Gonzaga University Athletics

Caitlyn Williams is entering her second season as the assistant for the Gonzaga women's tennis team. Williams arrives at Gonzaga following two years as the head coach at University of Tennessee Martin. 

"Caitlyn will be a great addition to our program and the culture we have established here at Gonzaga," Pluskota-Hamberg said. "She is passionate about developing student-athletes, both on and off the court, which aligns with our overall mission. I am excited that she is joining our Zag Family and eager for her to get started." 

Last season, Williams led the Skyhawks to their best single-season Ohio Valley Conference winning percentage since 2017-18 as UT Martin dispatching league foes Eastern Illinois, Murray State and Tennessee State. The Skyhawks produced three OVC weekly award winners (two-time Player of the Week Aziza Aubin, one Doubles Team of the Week honor with Aubin/Amelia Campbell) and made the program's first OVC Championship tournament appearance since 2019. 

"I'd like to thank Coach Pluskota-Hamberg for the opportunity to coach alongside her at Gonzaga," Williams said. "She has been at GU for several years now and has a wealth of coaching knowledge that I can't wait to absorb. I am super excited to team up with a fellow Lady Vol yet again and get to work out in Spokane. Go Zags!" 

During her first full season (2020-21) in charge of the Skyhawks, Williams oversaw a UT Martin squad that progressively improved as the season went along. The Skyhawks pushed eventual Ohio Valley Conference champion Austin Peay to the limit (falling 4-3 on April 3) before accumulating back-to-back league victories against Jacksonville State (April 9) and at Eastern Illinois (April 16). The win over Eastern Illinois was the program's first win in Charleston since April 5, 2014. 

A Knoxville, Tenn. native, Williams played for the Lady Vols from 2011-15 under co-head coaches Mike Patrick and Sonia Hahn-Patrick. She compiled a 57-35 career record in doubles (.620 winning percentage) while also contributing a 29-25 singles mark (.537). She was responsible for three doubles titles and one singles championship during her time at Tennessee.

Williams rose as high as No. 9 in the national doubles rankings on Feb. 28, 2012 alongside her playing partner Natalie Pluskota-Hamberg. She concluded her illustrious collegiate career by taking part in the 2015 NCAA National Championships alongside Joanna Henderson in doubles, capping off a season where she went 17-5 in doubles.