Montclair State University Athletics

Long before women’s sports enjoyed the popularity and acceptance of today, Cathy Vayianos was a superstar. Rose Battaglia, one of the most respected collegiate coaches in the nation, ranked her with Anne Donovan, the dominant center from Old Dominion during the 1980s. Playing for Montclair State and a number of outstanding women’s amateur teams, Vayianos demonstrated tremendous basketball talent. One of the first big wins turned in by Montclair State in women’s basketball came over East Stroudsburg State during Vayianos’ undergraduate days. In softball, as a pitcher and infielder, Vayianos developed into a top-flight player hitting well over .450. As was the practice in those days, she also played a good deal of softball with leading amateur teams in the area.