BERKELEY – Former Cal volleyball player Shaney Fink is wearing a lot of red these days, but she has a pretty good excuse.

Fink, who played for the Golden Bears from 1990-93, is now the athletic director at Seattle University. And yes, Seattle's nickname is the Redhawks.

"It's been a big shift for all of us," said Fink, who is married to former Cal gymnast Tom Vorkoper. "If you only knew the consideration we put into that. That was when I wore red for the first time (when she became Seattle's AD). It turns out that we can love more than one institution."

Fink said she will be following Cal's volleyball match against Seattle on Saturday night at Haas Pavilion (and wearing red while doing so). But it was when she was wearing the blue and gold that she already started showing signs of leadership.

Fink was a team captain for the Bears and coached at nearby Golden Bear Volleyball club. Upon her graduation from Cal, she immediately got an assistant coaching job at Colgate University.

A Southern California native, Fink returned home and became the head coach at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks while also trying her luck playing professionally on the beach and indoors. She continued her coaching career as a part-time assistant at the University of San Diego.

After getting the job at San Diego, Fink walked into USD's Academic Support office to see if they needed any extra help. That marked the beginning of her career as a college administrator. She went on to work in the areas of compliance, student services and operations, moving up the ranks at USD as an assistant athletic director and senior woman administrator.

"I found out I had a real passion for that as well," Fink said. "I had always been drawn to leadership. I decided early that I would prepare myself so if a position ever popped up, I'd be ready for it. I didn't necessarily absolutely have to be an athletic director, but I knew it was something I should be working toward."

After more than 17 years at San Diego, Fink was named Seattle's athletic director last September, making her one of 35 female athletic directors in Division I.

"Certainly we want to be in a place where it's not a discussion anymore, but it's been really fun and amazing the progress that has been made," Fink said. "There is certainly more work to do, but I'm excited where we are headed."

Fink led the Bears in kills per set as a junior and became involved in Cal's athletic department, working for its event management staff to help run gymnastics and basketball events.

But don't expect her to be rooting for her alma mater when they face off against her employer on Saturday.

"Seattle is an amazing city and it's a lot like Berkeley in that it's very progressive and the students are very active," Fink said. "I love that our teams are playing Cal. It's fun for our student-athletes to be down there and see a different type of campus. But I'll definitely be rooting for Seattle."