Elevate Volleyball Training
Hi, I'm
Lisa.
A 4-year scholarship middle blocker and two-year captain at Western Oregon, and 20+ years coaching every level from age 6 to college. I teach the game with expert technique, honest feedback, and a belief that growth is always possible.
20+
Years Coaching
6–18
Ages Coached
4yr
Scholarship Athlete at WOU
2009
Conference Champions
Credentials & Highlights
The Resume
Playing Career
- –4-year starting middle blocker, WOU (2005–2009)
- –4-year scholarship athlete
- –2-year team captain
- –Conference champions, 2009
- –2 regional tournament appearances, 2008 & 2009
- –Marquis SPA Athlete of the Year, 2009
- –All-GNAC Second Team, 2009 & Honorable Mention, 2008
- –CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District VIII First Team, 2008 & 2009
- –CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District VIII Second Team, 2007
- –GNAC All-Academic, 2006–2009
- –Led conference in hitting percentage, 2009
- –Top 4 in blocks per set, conference, 2008
- –Top 10 in aces per set, conference, 2009
- –UCSD Invitational All-Tournament Team, 2006
Coaching Record
- –20+ years coaching ages 6–college
- –14U regional club championship title
- –Boys & girls club championship
- –Winning record with every team
- –Several athletes went on to play college volleyball
- –Every club team moved up in power rankings — never down
- –Currently: Southern Sands Volleyball Academy
Education & Background
- –High school valedictorian
- –B.S. Exercise Science, Western Oregon University — Honors Program
- –B.S. Nutrition & Dietetics, Oregon State University
- –Trained in behavior change strategies
- –Biomechanical analysis specialist
- –Experience across club, school, rec & community college
- –Parks & rec coaching: volleyball, soccer, basketball
The Approach
What you'll see
every session.
Meet you where you are
We start with the level you're actually at, not where the rest of the team is. No skipped fundamentals, no pretending you already know it.
One focus per session
Trying to fix everything at once means fixing nothing. Each session has one priority — and you leave knowing exactly what it was and how it's changing.
Honest, specific feedback
Vague encouragement doesn't develop players. You'll get clear language about what's working, what isn't, and what to do next — always with kindness and purpose.
Confidence as a skill
Fear of mistakes holds most players back, not ability. We work on the mental side of the game on purpose — self-talk, body language, and recovering from errors are all coachable.
Break it down
Complex skills become simple when you break them into the right pieces. We identify the most important thing, teach it clearly, and build from there. One solid foundation at a time.
Respect the game
Volleyball has carried us through loss, fear, and hard seasons of life. We coach with deep respect for what the game means to the people who play it.
Our Mission
“To help players, coaches, and programs reach their full potential — through expert coaching, honest feedback, and a belief that growth is always possible at any level.”
The Beginning
I didn't start playing sports
until 7th grade.
Neither of my parents were athletes. Sports weren't part of how I grew up — and honestly, I was too shy and too afraid of making mistakes to try. It wasn't until 7th grade that I finally stepped onto a court. I was nervous. I was behind. And I fell completely in love.
I played for my middle and high school teams in a small town in Oregon, then made the top team at the bigger club in the next town over. That first club season was one of the hardest of my life — my dad passed away from cancer right before practices started. The club offered me a way out. I chose to keep going. Volleyball was what got me through it. It still is.
From walk-on to starter at Western Oregon University, I earned a 4-year scholarship, a starting spot at middle blocker, and graduated as a two-year team captain from the honors program with a B.S. in Exercise Science. That background shapes everything about how I teach technique and think about player development.
“I used to be scared of making mistakes. Now I know that in order to be successful, you have to be brave enough to make them.”— Lisa
The Person Behind the Coach
The one who believed in me before I did.
While I was at Western, I met Kurt. He loved basketball and sports, and through a series of connections — his aunt was my middle school volleyball coach — we got talking, started dating, and fell in love. When I was offered a job as head coach for a 14U club team, I was terrified. But Kurt believed in me. He convinced me to give it a shot. Quite possibly the best decision of my life.
Kurt was by my side for every practice and tournament. He kept stats, gave feedback, learned the game, and eventually became my assistant coach. Some of my proudest coaching moments — a regional championship, coaching a brand new rec team to a title — happened with Kurt beside me.
Kurt had cystic fibrosis and lived with extraordinary resilience. After a double lung transplant at Stanford, he thrived for almost two years — some of the best of our lives. Then his body went into rejection, and he passed away in 2014. He left me with a way of seeing the game, a belief that I had something worth giving, and a reminder he lived by — that every day has good in it, you just have to pay attention and notice it.
Giving Back
10% of every dollar goes to the
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Purple is Elevate's color for a lot of reasons. It's Lisa's favorite color. And it's the color of the Cystic Fibrosis ribbon — which means more to this business than any branding decision ever could.
Kurt was deeply involved with the CF Foundation — for many years he organized the CF walk in Corvallis, Oregon, leading Team Infinite Striders. 10% of all Elevate Volleyball Training proceeds are donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Not as a marketing line — as a promise. When you invest in your player, your team, or your coaching, a portion of that goes directly toward research and care for people living with CF.
We also hope to grow our involvement with the CF Foundation over time — through walks, fundraising events, and building a presence in the CF community that honors what Kurt gave to it. Team Infinite Striders lives on.
Ready to Elevate?
Whether you're a player, a parent, or a coach — there's a place for you here. Let's figure out the best way to work together.
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