WASHINGTON, D.C. - After completing her fourth year at the helm of the women's volleyball program, Heather Stout will depart Catholic University to take a Division I Assistant Coaching position. Stout came on board at Catholic in 2020 and coached three full seasons with the 2020 campaign cancelled due to the pandemic. 

"We would like to thank Coach Stout for the incredible effort she put into building a competitive volleyball program at Catholic, as well as focusing on the holistic development of the women in her program," said Director of Athletics Kevin Robinson. "We wish her nothing but the best success in the next step of her professional journey."

During Stout's time, the Cardinals saw vast improvement each year. She will depart with a career record of 43-51 after posting a 20-12 record in 2023, the first 20-plus-win season for Catholic since 2016. Stout saw her team's win total increase from eight to 15 to 20 during her three seasons in charge. 

"Thank you to Catholic for the opportunity to lead this program for the last four years," said Stout. "I am truly grateful for the support and relationships created during my time at CUA. I will miss the amazing student-athletes, colleagues, alumni and the whole Brookland community. I am extremely thankful for my team, as I am a better coach because of these women and this new chapter would not be possible without all their hard work and support. Catholic will always hold a special place in my heart and I will always be rooting for Cardinal athletics! 

In 2023, Catholic reached the Landmark Conference Tournament for the first time since 2018 as they earned the number four seed thanks to a 6-3 conference record. 

Catholic placed four student-athletes on the All-Landmark teams for the first time in over a decade as Olivia Blondin and Sydney Sheppard grabbed spots on the first team. Erin Faughnan and Grace Guerin were also honored by the conference.