chattanooga MOCS

Catherine Neely is a legendary high school volleyball and basketball coach in the Chattanooga area, but was also one of the pioneers in the early years of women's sports at UTC. She led a group of female student-athletes who organized some of the first intercollegiate competition in volleyball and women's basketball at UTC.

Neely came to campus as a freshman in 1960 after a standout prep career at Hixson High School. She wanted to keep competing, so she and a group of girls worked with the Physical Education department to form a team and schedule games. They played in the city leagues in Chattanooga, and also competed against teams from all over the state.

Neely is a member of the National High School Hall of Fame and will coach her 50^th season of volleyball at East Ridge High School in 2013. Her career mark stands at an astonishing 1,381-648. She was also coach of the Lady Pioneers basketball team for 43 years, amassing a record of 625-364.