Asst. Coach: 13 BLACK

Lauren is in her first season with ITVC and is an assistant coach with the 13 Black team for 2012. She brings with her three years of coaching experience, most recently as the varsity assistant at Eastside Catholic, helping the Crusaders to the 2011 Metro League Mountain Division championship, and runner-up finishes in the Metro League tournament, SeaKing District tournament and the 3A Washington State championships.

Lauren graduated from Bellarmine Prep where she competed for the Lions varsity volleyball squad for two seasons.  She then went on to play for the women’s club team at Gonzaga University and was named the team captain for the 2009 season.  While at Gonzaga, she earned a degree in English and a teaching certification.  Recently, Lauren graduated from the University of Portland with a Masters in Education, with a reading endorsement.  She is currently an English teacher at Eastside Catholic.

Lauren’s coaching philosophy incorporates the following: “Volleyball is an excellent avenue through which young athletes can learn valuable lessons to help them both succeed in the classroom and later in life. Striking a balance between being a strong member of a team and putting forth the highest amount of individual effort defines what it means to be a top athlete in the game of volleyball. As a coach, it is my role to facilitate the learning of necessary skills and cultivate an environment in which athletes can both learn and compete at the top of their abilities.”

As Lauren loves to be in the classroom teaching her students, she is still an avid volleyball player as she still competes in both indoor and outdoor volleyball leagues and events.  She is IMPACT certified and also holds a Level II certification as a WIAA high school volleyball official.  In 2010, Lauren was named the WIAA’s “First Year Official of the Year”.