Tonya is from the Lakewood area St. Joseph’s High School where she won the CIF 
title and was Player of the Year. She then went to Hawaii and was a three-time All-American leading Hawaii to the 1987 NCAA title and 1988 NCAA runner-up spot and had a 99-8 three-year record. She was the 1987 NCAA Player of the Year and the Co-Player of the Year in 1989 with SCIVBHOF member Tara Cross-Battle.

She started with the USA National Team in 1990 and won a bronze medal with the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Team and competed with the USA in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. During her six years with the USA team she won medals at the World and FIVB Championships. She played overseas for another eight years before retiring. She made the NCAA first All-Decade Team with her dominating hitting. She was inducted into the Hawaii Athletics HOF in 1998. She is the mother to three children and lives in Germany.