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By Cassie Logan | @C4ssieLogan

ARLINGTON, Texas - Volleyball coach Diane Seymour joked about living and working in Arlington her entire life, but her passion and loyalty for UT Arlington can only be described as admirable.

Seymour has headed UTA's program since 2004 and spent the eight preceding years as an assistant coach under Janine Smith. As an alumna of Arlington and Arlington Bowie high schools, Seymour packed up and moved down the road in 1984 because of a glimpse of promise and opportunity the Mavericks had in store for future seasons.

"I chose UTA over a lot of other programs and I think that's a unique thing to have in common with the kids that you coach," Seymour said. "I had opportunities to go to a lot of great schools, but I chose this university and this program for a reason. I knew it was a program on the rise, and one that the administration and the community would be a big part of in supporting us. It's been a great experience for me."

Seymour underwent knee surgery and missed her entire first season at Texas Hall, the former home of the Mavericks, but she battled back to play 24 matches on an unforgettable squad that went 28-4 to make the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance.

Winning that first conference championship on her home court in 1985 is an accomplishment Seymour would always have in the back of her mind because it propelled that group of Mavericks to greater feats.

"The experiences I had as a player and as an assistant when we've won and gone to the NCAA Tournament, I can talk to these kids about it and really get them to push themselves to have that experience," Seymour said. "It benefits me as a coach greatly."

The confidence and persistence gained during that season led the Mavs to a 30-4 record and a No. 7 ranking in the final 1988 AVCA poll. Seymour captained the team that stole wins over Pepperdine and Kentucky, and lifted UTA to a 140-41 mark during her playing tenure.

Seymour's life revolves around volleyball, though she never thought the sport would have allowed her to coach players wearing same uniform she donned for five years.

She returned to UTA in 1996 to coach under Smith and, in that time, the Mavericks captured two regular season championships, two Southland Conference Tournament titles and earned two trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Seymour enjoyed working side by side with Smith immensely and would have been just as content if those roles never changed.

But as UT Arlington and its volleyball program have evolved, its winning tradition has remained intact as coaches, rosters and home court changed. The Mavericks moved into College Park Center in 2012.

In the past two seasons, the program has recorded its largest and second-largest CPC volleyball crowds. As the number of fans per match continues to grow, Seymour is reminded of the support she was surrounded by as a player.

"The growth is amazing and just the growth of Arlington in general," Seymour said. "What we're seeing now is a lot more student involvement coming to matches and when I played, we had a really great group of student supporters.

"I met some lifelong friends that had nothing to do with the volleyball program other than they were a fan at the time. I'm beginning to see that now, and that's a huge benefactor for us and something I appreciated as a player."

Seymour also gave recognition to the Maverick Club and its unremitting love and encouragement for her program and all UTA sports teams. She acknowledged how the organization opens doors for athletes driven to be a Maverick, and hopes that members, current or future, understand the impact of their support.

"They're a big reason we have scholarship athletes," Seymour said. "I've always known a lot of the Maverick Club members and they've always been huge volleyball fans. You see the same 15 or 20 Maverick Club faces all the time, and hopefully that continues to grow because they're an important part of all our athletes getting to have the things that they have via the scholarships, clothing and travel."

Seymour is nearly halfway through her 14th season as UT Arlington's head coach. So far, the Mavs have notched an 11-5 record with a 2-2 mark in the Sun Belt.

Looking back at her time on the court, Seymour expressed to her players and fellow Mavericks to take advantage of UTA's academic opportunities, have fun and cherish every match like it's their last.