Portland State University Women's Volleyball

BIOGRAPHY Michael Seemann will enter his platinum year (20th) as head coach of the Portland State volleyball program in 2026, when he'll be looking to add more hardware to the Vikings' trophy case.   Under Seemann’s guidance, the Vikings have taken a storied program to new heights. They made their first ever NCAA Division I Tournament appearance during the 2008 season, and then returned in 2010. In 2021, the Vikings recorded their first-ever Division I national postseason win, beating Pacific (Calif.) in five sets in the first round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). Additionally, Seemann's 2010 squad became the first in school history to win both the Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament titles. Seemann picked up the first of two well-deserved Big Sky Coach of the Year awards that season (the other came in 2021).   In his first 19 seasons as head coach at Portland State, Seemann has posted at least 20 wins eight times. Milestone victories could be in store in 2026, as Seemann needs only seven victories to reach 300 overall as well as nine conference wins to reach 200 in Big Sky play. The milestones have come as Seemann has led the Vikings to Big Sky Conference regular-season titles in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013 and a pair of conference tournament titles in 2008 and 2010. SUSTAINED SUCCESS The most decorated program on the Park Blocks, Seemann has been a strong steward for a Portland State volleyball program that holds four NCAA Division II National Championships (1984, 1985, 1988, 1992), three NCAA Division II Runner-Up finishes (1981, 1983, 1991), 18 national postseason appearances (14 as Division II member, 4 as Division I member), five Big Sky regular-season titles (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013) and two Big Sky tournament titles (2008, 2010).   Under Seemann, the Vikings have placed in the top four of the Big Sky Conference in 10 of his first 19 seasons. That includes eight first- or second-place finishes, the first seven of which came in his first seven seasons at the helm of the Vikings.   Strong home records have been a staple under Seemann, both when the Vikings played at the old Stott Center and at the new Viking Pavilion (2018-present). In his first 19 seasons, the Vikings are 150-81 (.649) at home under Seemann. That included a perfect 10-0 record at home in 2007, as well as perfect Big Sky Conference home records in 2007 (8-0), 2009 (8-0), 2010 (8-0), 2012 (10-0) and 2013 (10-0).   Additionally, the Vikings have consistently performed well while playing tough non-conference opponents under Seemann. That included a 7-4 non-conference record in 2023, when the Vikings recorded three wins over Pac-12 programs – the most in a single-season during the program’s Big Sky Conference era (1996-present).   Serving and defense have been consistent points of emphasis under Seemann. Sophia Meyers broke the single-season program record for aces per set with 0.47 in 2023, an average the led the Big Sky Conference and ranked her in the top 25 of the NCAA. Meanwhile, nine of the 10 highest single-season dig totals have been set by players who played for Seemann. Additionally, three of the top five leaders in career digs at Portland State played for Seemann, including record holder Ellie Snook who became just the fourth player in Big Sky Conference history to reach the 2,000-dig milestone, finishing with 2,138 in her Portland State career.    It didn’t take long for Seemann to put his mark on the program, as he led the Vikings to their first-ever Big Sky regular season championship and to the title match of the conference tournament in his first year at helm in 2007. The Vikings went undefeated in 10 home matches at the Stott Center and finished the season 21-8, making it the program’s third-straight 20-win season.   Seemann then led the Vikings to their first Big Sky tournament title the following year when they beat Northern Colorado, 3-0, and top-seeded Eastern Washington, 3-1, at the conference tournament.   The Vikings captured their second regular-season title in 2009, going 14-2 in Big Sky play and 21-8 overall. The Vikings closed out the regular season by winning their final nine conference matches that year, including eight via a 3-0 sweep. A 25-set winning streak for the Vikings remains their longest ever in the school’s NCAA Division I era and the third-longest in school history.   The 2010 season featured a title sweep as the Vikings won both the Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles. The Vikings again finished 14-2 in Big Sky play and 21-9 overall that season. Seemann was named Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year for the first of two times that season.   The Vikings added a fourth and fifth Big Sky regular-season title in 2012 and 2013, going 17-3 through a 20-match conference schedule both seasons. The Vikings went a perfect 10-0 in Big Sky play at home both seasons and made the Big Sky championship match in 2013.   A seventh 20-win season under Seemann came in 2017 when the Vikings finished 21-9 overall and 11-5 in Big Sky play.   The eighth 20-win season came in 2021 when Seemann led the Vikings to the first of back-to-back appearances in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). The Vikings went 20-11 overall and 12-4 in Big Sky play in 2021. They won the program’s first-ever national postseason match as an NCAA Division I member that season, beating Pacific (Calif.), 3-2, in the first round of the NIVC.   