1996 Tachikara/AVCA JC/CC Region Coaches of the Year

Midwest Region

Ray Bechard, Barton County Community College
Bechard has again led the team to the top of the NJCAA ranks, holding down the No. 3 spot in the final NJCAA poll.  Barton County has advanced to the NJCAA national tournament for the ninth straight year.  He ranks No. 1 among all active coaches in winning percentage with a .924 (654-54) mark.

Doug Van Oort, Kirkwood Community College
Kirkwood, in only its first year with a volleyball program, claimed the Region 11 tournament and advanced to the NJCAA tournament with a victory over Region 13 winner Bismarck State.  Van Oort led the team to a second place finish at the DuPage Tournament and titles at the Southwestern and Southeastern invitationals.  Kirkwood features a roster of all freshmen.  It finished the year ranked No. 14 in the NJCAA poll.

Northeast/Southeast Region

Marlys Palmer, Hagerstown Junior College
1996 marks the sixth time in the last eight years that Palmer has advanced the Hawks to the NJCAA tournament.  Hagerstown finished the year ranked No. 16 in the NJCAA poll.  In her 17th year at Hagerstown, Palmer has recorded a career record of 540-116.

Tracy Whitt, Wallace State Junior College
Wallace State has advanced to the NJCAA national tournament for the second consecutive year, the first appearance in school history. Wallace finished the year ranked No. 15 in the NJCAA poll.  Wallace State won its third consecutive state title and claimed the Alabama Junior/Community College Conference with a 19-1 record.  In her three seasons at Wallace State, Whitt has posted a 128-21 overall record.

Southwest Region

Ann Heck, San Diego Mesa College
Heck guided a team with eight freshmen and three sophomores to the Southern California Regionals.  In her 20th season at San Diego Mesa, Heck's squad finished the year with an 11-6 overall record and placed third in the Pacific Coast Conference.  Heck was an outside hitter on the 1968 Olympic team.

Becky Lidolph, San Jacinto College Central
San Jacinto finished the year ranked No. 11 in the NJCAA national poll after claiming the Texas Junior College Athletic Conference title.  Lidolph, in her 16th season, has won nine conference titles and five regional crowns in her tenure.  She is among the winningest active junior college coaches with 549 career victories.

West Region

Verl Petsch, Jr., Eastern Wyoming College
Petsch has led Eastern Wyoming to the District 13 championship and a place in the NJCAA championship for the first time since 1991.  Eastern Wyoming finished the year ranked in the top 30.

Al Rogers, Yakima Valley Community College
The Indians finished the season at 40-10 after winning the Umpqua Crossover Tournament.  Their highlight of the season was a home victory over conference power Spokane CC.  Yakima Valley won a school-record 18 consecutive matches this season, and was a participant in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Championship.