Mike Talamantes
	Head Coach mtalamantes@oxy.edu 323 259 2702

Mike Talamantes just completed his second season as head coach of the Occidental Volleyball Squad.

In 2009 the Tigers completed their best season since 2001.  Amassing 15 wins and their best conference finish in nine years.  On the heels of a nine player freshmen class, Oxy also took home the tournament championship at the Tiger Fall Classic.  With junior Kathryn Bockmon and freshman Kasey Rose being named all tournament, MVP of the classic went to freshman Logan Boyer-Hayse.  Boyer-Hayse also went on to be named second team ALL SCIAC, the first Tiger since 2002 to receive such a distinction.  Oxy also picked up conference wins over CMS and Pomona Pitzer, the latter being regionally ranked for most of the 2009 season, for the first time in recent memory.  Once again the Tigers finished the season strong, going 7-2 over their final nine matches and missing the postseason by one conference spot.

The 2008 campaign saw Coach Talamantes overhaul a program that had averaged just four wins a year in the previous five seasons.  The Tigers battled without one senior on the roster and a starting lineup that included only three athletes with previous college experience.  But that did not stop the inexperienced group from improving all season and playing their best in the final 10 matches, going 5-5, finishing the season by winning more matches then any squad had in eight years. 

Prior to being hired at Occidental, he spent five seasons as the Head Coach at Rosary High School in Orange County, where his squad was always among the Top 10 in Division One and Orange County.  Leading a program that had not qualified for the playoffs in six prior seasons to four consecutive playoff appearances while battling the likes of Mater Dei, Orange Lutheran and Santa Margarita in the rugged Trinity League.  In his final three seasons, he led the Royals to the Final Four in 2005 and then Back to Back Sweet 16 appearances.

Talamantes also served as the Head Boys' Coach at Viewpoint High School in the San Fernando Valley.  He led that program to new heights as they won four consecutive CIF Championships and put together three straight 30 win campaigns.  The Patriots also finished among the Top 10 in the Daily News Final Poll for the last four seasons under Coach Talamantes, finishing ranked alongside volleyball powerhouses Loyola, Valencia / Valenica, Thousand Oaks, Oak Park, and Harvard Westlake.

Throughout his prep career he has trained players who have gone on to play at Cal, UC Santa Barbara, LMU, USC, Le Moyne College, CSU Northridge, CSU Dominguez Hills, St. Peter's, Newbury College, Florida International, San Diego State, and Embry-Riddle.   Four of those athletes being selected as High School All Americans.

Talamantes has been named CIF Coach of the Year on three different occasions and was the 2008 Daily News Area Coach of the Year. Along with his head coaching experience, he has worked alongside some of the top trainers in country while coaching at TCA Volleyball Club (Newport Harbor, CA) and Club West Volleyball Club (La Verne / Pasadena, CA).

A native of Bell, CA, Talamantes earned his degree in English Literature from Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2004.

	Becca Willis
	Assistant Coach rwillis@oxy.edu 323 259 2702

Joining the Tigers Coaching staff for the 2009 season is Becca Willis who will be involved in every facet of the program from game preparation to recruiting.

Willis brings a solid background in coaching volleyball as she is currently the head coach at the Riverside Christian School and was on staff at the Top Gun volleyball club for the 2009 season. She also worked as a tryout coach for SCVA High Performance this season, leading her to a position as an assistant coach for the SCVA Select Red squad. Willis traveled to the USA High Performance Championships with that team in the summer of 2009. Her squad rolled through the tournament with an impressive 8-0 record in matches, and 24-0 record in sets, to take home the gold medal.

Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Willis was a standout athlete in Riverside where she was one of the most decorated players to come from the area. As a setter and outside hitter she finished her career as a two-time ALL CIF performer as well being named Female Athlete of the Year.  Additionally she was a four-year varsity team member and a two-time All-League First selection.

Willis returned to Southern California in 2008 after leading her 14’s team in Iowa to  No. 15 and No. 30 finishes in the state during the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Before moving to Iowa, Willis quickly made a name for herself, taking over the varsity program at her alma mater, leading them to a league championship and a CIF playoff berth while being voted area Coach of the Year by her peers.