KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Oregon Tech athletic director John Van Dyke has announced the hiring of Alexis Garrison as the 12th volleyball head coach in program history.
Garrison heads to the Basin after six years at Cascade Conference rival Evergreen State – two seasons as a player, one season as an assistant coach and three seasons as the Geoducks head coach.
"We are excited to welcome Alexis to the Oregon Tech family," said Van Dyke. "She did an outstanding job at Evergreen and is familiar with the Cascade Conference and the Northwest volleyball landscape. I know that our program is poised for big things in the near future."
The Wenatchee, Wash., native was a 2-year starter at TESC as a defensive specialist, before joining the coaching staff for the 2019 season – helping the team to a 10-10 mark in CCC play. Garrison took over the program during a 2020 season that Evergreen opted-out of competition due to COVID issues and over the past two years.
After narrowly missing the postseason in 2021, her 2022 squad posted the Geoducks first winning season in two decades, qualifying for the CCC Championships with the 13-9 conference record – establishing a new school mark for league wins. In two years, her teams combined for a 24-26 overall record and 23-19 mark in conference games.
"I am truly excited to join the Oregon Tech coaching team," Garrison said. "My passionate coaching side said, "YES!" when I was presented with the opportunity to build a successful volleyball program by partnering and working with confident, young women."
At TESC, Garrison coached five All-CCC selections, including the 2022 Setter of the Year, Sierra Wolff and 2022 NAIA All-American, Lily Stewart. Her teams were also honored with the Les Schwab Team Sportsmanship Award in 2021 and 2022 – a key pillar to her program.
"The foundation which I build teams upon allows me to empower young women to become women of kindness and grace; and, through these attributes to be leaders who take accountability for their actions and be the change they want to see in the world," Garrison said. "This is the volleyball program we will build and foster at Oregon Tech. In part, this is also why I was drawn to OIT. When I learned that the team was looking for a new sense of purpose and belonging with respect to their volleyball careers, I knew I would be a match. I am committed to enabling the success of each player: both as an athlete and a student. Ultimately, my goal is to ensure the returning team finds a rekindled love of their sport, to reach peak performance, and to create a successful team. OIT's Mission Statement aligns with my philosophy which made OIT the right choice. I am quite honored and privileged to be a part of the OIT Athletic team. My commitment is to be a positive influence in the OIT women's volleyball program.
Garrison replaces Dr. Ken Murczek, who resigned in January to become the head coach at NCAA Division II Emporia State.
The Lady Owls return eight players from last season's 15-13 team and will begin the 2023 campaign in August.