to the GNAC Academic All-Conference team and posted the highest team grade-point average in the 10-team league. Six different times, a Wildcat has posted the highest individual GPA in the GNAC.
Andaya finishes his tenure at CWU as the winningest coach in program history with an overall record of 489-315, while going 328-186 in conference.
 
Andaya will begin his new position effectively on Dec. 16, 2025.