Kelli Backer began coaching as an assistant coach at Western Oregon State College in 1993. She became the head coach at West Albany High in 1996 and coached until 1999. She returned to head coaching at West Albany in 2006 and is their coach currently. Her teams have had two league titles, 4 top five finishes at state in the last 4 years, most recently finishing 3rd in state.

She played volleyball in high school at South Albany High where she was an all-league selection and all-state selection as a setter both her junior and senior year. She continued playing in 1989 at LBCC, then transferred to Western Oregon State where she played for the 1990-92 seasons. She was an all-conference selection her senior year and helped guide her team to an NAIA 3rd place finish in Nationals.

Kelli is married to Kelly Backer, and they have 2 daughters, Bailey is 11 and Sydney is 9. She is a science teacher at West Albany, currently in her 17th year of teaching.

Jerry Barawis has been involved with volleyball most of his life. For him, volleyball is a family pastime, and he learned the game from his dad and uncle who were both coaches. He did not play high school volleyball because of football, but played in church leagues, city leagues, and on an all-Army League team for 5 years while in Europe. He has been coaching volleyball for about 10 years, mostly through the Albany Boys and Girls in the fall and spring season. He's also helped with high school programs, ran volleyball academies, team camps, and coaching clinics. This will be his 3nd year coaching for Mid Valley Volleyball Club and he is looking forward to the opportunity to coach your daughter. His greatest asset to the game of volleyball is that he's been fortunate enough to have great mentors in his life who have tought him the game of volleyball.

Corey Barton has been coaching since 1992. He has been at Crescent Valley HS since 1999. He coached the Raiders to their first post-season appearance in two decades in 2004 and has been in the post-season every year since then. Crescent Valley has the best win loss record of any school in the Mid-Willamette Conference since its inception three years ago. In the last eight years, Corey has receieved the Valley League Coach of the Year award twice, and MWC Coach of the Year once. He established MId Valley Volleyball Club in 1999, and has seen the club grow from 2 teams to a 10 team, very established and successful club over the last 10 years. Along with coaching, Corey also ownes No Dinx Inc., located in downtown Albany. A local company that just celebrated it’s 21st year in business.

Outside of volleyball, running a 10 team club, and managing a small business, Corey enjoys spending summer days at the lake with his family, and downhill mountain biking.

Brittney played her first three years of high school volleyball at South Lake Tahoe High School. She played club for Sierra Nevada Volleyball Club for those three years as well. She moved to Oregon my senior year and played varsity ball at Roseburg High School. During that time, she was first team all southern Oregon conference. She went to Mt. Hood Community College for her first two years of college. Her freshman year, her team finished first in the southern region, when she was selected first team all southern region, and second in the NWAACC, where she was selected second team all NWAACC. Her Sophmore year, her team finished first in the southern region, when she was selected first team all southern region, and first in the NWAACC. She transfered to Oregon State University where she walked on to the volleyball team as a d.s., libero. She took a redshirt her first year and am currently finishing up my last season with the Beavers. She adds, "It has been an amaizing experience, and I have learned more than I could have ever imagined about volleyball. I am extremely excited to use my knowledge to help guide young girls into their volleyball careers."

Ryan has been coaching in this area since 1989. He has been a head high school coach at South Albany for 4 years and at Stayton High Schoolfor 4 years. During his four years at Stayton, they made it to the post season each year and Ryan was the Capitol Conference coach of the year in 2005. He has coached club volleyball since 1992. Ryan has coached 15u, 16u, 17u, and 18u teams. Ryan has had several teams finish in the top 5 at several multi-day tournaments in Northern California and won the President's Day tournament in San Jose in 2008.

Ryan has owned his own floor covering business in Albany for 21 years. He currently installs floors through AK Carpet on 1st Street in Albany. Heenjoys fishing, hunting, and crabbing. If there is any time left in his schedule he also enjoys golfing, playing softball, and, of course, volleyball. “I enjoy coaching young athletes because of the life lessons it can teach. The dedication, work ethic, cooreration, leadership, and being held accountable for your actions are all lessons that can be learned in this sport and taken on into life. Being loyal, honest, and disciplined arecharacter traits that prepare young women for the trials and tribulations in life. I am a very competitive person who is passionate about the sport of volleyball. Helping athletes to be their very best and trying to instill quality character traits are why I coach."

