Western Oregon Volleyball Signs Four

Wolves ink Beeler, Harrison, Mainer, Keifer

Salem-News.com SPORTS

MONMOUTH, Ore. - Western Oregon University has announced the signing of four volleyball players, head coach Joe Houck said Tuesday.

Stephanie Beeler (Tillamook), Kalista Harrison (Roseburg), and Mandy Keifer (North Salem) have inked National Letters of Intent to attend Western Oregon.

Kayla Mainer (North Idaho College) is a transfer that prepped at West Valley High School in Spokane.

“Our program has made strides in the past two seasons,” said Houck, who will be coaching his third Wolves team in 2007. “But this class of recruits will leave a lasting impression on the university and the volleyball program. Our general athleticism is getting a huge upgrade with this class.”

Stephanie Beeler was a first team all-state (4A) selection this season while at Tillamook High School, helping to lead the Cheesemakers to a share of the Cowapa League title.

The 5-10 outside hitter was the Cowapa League Player of the Year.

She was a third team all-state pick (3A) as a junior, and has been playing club volleyball for Bridgetown in Vancouver.

Beeler was also a second team all-state pick in basketball this past winter, and was the Cowapa League Player of the Year in that sport.

“Stephanie is a tremendous athlete with size, strength and speed,” Houck said. “She has a ton of versatility on the court. She is a potential full rotation player outside or right side, and should contend for a starting position immediately. We are very excited to see Stephanie in the mix with our returning players this fall.”

Kalista Harrison was named to the first team All-Southwest Conference team last fall as a standout at Roseburg High School.

Harrison, an honorable mention all-state (6A) pick, helped lead the Indians to a sixth place finish at the state tournament.

The 5-10 outside hitter currently plays for the Webfoot Volleyball Club, one of the top teams in the Northwest.

“Kalista is an explosive athlete with a whip quick arm swing”, Houck said. “She has been dominant at the club level at times offensively and defensively as a blocker. Having Kalista will upgrade our athleticism and help build our team speed and power at the net. Kalista is a multi-sport athlete that is just realizing how good she can be.”

Mandy Keifer is a 5-10 middle blocker from North Salem High School who will be a multi-sport athlete at Western Oregon.

Keifer is a standout on the court and on the track for the Vikings.

A second team All-Central Valley Conference pick in volleyball last fall, she is also a state contender in the jumps this spring.

“Mandy is one of the most amazing athletes that I have seen at the high school level in quite some time,” Houck assessed. “She is a bit off the volleyball radar in terms of attention, but she absolutely wowed us at our tryout in January. Her speed and vertical jump are rivaled only by the speed of her arm swing when she is tagging a quick set to the floor. She is a non-stop energy producer, and the sky is the limit for her.

Kayla Mainer was originally recruited by Houck when he was the associate head coach at Eastern Washington University.

Mainer, a former first team All-Greater Spokane League standout at West Valley High School in Spokane, spent a redshirt season at EWU in 2005, and then played last season at North Idaho College.

NIC placed fourth this past fall at the NJCAA Division I national tournament, the highest finish in Cardinal school history. At 5-10, Mainer can play both outside hitter or libero.

“Kayla is a jumping machine and will provide leadership for our young group of returnees,“ Houck commented. “Her athleticism is off the charts and she will be one of the strongest and most experienced players on our roster next fall. She should anchor our serve receive, and be a point producer from the service line with a big time jump serve.”

Western Oregon has a long, rich tradition in volleyball that includes three trips to the NAIA national title match.

The Wolves now compete at the NCAA Division II level, and are members of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Before arriving at Western, Houck served two seasons as the associate head coach at Eastern Washington, and he was the head coach at Concordia University for five years.

He has a career record at the college level of 115-66, and he also had an outstanding career as a high school coach, which included three state championships at Sam Barlow High School.

In November, the Wolves also signed Lebanon High School star Jorden Burrows, a two-time second team all-state selection.

“This is a great class for us,” Houck stated. “Not only are they fantastic athletes, but they are terrific students as well. These are truly exceptional young ladies and we are excited to add them to our roster.”

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