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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia volleyball coach Lee Maes announced today the hiring of Marritt Cafarchia as an assistant coach. Cafarchia, formerly the head coach at the College of the Holy Cross, will serve as the recruiting coordinator for the program, while also assisting in the daily management and care of the student-athletes.

“We are excited to welcome Marritt as our new assistant coach,” Maes said. “Her experience as a Division I head coach and student-athlete will serve our program well as a recruiter, role model and trainer in the gym. Our players will embrace her infectious and positive personality. She is energetic, intelligent, articulate and hard working. Marritt is passionate about her work and the role she will have here at Virginia. She compliments our staff well and will be a wonderful advocate and ambassador of our program’s mission and goals.”

“I am so excited to join the Virginia volleyball family,” Cafarchia said. “Lee is a fantastic coach, whom I have the utmost respect for. I am looking forward to learning from him and bringing my own energy and style to the program in order to help us win an ACC Championship.”

Cafarchia comes to Virginia after serving as the head coach at Holy Cross for three years, where she was instrumental in the beginning stages of turning the program around. Inheriting a squad that went 4-24 in 2007, Cafarchia guided the team to a 12-21 overall record in just her third season. The 12 victories ties the Crusaders’ win total from 2000 and equals the most overall wins for the program since 1989.

Cafarchia also worked tirelessly off the court to improve the quality of the program. By organizing a donation to the program, Cafarchia saw the Crusaders’ home venue undergo a facelift with the addition of a new Response Sport Court – the same court that is used by USA Volleyball and at the NCAA Division I Championships. She also increased fan attendance by 150 percent and put together an incoming recruiting class of eight student-athletes from eight different states for 2011.

As a team, Cafarchia’s 2010 squad set the school record for kills (1,368), assists (1,239) and digs (1,868) in a season, while the 2010 Crusaders led the Patriot League in digs and were second in kills and assists.

She also guided Megan Lynch to a school record 442 kills during her sophomore season. Lynch, the first Crusader in program history to reach the 400-kill plateau, led the Patriot League in kills in 2010 and was named to the All-Patriot League and All-Patriot League Academic teams. She was also selected to the all-conference team in 2009, becoming the first freshman in program history to earn All-Patriot League accolades. Lynch’s two-year total of 813 career kills ranks fifth all-time at Holy Cross.

Cafarchia’s student-athletes were also successful in the classroom, as she had 16 honorees included on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll in three years.

Prior to Holy Cross, Cafarchia was the acting head coach at Tufts for the 2007 season, while also earning a master’s degree in education. The team recorded a 19-3 record and won 12 of its final 14 games, en route to the second round of the NESCAC Tournament.

In 2006, as an assistant coach at Tufts, Cafarchia helped the Jumbos post a 23-8 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the NESCAC. She also served as the co-head coach of the Tuft’s men’s volleyball team from 2007-08.

A native of Arroyo Grande, Calif., Cafarchia earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from UC Davis in 2005. A four-year member of the volleyball team, Cafarchia was a three-time team captain and holds the school record for aces per game.

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