Rachael Cox played for the Mid Valley Volleyball Club all of her high school career. She played volleyball for West Albany High School, fulfilling roles as a captain and being the recipient of awards such as First Team All League. She was lucky enough to go to state three years in a row with her high school team. She began coaching her senior year. She has coached and assisted high school and club teams for the past few years and just recently finished her first year as the JV coach at Corvallis High School.

Rachael is a second year student at Linn Benton Community College with aspirations of working in the medical field. When she’s not going to school or coaching she is doing anything outdoors! She loves camping, rock climbing, mountain biking, fishing, and spending time with her dad, mom, and 16 year old brother.

Coach Hise started his volleyball career at South Salem High School in a PE class. The volleyball coach at south at the time – Terry McLaughlin, retired head coach at Chemeketa CC – formed a boy’s team that played in a state wide tournament in the spring of 1981 and 1982. In 1982 Coach Hise and the Saxon Boy’s Team finished 2nd at the State Tournament and Coach Hise and two of his teammates were named All-State that year.

After high school Coach Hise attended Oregon State University – GO BEAVS!! – and played for their men’s volleyball club and for “CFP” the men’s volleyball club in Salem at the time.

In 1989 Coach Hise started playing in the USAV Men’s Open Division for the NO DINX Men’s National Team. While playing for NO DINX Coach Hise traveled throughout the U.S. and Canada playing in tournaments. The NO DINX team won the Columbia Empire Regional Championship a total of seven times and placed 10th at the Kansas City Nationals.

Coach Hise started his coaching career in 1985 as the JV coach at South Salem. He was the JV coach for two years.

In 1987 Coach Hise was hired as the Head Volleyball Coach at Willamette University in Salem. He was the head coach at Willamette from 1987 until 1990.

After a few years away from coaching volleyball Coach Hise was hired to return to his alma mater – South Salem -to be the head coach. Coach Hise was the head coach for twelve years. In those 12 years the Saxons made seven state play-off appearances, won three Valley League Championships – The 2003 team was the undefeated Valley League Champion. The Saxon Volleyball players also earned numerous all-league awards and South had three Valley League Player-of-the-Year winners in that twelve year period. Coach Hise was also lucky enough to be voted Valley League Coach-of-the-Year twice.

Coach Hise holds a degree from OSU in Education and currently owns his own construction business in Salem. His Family includes his wife Marcie, daughter Marysia, son Galen, and Granddaughter Mia.

Lexie Rathgeber began playing volleyball in Canada at the age of 12. She played for Fraser Valley Volleyball Club her whole high school career, winning Nationals in 2004, coming in third 2005 & 2006, and winning Provincials 2003-2006. She also played on the Youth and Junior Canadian National teams from 2003 to 2006, competing all over North America.

Lexie attended Oregon State University and was the starting middle blocker from 2006-2009. She was a force at the net, and is now in the top-10 all time at OSU for career block assists, total blocks, and blocks per set. As a freshman she was named to the Pac-10 Freshman Team, and every year was Academic All-Conference. As a senior, Lexie was team captain and helped her team upset numerous Top 10 teams including the University of Michigan Wolverines and University of Oregon Ducks.

For the past 4 years Lexie has worked at the Oregon State volleyball camps as both an assistant and head coach. This past summer she worked for All American Volleyball and conducted three day long camps for high school teams in the Northwest. Lexie is currently in her first year as the assistant junior varsity coach at Crescent Valley High School. Lexie graduated in the spring of 2010 with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, and now works for Corey at No Dinx, Inc in Albany. She is excited to begin coaching club so that she can instill her love and knowledge of the game in the next generation of Beavers!

Amy Sanders grew up in Ojai, California, where she started playing volleyball while in the 7th grade. She started her own volleyball club, and the team traveled all over Southern California. The club team was coached by Jack Henn, who played for the 1968 Men’s Olympic Volleyball Team. Under his leadership, the team won the USVBA Junior Olympic Festival. In her senior year of high school, Amy was the recipient of the prestigious Rudy Drewes award for Athlete of the Year, and her high school team also won the California State Volleyball Championship.

After graduating from high school in 1987, Amy received a full ride volleyball scholarship to go to Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo. She later transferred to Oregon State, where she played volleyball for the Beavers until she tore her ACL and had to undergo major reconstructive surgery. She graduated from OSU with a BAS in Health Promotion and Education. Amy took the job of varsity coach for Corvallis High School Volleyball and held that position for three years before becoming the assistant varsity volleyball coach for Crescent Valley High School in 2008.

Amy’s goal is to share her volleyball and life skills with young girls who are eager to master this exciting sport.