California University of Pennsylvania

A former four-year starting third baseman for the Vulcans, Natalya Smarra enters her seventh season as an assistant coach at California (PA) in 2023.

Smarra started at third base from 2013-16 and was a three-time All-PSAC West selection. She helped Cal win back-to-back PSAC Tournament Championships in 2014 and 2015. Smarra finished her career tied for seventh in school history with 24 homers and ranked eighth with 281 total bases. She posted a .331 average (176-for-531) over her career while starting over 180 games.

A Sto-Rox product, Smarra rejoined the program in 2017 as a part-time assistant coach at semester break before being hired as a full-time assistant coach following the season. The Vulcans have qualified for the PSAC Tournament four times while Smarra has been on the coaching staff and earned the top seed in the PSAC West in 2022. Additionally, Cal has featured a NFCA All-American three times during her coaching career: shortstop Emily Price (2017), utility/pitcher Taylor Robblee (2019) and utility/pitcher Caleigh Rister (2022) – the 2022 NFCA National Freshman of the Year.
 
The Vulcans were the 2018 recipients of the PSAC Team GPA Award for the first time since the inception of the award. Additionally, Cal has been among the NFCA All-Academic Teams in each of the past six years. Price was also chosen a CoSIDA Academic All-American and a PSAC Spring Top 10 selection as a junior in 2017.

Smarra hit at a career-high .342 clip as a junior in 2015 and helped the Vulcans post a 43-13 overall record. Cal claimed the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship that season and advanced to the NCAA National Championships for the first time since 1999. The Vulcans earned a pair of victories at the national site of Oklahoma City to cap the program's winningest season in 15 years.

As a senior, Smarra ranked among the league leaders in multiple offensive categories. She led the team and tied for fifth in the PSAC with a career-high 44 RBI, while also registering a .580 slugging percentage behind eight homers. The Vulcans advanced to the PSAC Championship for the fourth-straight year with Smarra hitting over a .350 clip in the tournament.

Smarra earned a bachelor's degree in sport management from Cal in 2016. She currently is finalizing a master’s degree in exercise science and health promotion with a concentration in performance enhancement and injury prevention with completion set for June 2023.