Louisiana Tech has filled its volleyball head coach position with the hiring of Heather Mazeitis, who comes to Ruston from Kansas City Kansas Community College where she built a successful junior college volleyball program over the past five years.
Mazeitis compiled a 161-110 record during her five seasons as head coach of the Lady Blue Devils and leaves the program as the winningest coach in school history. The school had posted 13-30, 12-32 and 11-32 marks the seasons prior to taking over the program in 1996.
The Leavenworth, Kansas, native replaces Lisa Huntley who resigned following the Lady Techsters departure from the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in November. Huntley had led the Tech program to a 33-67 record in three seasons.
"I am very excited about this opportunity," Mazeitis said. "(Tech already has) a great group of players to start building from."
Mazeitis earned her business administration degree in 1992 from Central Oklahoma where she played volleyball after attending Emporia State and Fort Scott Community College. She lettered in volleyball, basketball and softball at Fort Scott Community College.
Tech will enter the Western Athletic Conference in July which is one of the best volleyball conferences in the country with perennial power Hawaii. "Moving into the WAC is much more positive than negative," Mazeitis. "It is great for recruiting, and the travel is extensive. The conference is top notch and hopefully one day we can build the program where we can get an NCAA Tournament bid."
Mazeitis comes to Tech after being the first person named Jayhawk Conference Coach of the Year in two sports in 2000, earning the honors in both volleyball and softball.
"I was looking to move up, and I have a lot of good contacts in Texas where Tech gets many of its players. I also have some international contacts which Tech already has several international players on the roster," Mazeitis said.
Mazeitis also was an assistant basketball coach at KCKCC for two seasons. In those two season, KCKCC fell to Trinity Valley Community College in the national tournament. TVCC was coached by current Louisiana Tech women's basketball Associate Head Coach Kurt Budke at that time.
On the volleyball court, Mazeitis's team was ranked as high as No. 18 this past season in NJCAA Division I volleyball poll. The Lady Blue Devils fell to Barton County in the finals of the regional tournament after. the squad went through the Jayhawk Conference with an unbeaten record for the first time in school history.
The Lady Blue Devils have been to the postseason every year under the direction of Mazeitis after going through a 15-year drought prior to Mazeitis's tenure at KCKCC. In 1999, the KCKCC was Jayhawk East Co-Champion for the first time ever and Mazeitis was named Jayhawk East Coach of the Year as the team earned a national ranking for the first time.
In her playing days, Mazeitis was named all-state in volleyball and basketball at Immaculata Catholic High School in Leavenworth, Kansas. Mazeitis' hiring is pending approval of the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System.
