Cassie Vondrak is in her second season as an assistant coach with the New York University softball team. She is mainly responsible for recruiting and working with the Violets’ pitching staff.
Vondrak helped the Violets compile a 12-24 record in their first-ever varsity season. The Violets won their first game on March 22 at home against Brooklyn College. The freshman-heavy roster competed well all season long, showing signs of a bright future by finishing the season 12-10 and winning four of its final five games.
Individually, several players earned recognition for their on-field play. Junior Kahala Bonsignore led the team in the field at shortstop and hit well at the plate, earning First Team All-UAA (University Athletic Association) honors for her play. Freshman pitcher Sage Scheiwiller paced the Violets in the circle and pitched two no-hitters, earning Second Team All-UAA honors.
Vondrak came to the Violets with a wealth of experience, both as a coach and a Division I softball player. She most recently served as a Harlem RBI Real Kids summer leader with AmeriCorps. While there, she helped build lesson plans designed to help youths build teamwork, conflict resolution and self-esteem. Vondrak also organized and coached the baseball and softball teams for elementary school-aged participants.
Vondrak also spent time as a softball coach for the Greenwich Village Little League, focusing on all aspects of softball. She instructed pitching lessons, organized and ran practices, evaluated teams and opponents, and managed and motivated players during games.
Previously, Vondrak volunteered with the Special Olympics softball competition in New York. She assisted in several areas, such as scorekeeping, escorting athletes and presenting awards.
A 2013 graduate of Long Island University-Brooklyn with a Bachelor of Science degree in health science, Vondrak was a three-year member of the Blackbirds’ softball program. She spent two years as an undergraduate on the squad and one as a graduate student, earning a Master of Exercise Science in fitness for special populations from LIU-Brooklyn in 2014.
Vondrak pitched in three Northeast Conference (NEC) title games for the Blackbirds. She earned Tournament MVP honors while leading LIU-Brooklyn to the 2012 NEC Championship. Vondrak, who earned All-NEC Tournament honors all three seasons, was also a member of the Dean’s List, NEC Athletic Academic Honor Roll and the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society.
Prior to attending LIU-Brooklyn, Vondrak earned an Associate of Arts degree from Western Nevada College in 2011. While there, she was a two-year member of the Wildcats’ softball team where she redshirted as a freshman and pitched for the squad as a sophomore.
A native of Carson City, NV, Vondrak resides in Brooklyn, NY.