The Vikings made another appearance in the NIVC in 2022. They opened that season 9-1 in Big Sky, the program’s best start to conference play since they opened the 2012 conference season 14-1. The hot conference start followed a non-conference schedule in which the Vikings beat Oregon State for the first time since 1990. The Vikings recorded a 3-1 win over the Beavers at the team's home tournament, the Hotel Vance Rose City Showdown.   PLAYER ACCOLADES UNDER SEEMANN Players have consistently developed into all-conference and individual award winners while competing for Seemann. Three different players have earned Big Sky MVP honors under Seemann between Nique Fradella (2009), Whitney Phillips (2010) and Garyn Schlatter (2013). Additionally, a Viking has been named Big Sky Libero of the Year six times during Seemann's tenure between Kasimira Clark (2012, 2013), Tasha Bojanic (2017) and Snook (2020, 2021, 2022). Snook became only the second three-time Libero of the Year within the Big Sky Conference, joining Sacramento State's Kristin Lutes.   Players have earned All-Big Sky first-team honors 23 times under Seemann, including four straight for Schlatter, who was the first player in Big Sky Conference history to earn the honor during all four years of their career. Alivia Eikenberg this past fall became the first Viking freshman to make the All-Big Sky First Team since Schlatter in 2010. She earned the recognition after finishing the season ranked fourth among all freshmen in NCAA Division I with 3.82 kills per set. The Vikings had three All-Big Sky first-team selections in both 2021 and 2022. Parker Webb and Makayla Lewis received the honor both seasons, while Snook joined them in 2021 and Madison Friebel in 2022. Three Vikings also received first-team honors in 2017, when Bojanic, Erin Clark and Caitlin Bettenay received the honor.   Pati Anae was an All-Big Sky first-team selection in 2016. Schlatter earned the honor each season from 2010-13. Wheeler joined Schlatter on the first team in 2012, while Megan Ellis joined her in 2011. Phillips received the second of her two first-team honors alongside Schlatter in 2010. Nique Fradella joined Phillips on the first team in 2009, while Michelle Segun and Marija Vojnovic received the honor in 2007 and 2008.   Additionally, six different Vikings have been named the Big Sky Conference’s Top Newcomer under Seemann, including four straight between 2021-24. Whitney Phillips earned the first Top Newcomer honor under Seemann in 2009, while Jaklyn Wheeler followed in 2012. Recently, Lewis, Friebel, Lauryn Anderson and Carisa Barron have taken home the last four Top Newcomer awards in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively.   Overall, 51 Vikings have received All-Big Sky honors under Seemann.   Statistically, Seemann has coached the Portland State career leaders in kills per set (Phillips, 4.85 k/s), hitting percentage (Katy Wilson, .307), assists per set (Fradella, 11.6), digs per set (Snook, 5.05), total blocks (Segun, 489), blocks per set (Erica Jepsen, 1.28), total points (Webb, 1,794.0), points per set (Phillips, 5.32) and double-doubles (Garyn Schlatter, 47).   Several of those players also set single-season program records under Seemann. Offensively, Phillips set the single-season record for kills during the 25-point scoring format, recording 556 in 2010. Anderson set the record for hitting percentage during the program’s Division I era with a .384 mark in 2023. Schlatter set the record for total assists during the 25-point scoring format with 1,252 in 2012. Meyers set the record for aces per set during the 25-point scoring format with 0.47 per set in 2023.   Defensively, Kasmira Clark set the record for total digs with 635 in 2012, while Snook set the record for digs per set with 5.47 in 2019. Segun also set the records for total blocks and blocks per set during the program’s Division I era with 180 and 1.71 per set, respectively, in 2007.   OTHER COACHING ENDEAVORS AND PERSONAL Seemann first arrived at Portland State in 2005 as an associate head coach. He immediately laid the foundation for the Vikings’ future by bringing in three players – Fradella, Jepsen and Vojnovic – who would start all four years of their career.   Outside of Portland State, Seemann’s resume includes two national championships coaching 16U and 17U club teams, two Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) Coach of the Year Awards, and two NWAACC Championships.   In 2010, Seemann guided the NW Juniors Air Max squad to the national title in the 18-Under American Division at the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships in Reno. For their efforts, the squad was named one of four recipients of the George Pasero Team of the Year award at the 59th annual Oregon Sports Awards.   Before coming to Portland State, Seemann was an assistant coach at Oregon State University for three seasons (2002-04), where he worked primarily with the setters and outside hitters. He coached two athletes to All-Pac-10 Conference honors while at OSU. Seemann was also the coordinator and the budget administrator for team travel and fundraising.   Seemann had one of his most successful head coaching experiences at Mt. Hood Community College, where he coached from 1998-2001. He led Mt. Hood to back-to-back NWAACC Championships in 2000 and 2001 and was named the NWAACC Coach of the Year both seasons. In the four years he was the head coach, he compiled an overall record of 118-20 (.850). He also had two players receive All-America honors and 11 go on to compete for NCAA or NAIA universities.   Seemann’s resume also includes coaching a Nike Juniors Volleyball Club team. His club teams have had great success on the national platform at the National Volleyball Festival where they had a third-place finish in 2000, a second-place finish in 2001, and national championships in 2006 and 2007.   