Darci Dekker was named Yakima Valley College’s head volleyball coach on January 22, 2020 and is entering her fifth season at the helm of the Yaks.
During her tenure with the Yak volleyball program, Dekker has led YVC to an overall record of 60-30, including an impressive 34-14 mark in East Region play. Under her direction, the Yaks qualified for the the NWAC championships in 2023 and made back-to-back NWAC Regional appearances in 2021 and 2022. After a one-year program hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she quickly rebuilt the program to a highly competitive level. In 2021 the Yaks posted an Eastern Region record of 11-5, narrowly missing a Region title. In 2022 Dekker improved their Region record going 13-3, and again narrowly missing a Region title. In 2022, the Yaks were a single point away from advancing to the NWAC Championships. In 2023, YVC placed third in the NWAC Championships.
A proven winner before assuming leadership of the YVC volleyball program, Dekker successfully led the volleyball programs at East Valley High School (2009-13), Prosser High School (2002-05), Zillah High School (1995-2001) and White Swan High School (1991-95). At every stop, her teams won league titles and qualified for state championship tournaments—placing on numerous occasions. In addition, she has been named “Coach of the Year” multiple times by the Central Washington Athletic Conference (CWAC) and South Central Athletic Conference (SCAC). In 2013, Dekker was selected as the recipient of the Yakima Valley Sports Award’s “Fall Coach of the Year” at their annual luncheon event.
Additionally, Dekker has been very involved with club volleyball for over 25 years in the Central Washington area. Since 2016, she has coached with the team Central Region United (CRU), an elite level club program that attracts high-level players throughout the region and is under the direction of Central Washington University Head Coach Mario Andaya. CRU is associated with JVA and AAU volleyball affiliations. Dekker has traveled to National level tournaments in Florida, Kentucky, California, Arizona, Colorado & Oregon to name a few. Currently, Dekker is the head coach of CRU’s 18 Max Team. In 2024, Dekker was also the Head Coach for Evergreen Region All-Stars U-17 team.
As an intercollegiate volleyball player, Dekker was a standout setter for Mt. Hood Community College from 1985-87 before being recruited to NCAA Division 1 Portland State University, where she was a setter/defensive specialist for the Vikings.
Dekker has earned an Associate’s degree from Mt. Hood and a vocational degree in Hair Design from Beau Monde Academy in Portland, OR. In addition to her coaching duties, she has her cosmetology license and owns and operates Dar-C's Place. She lives in Yakima with her husband, George Torrez and has three grown children-- daughter Maci Deaton (28), who won two NWAC Championships while playing volleyball at Blue Mountain before earning 1st Team all-conference honors at Northwest Christian University (now Bushnell University) and sons Hayden Beierle (26), presently in the Marines and Raynor Beierle (24), who played four years of collegiate football and is currently the Assistant OL coach at Northern State University.
