sports A Player's Coach Portland State volleyball coach Marlene Piper is proving she knows what it takes to be a winner. . . again. athle seen Wt credi 0 , natiol trlene Piper shouldn't need any 1uct10nto local sports fans. ly put, she's one of the best tes the Northwest has ever tatever the suort, Piper's Ail-Amerzan squad seven tlmes Vollevball Assoctatton has recognized her six times as the Northwest'smost valuable player. She also competes - and excels - in track and field. basketball,fleld hockey, badminton, swimming and bowling. As recently as last January, she participatedin a Masters (over 30) track and held meet in New Zealand, claiming two silver medals along wilh fifth and sixth place finlshes in competltron which attraded more than 3.000 parflclpantsfrom ail over the world. Yes, Marlene Piper was - and "ill IS - qulte an athlete. She's also auite a coach. Since 174, she has compiled a coaching cord at Portland State University at is second to none at the schwl. her flrst seven seasons. Pioei's ;u teamspGted285 wiils ;gainst lust 68 defeats and three ties - a winn~ngpercentageof ,807. But unless YOU read the newspaperwith a magnifyingglass. you probably haven't seen much about 11. SPC PSU Clnmr I Feb. 1: Feb. 1s kb. 2( Mar. 3 Mar. 4 )RTS SCHEDULE WRESTLING . . %me$ m Main Gym, 730 pn Jan. 5 - Fresno State Jan. 23 - San Franasco State Jan. 29 - San Jose 8 Central Warhtngfon Jan. 30- PSU INVITATIONAL, 10 am kb. 5 - Unlverslry of Oregon Fcb. 6 - Csl-Poly WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Hams Games in Main Gym. 7.30 pm Jan. 11 - Bolse Slate Jan. 20 - Unlveisty of Pomand Jan. 25 - Unwenity of Oregon Jan. 28 - UnNersiry of Washlngmn Feb. 12 -Eastern Washlngfon I - Washmgton Stale I- Alaska-Anchorsge I - ~iarka-Anchorage - Untvers,ty of Monma - Montana Stale ph0.m by John K u m s n While Neil Lomax. "Mouse" Davis havded to me. and PSU's budgetarypligM have I always thougM volleyball was It has never been my fifetime gotten most of the ink in recent kind of a dorky sporl when I was in goalto bea-ch. ldon'teven years. Piper has quietly built the college. It was something that hurt fwkat m y wa c o alcfha,l s,,, Viklngs' women's volleyballteam into my fingers . . . But the more I got a regionalpowerhouse. Five regional into it, the more I loved it. I loved the a faC'lnalor. championships In seven years attest challenges. If you're aced, you're -Marlene Plper to that. right there all alone. Everythingis The Vikings aren't any slouch at focused on you." State as the big game on their the national level either. Since Piper ' ~fIound the exatement and schedule, the V~kingsappear in no has been at the helm. PortlandState challengesjust captured me. They immediate danger of fall~ngfrom top has never flnished lower than 16th at were motivationfor me to improve. position the AiAW Div~stonIn national The kids have caught on to that." Wlnning isn't everything to Piper, championship tournament. They've Wlth the equivalent of only three however. She's been known to glve been In the "Top 1 0 four times, fullr~descholarships to diwy up, her team a well-deservedtongue finishing as high as seventh in 1975. Piper has had to rely heaviiy on her lashing following a sloppy vlctory . . . In weak moments, Plper br~stlesat motlvatlon and hard work themes to or a pat on the back and local newspaper "coverage" that keep Portland State on top of the enwuragement word after a tough rarely gtves PSU's volleyballersmore Northwest's volleyball heap. loss than a couple llnes of agate type It gets tougher every year, she towards the back of the sports "The goal we have as a team is to notes. try and execute the skills of volleyball section. But becauseshe isn't one to "If you have eight scholarsh~ps the best way we can," she says. dweil on negatlves,such weak and I only have two, I know darn well "Certainly we want to wln. We don't moments are few and far between. you're going to be better over a ever step onto the floor not wanting Instead,she focuses on the period of time." she says. "You can to win But there are teams where Positlve She never asks "why can't go out and buy ftve good players. I the~rentlre goal is wlnnlng, then we do this?" It's always "what can wouldn't say thays a problem yet, but when they lose they're stun"ed. we do?" and "how can we do it it is beaming a front In women's They felt iike they've failed better?' athletics. Most women golng to "We're stlii walling for that perfect She anrlbutes her success at schooi now want athletic game." Portland State to several factors: A scholarships:' Who knows? if Piper stays around SUPPOrtive administrationthat has In the past. Piper-roached teams POrtiandState long enough, she lust enabled her to stay and buiid a often upset schools with more might achteve perfection - if even qual~typrogram, dedicated athletes talented piayers slmply becausethey for a moment. who seem to relish hard work. and, were better prepared,and because Anyone who knows about her mOSt Important of all, an Infectious Plper out-coachedher rlval mentor. glittering past isn't likely to bet enthusiasmfor the sporl she Those luxuries no longer exist, she against her. coaches. claims. She's the epitome of someone "All the waches are getting who leads by example. better,'' she says. "It used to be Remin"frm SPort.Peo~Normmt "I love volleyball,'' she bubbles. "I they'd ask you, 'Do you know weight tra~n, I run . . . I do the same anything about volleybaii? OK, you're by Jeff Mclvor types of things as the women. I thlnk the coach.' It's not iike that they catch some of my enthusiasm anymore." for the game." "Before, coaches didn't believe in That enthusiasmdidn't happen weight training. They thought ~tmade ovemlght. Like everythingelse in her the girls ugly . . . or wrecked thelr life, Plper worked hard to develop it. spiklng. That's ridiculous." I belleve that ~norder to be Despite those changes, and successful,you have to work hard." desp~tethe fact that every team in she says. "I never had anything the Northwestpoints to Portland
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