Athletic diversity was a strength of Katrina Cardinal during her versatile playing days.
Whether it was as a soccer goalie, the high jump and long jump in track and field, a post player
in basketball, playing first base/left center in softball, or ultimately the sport that won her
devotion as an outside hitter/middle blocker in volleyball, Cardinal remained a quintessential
leader and teammate.

Katrina had an outstanding prep career at Peninsula High School in Gig Harbor. A four-
year varsity volleyball letter winner, she was named all-league three times (twice on first team),
a two-time All-Area selection, and an All-State selection in 1993 as she helped lead the
Seahawks to a West Central District championship and a state appearance in 1991.
Katrina’s success continued on the softball diamond where she was a four-year letter
winner, earning two Golden Glove awards and two All-League nods. She was also a three-year
letter winner in basketball and played club volleyball for Puget Sound Volleyball Club from
1991-93.

Her excellence on the court propelled her to the NWACC where she played for Green
River CC and earned an All-NWACC team nomination and a scholarship to Eastern Washington
University. Cardinal graduated with a BA in education from Eastern before earning her masters
at Walden University in Minneapolis, MN. While in Cheney, Katrina officially picked up her
whistle for the first time as a coach as coach of Cheney High School’s C-team in volleyball.
It would be on the sidelines where Katrina has shined the brightest.

As head volleyball coach at Peninsula, Cardinal has guided her alma mater to new
heights in two different stints. Her first varsity experience was from 1998-2005, where she
earned the Pierce County League Coach of the Year in 2004. After a brief hiatus she returned to
the same role in 2017 and where she remains today.

Katrina has compiled a 131-54 coaching record from 2017-2023. In 2019 the Seahawks
qualified for the 3A state tournament. They raised the notch even more in 2021 as the team went
undefeated in league, district and finished in second place at the state tournament. Katrina was
named the 2021 South Sound Conference Coach of the Year, the TNT All-Area 3A Coach of the
Year, and the 3A Washington State Coaches Association Coach of the Year. The following year,
Katrina repeated as the SSC Coach of the Year after the Seahawks finished fifth at the state
tournament and this past season the team finished among the top 12 in the state.
“I am grateful for the nomination for this award,” Cardinal said of earning the Frosty
Westering Excellence in Coaching nod. “I truly believe that fostering mutual respect among
teammates is essential for success, and I am convinced that the strength of a team lies in the
quality of relationships built between teammates.”

Cardinal said it is through the relationships formed as teammates and sacrifices made as
athletes and coaches that they learn invaluable assets when faced with bigger life challenges as
they age.

“Thank you again for recognizing me, and for honoring other coaches who believe in this
as well,” she said.