A former four-year starting third baseman for the Vulcans, Natalya Smarra enters her second year as an assistant coach at Cal U in 2018.
Smarra started at third base from 2013-16 and was a three-time All-PSAC West selection. She helped Cal U 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 last season as a part-time assistant coach at semester break. The Vulcans finished with a 22-17 overall record and appeared in the PSAC Tournament after qualifying in the last week of the regular season. Cal U featured the PSAC West Athlete of the Year in shortstop Emily Price, who was also selected a NFCA All-American and CoSIDA Academic All-American.
Smarra hit at a career-high .342 clip as a junior in 2015 and helped the Vulcans posted a 43-13 overall record. Cal U 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 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 with a minor in marketing from Cal U in 2016.
