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Head coach Matt Donohue enters his second season at the helm of the Catholic University women's basketball team. Last season, Donohue led the Cardinals to a 12-13 record, a two game improvement from the previous season. Under his guidance the Lady Cards ranked second in the Landmark Conference in scoring with 66.8 points per game, first in steals with 12.32 per game, first in turnover margin at +4.32 per game, and third in offensive rebounding with 15.03 per game Additional highlights included a 66-61 victory over nationally ranked Moravian College on January 16,2009, a dominating 91-39 victory over Div II University of Maine at Machias on December 31, 2008, and the stellar performace of second year player Brianna Peterson who earned First Team All-Landmark Conference and First Team All-Atlantic Region honors.
The Philadelphia area native came to CUA after a five-year stint at Elmira College in upstate New York. During his tenure at EC, Donohue lead the Soaring Eagles to four top four finishes and three post-season berths in five yeras. In 2006-07, Donohue lead the Purple and Gold to 21 victories, while setting a new school record for most consecutive wins with 13. That year, the squad also earned their way to the Empire 8 Championship game, and went into the ECAC Tournament as the No. 1 Seed. In 2005-06 Donohue lead the Soaring Eagles to 19 victories, a birth in the Empire 8 Championship game, and a birth in the ECAC Championship game en route to being named Empire 8 Coach of the Year, as well as, NYSWCAA, (New York State Women's Coaches Association), Coach of the Year
Prior to his arrival at Elmira, Donohue served as the Head Women's Basketball Coach at regionally and nationally ranked, Bloomfield College (Division II). In 2000, Donohue took over a Bloomfield College program that had suffered through four straight losing seasons and failed to make the post-season conference tournament in each of those seasons. During his tenure at Bloomfield, Donohue returned the Lady Deacons to the national spotlight. From 2001 - 2003, his Bloomfield teams compiled a record of 43 - 14, and earned two Central Athletic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Post- Season Tournament appearances, including an appearance in the 2003 CACC Tournament Championship. In addition to his basketball duties at Bloomfield, Donohue also served as the Head Men's Cross-Country Coach. During his run as the head coach, his teams garnered several honors including the 2002 Baruch Invitational Team Championship, 2002 New Jersey Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NJAIAW) Montclair Team Championship, 2002 Wagner Invitational Runner-Up, and the programs first ever trip to the NCAA East Regional Championships.
Donohue graduated from Centenary College in Hackettstown, New Jersey in 1994, and began his coaching career at North Arlington High School in North Arlington, New Jersey. He guided North Arlington to two conference championships, and earned two Coach of the Year honors in four seasons. In 1997, he began a three-year stint as the Head Girl's Coach at Mt. Olive High School in Mt. Olive, New Jersey, where he helped revive the Mt. Olive program.
Donohue resides in Odenton, Md with his wife
Laurie and son Ryan. Additionally, Coach Donohue and family will
welcome their newest addition to the family this December when
daughter Emma arrives.
Haley Jones, a Washington, D.C. native, enters her third season as an assistant coach for the Cardinals. Prior to coaching at Catholic, Jones coached in the Archdiocese of Washington's CYO Basketball league, where she and her sister, Allison, led their 8th Grade girls' basketball team to the division title game and an appearance in the City Playoffs.
Jones, a 2005 graduate and two-year captain, played four seasons for the Cards. During her junior year, the team had its finest season ever - entering post-season play for the first time in school history and earning the program's first CAC Regular Season Championship. Her senior season proved just as successful, shattering the win streak with a record-breaking 14 straight wins. Jones had a breakout year as well, ending her final season as the third highest in scoring and leader in rebounds and shot blocking. At the time of her graduation, she was the winningest women's basketball player in school history.
A graduate of Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, Jones had the opportunity to play basketball for the Woodrow Wilson High School Tigers, and finished her high school career with the Dunbar Lady Tiders, averaging ten points and eight rebounds per game, and earning appearances in both the DCIAA and DC/Baltimore All Star Games.
Jones comes from a basketball family. Her father, Collis, was an All-American at Notre Dame and played five years in the ABA. Her brother, Ryan, played at Shepherd University in West Virginia. Her twin sister, Allison, was a practice player and manager for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and her brother Nick was a player at Hamilton College in upstate New York.
Jones earned her bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in
philosophy from Catholic University in 2005. She currently
works in Rosslyn, Va. as the Membership Recruitment Manager at
the American Chiropractic Association and resides in Washington,
D.C.
Katrina Jax, a native of Chandler, AZ, enters her second season as an assistant coach for the Cardinals. Jax comes to CUA from Elmira College where she played for current Cardinal Head Coach Matt Donohue. During her career at Elmira, Jax was a vital member of the Soaring Eagles Women's Basketball Program where she filled multiple leadership roles. In addition to her playing career, Jax also served as an assistant coach in the Elmira College Junior Varsity Program for two years.
During her junior year at Elmira College, the Soaring Eagles experienced one of the finest seasons in the history of the program, earning the program's first ever Empire 8 Regular Season Championship, shattering the college's win streak with a record-breaking 13 consecutive wins, and tallying the second most wins in the history of the program with 21 victories. Jax was also named the Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year in her senior season.
A graduate of Seton Catholic High School in Chandler, AZ, Jax was a key member of a Sentinel team that won four consecutive Arizona State 3A South Regional Championships. In her four years as a member of the Seton Catholic Varsity Squad, Jax's teams compiled a record of 84 - 20. In her senior and junior season's, Jax received Arizona State All South-Region First and Second Team accolades. Additionally, Jax was a four-time Arizona State South Region Scholar Athlete Award recipient.
Jax earned her bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in Journalism from Elmira College in 2008. In addition to her duties as an assistant coach, Jax also serves as the Assistant Sports Information Director at CUA. She resides in Arlington, Va.
Amanda Hill joins Matt Donohue's staff after serving as an assistant coach for the past two seasons at Elmira College in Elmira, NY. In addition to her varsity coaching duties at Elmira, Hill was the head coach for the women's junior varsity program where she graduated in 2009 with a master's degree in Education.
Hill, a 2007 graduate of Springfield (Mass.) College, was a member of the Varsity Women's Basketball team coached by Naomi Graves for all three years. During that time, the Pride won two regular season NEWMAC conference titles, two NEWMAC conference tournament championships and participated in two NCAA Division III tournaments, including a memorable run to the Elite 8 in the 2004-2005 season. Named a captain in her senior year, Hill was also actively involved in the NCAA SAAC committee and selected all three years to the NEWMAC All-Academic team. Prior to Springfield, Hill played one year at Division II Southern Connecticut State University, making appearances in 16 games in her freshman season.
Hill graduated from Springfield in 2003 with a bachelor of science in physical education and is certified to teach physical education PreK-12 in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Virginia.
A native of Cheshire, CT, Hill was a three-year starter
(2000-2003) for the Cheshire High School Rams. Hill currently
resides in Laurel, MD and teaches physical education at both Sacred
Heart School and St. Anthony Catholic School located in Washington,
D.C.
