Mario Andaya has embarked on his 27th season coaching volleyball here at CWU. 

For the last season and a half, he has been accompanied by a new CWU player, one that calls him dad. 

Tia Andaya, junior outside hitter/setter, said, “I was like okay, I’m gonna call him Mario, just to see. Everybody was like, ‘No don’t do that, that’s weird,’ so I just call him ‘Dad.’”

Prior to joining CWU’s team, Tia played two seasons with Gonzaga University (GU).

Mario said, “She’s always had Central in her heart, even though she didn’t originally come here … I know this is a place where she can still accomplish her dreams.”

Tia said, the culture at GU was not what she had anticipated and ultimately was her reason to transfer schools.

“Having grown up around Central volleyball, I knew exactly what their culture was and exactly what the experience I would be getting … and it was a great one,” Tia said. 

Mario is also a CWU alumni, graduating in 1993, and began his coaching career at CWU in 1992, according to Wildcat sports.

“I got on as a student assistant while I was going to school here,” Mario said. “Eventually it led into an assistant role with the team for a few years, and then I was offered the head coaching job after three years as the assistant.”

Since becoming head coach, Mario has been named two-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2005 and has led the team to 11 GNAC championships, according to Wildcat sports.

Mario also coached the 2004 team to an undefeated season going 26-0; one of six GNAC teams to do so.

“You have to grow with the sport and the generation of athletes your coaching, that in itself has been an awesome challenge and opportunity,” Mario said. 

With nearly three decades of volleyball memories, Mario said the most influential memory has come recently. 

“There’s so many good memories with the players that have been involved,” Mario said. “Now, experiencing this with my daughter, who grew up in Central and running around the gym ever since she was born and now seeing her with her teammates is one of the best memories that I will ever have.” 

On CWU’s courts is not the first time Mario coached his daughter. According to Tia, Mario coached her club volleyball years as well.

“He coached me all through club too, and that set the foundation. That was a huge learning era for me and him both; trying to separate coach-dad and player-daughter,” Tia said. “Even now during college, it’s a whole other level. It’s still hard but I think we do a pretty good job.”

Seeing his daughter grow up to love the sport as much as he does has led to a diverse set of emotions, according to Mario.

“There’s a lot of different feelings about it because I want to see her do well, I want to make sure she’s living her dream and not mine,” Mario said. “But trying to accomplish a goal, as something we have worked really hard to do all of our lives, is pretty special.”

The Andaya duo is expected to have one more season together at CWU, before Tia graduates. 

Mario said, “This is her second year here and she has one more year, she got a COVID year back.”