Darci Dekker begins her sixth season leading Yakima Valley College's volleyball program after being named head coach on January 22, 2020. Dekker is the seventh volleyball coach in program history.
During her tenure with the Yak volleyball program, Dekker has led YVC to an overall record of 84-51, including an impressive 45-17 mark in East Region play. Under her direction, the Yaks have back-to-back third place finishes at the NWAC Championships in 2023 and 2024. Following a one-year program hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic after taking the reins in 2020, Dekker quickly rebuilt the program to a highly competitive level. In 2021 the Yaks posted an Eastern Region record of 11-5, qualifying for the NWAC Regionals. In 2022 Dekker improved their Region record going 13-3, narrowly missing a Region title, and again earning a NWAC Regional berth. While at YVC, Dekker has coached five First-Team, four Second-Team, and three Third-Team All-NWAC East Region players and eight of players have been named to the NWAC All-Academic team. In addition, she's had two First-Team and two Second-Team All-NWAC Championship Tournament players.
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 (29), 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 (27), presently in the Marines and Raynor Beierle (25), who played four years of collegiate football and is currently the Assistant OL coach at Northern State University.