In 2004, Seemann became one of the co-founders of the Columbia Empire Region High Performance team, where he designed and held tryouts for the USA Volleyball affiliate team. His team had a top-five finish at both the 2004 National High Performance Tournament and the 2005 Global Challenge. Seemann got his first break into the college coaching ranks as the head coach at Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, where he served for three seasons (1995-97). He led the Lumberjacks to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference regional championship in 1997 and coached two players to all-region honors and one to regional MVP. At Northland College, Seemann also served as an instructor.   As a player, Seemann competed for numerous club teams from Wisconsin to California.   Seemann graduated from Portland State in 1999, with a degree in communication studies.   Michael Seemann Coaching Record Year Overall Big Sky Conf. Finish 2007 21-8 13-3 1st 2008 20-9 11-5 2nd 2009 21-8 14-2 1st 2010 21-9 14-2 1st 2011 18-13 12-4 2nd 2012 21-11 17-3 1st 2013 21-11 17-3 T-1st 2014 9-20 7-9 6th 2015 9-19 5-11 9th 2016 17-12 9-7 6th 2017 21-9 11-5 4th 2018 5-25 4-14 10th 2019 10-19 6-12 T-8th 2020* 6-12 5-11 T-8th 2021 20-11 12-4 3rd 2022 18-13 11-5 2nd 2023 16-12 9-7 5th 2024 8-20 7-9 T-6th 2025 11-17 7-9 T-7th Total 293-258 (.532) 191-125 (.604) *Matches played in winter 2021  

Noted middle blocker coach Elizabeth Field figures to boost the Vikings' strength at the net as she heads into her first year as an assistant coach within the program in 2026.   Field spent the past two seasons at Big Sky Conference rival Idaho State, helping coach the Bengals’ setters and middle blockers specifically. Behind Field, the Bengals led the Big Sky and ranked third in the nation for blocks per set in 2024. In 2025, they again led the Big Sky while ranking 29th nationally.   Field – who also served as recruiting coordinator and made offensive play calls at Idaho State – helped lead the Bengals to a second-place finish in the regular season in 2024, when they also made the program’s first appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). The Bengals went on to make the championship match at the 2025 Big Sky tournament, upsetting No. 1 seed and regular-season champion Northern Arizona along the way.   “We’re excited to welcome Elizabeth to the Portland State volleyball family,” head coach Michael Seemann said of Field. “She brings a strong volleyball background, a passion for developing student-athletes, and an energy that will be a great fit for our program and our culture.”   Field brings a wealth of her own playing experience to her role as assistant coach. As a professional player in Finland, Field captained her Liigaploki team to a Finnish Cup Championship during the 2019-20 season. She also played professionally for teams in Romania, Germany and Czechia.   Field competed collegiately at Wichita State where she helped lead the Shockers to NCAA tournament berths every year she was there. Field and Shockers made the Sweet 16 in 2012, while they swept the Missouri Valley regular-season and tournament titles in 2013. She left the program ranked in the top 10 all-time for sets played (fourth), attack percentage (eighth), total blocks (eighth) and block assists (eighth).   "I am absolutely thrilled to be on the Viking Volleyball staff and am very grateful to Michael for the opportunity to join his crew. Working alongside staff with resumes like his and Diana's is a privilege and I am honored to be able to contribute to the program,” Field said of joining the Vikings.  

Villalpandos championship pedigree has continued into her coaching career. As an assistant coach with the indoor team at Corban University from 2018-22, she helped build the foundation for five NAIA National Tournament appearances, including a runner-up national finish in 2022. Corban also won Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament titles in 2020 and 2021, as well as a regular-season conference title in 2021.   While serving as an assistant for the indoor team, Villalpando also spearheaded Corbans beach volleyball team as head coach. She led Corban to the 2022 NAIA Beach Volleyball national title, as well as a runner-up finish in 2023. In 2021, Villalpando guided Corban to a fourth-place finish at the AVCA Small College Beach National Championships.    Villalpando spent the 2023-24 academic year as the Director of Volleyball at Multnomah University. There, she established the schools first-ever beach volleyball program while also serving as head coach of the indoor team during the 2023 fall season.   Prior to her time at Corban and Multnomah, Villalpando spent the 2013 season as the recruiting coordinator at NCAA Division III Lewis & Clark College. She returned to the Park Blocks as a volunteer assistant in 2016 before serving as an assistant coach at Eastern Washington in 2017. Outside of the college ranks, Villalpando coached at the Oregon Juniors Volleyball Academy, where she was the head coach of the U16 teams as well as an assistant for the U18 squad.   As a player, Villalpando made a name for herself as one of only three players to record more than 1,000 career digs at Portland State at the time of her graduation. She currently ranks eighth all-time with 1,006 career digs. She also ranked tied for first in Division I program history with 117 matches played at the time of her graduation, though she now ranks tied for sixth in the category.   Her best season came as a senior in 2010 when the Vikings swept the Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles. As the teams primary libero, Villalpando ranked eighth in the Big Sky Conference with 3.75 digs per set. Her 424 total digs that season were the eighth-best single-season mark during the programs Division I history at the time.