Former Oregon State standout setter Laura Collins joined the Portland State coaching staff on February 1, 2010. The 2011 season will mark her second with the Vikings.
Collins' primary duties at PSU include working with the setters, recruiting and game preparation.
During the 2010 season, Collins helped coach setter Garyn Schlatter to one of the best freshman campaigns in the history of Portland State volleyball. Schlatter, who ranked fourth in the league in assists with a 8.86 aps average, was named the Big Sky's Outstanding Freshman and a first team all-conference member. Schlatter was the only freshman voted to the first, second or honorable mention squads, and was one of just seven underclassmen out of the 22 student-athletes that were honored.
Schlatter won two Big Sky Player of the Week awards and recorded the league's only triple-double of 2010, while also tallying 13 double-doubles. Schlatter's assists per set numbers weren't eye-popping, but that was because the freshman was all over the court for the Vikings, finishing fourth on the team in digs per set and blocks per set, and sixth in kills per set. With 1,045 assists, Schlatter already ranks sixth all-time at PSU during their NCAA DI era (1999-present).
As a team, Portland State finished the 2010 season second in the Big Sky in assists per set, averaging 12.65, while ranking 56th nationally. In conference only matches, the Vikings averaged a league-best 13.35 aps and Schlatter's average jumped up to 9.51 aps.
Collins returned to the Pacific Northwest after spending two seasons as an assistant at South Carolina, where she coached the setters and helped with recruiting and administration.
In just her first season in Columbia, the Gamecocks made major improvements in their offense. Setter Bridget Denson-Dorman led the Southeastern Conference in assists and helped lead the league in hitting percentage. Denson-Dorman went on to earn AVCA All-South Region honorable mention honors, becoming the first Gamecock setter to capture an award since 2002.
As a player at Oregon State, Collins racked up 3,786 career assists, which ranks third in the Beavers' record book. She earned honorable mention All-Pac 10 status in each of her final three seasons and is one of just two Oregon State players to have ever been named the Pac-10 Player of the Week more than once. A two-year team captain, Collins also earned third team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII recognition in 2002.
A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Collins graduated in 2004 from Oregon State with a B.S. in marketing. After leaving OSU, she coached on the high school, club and collegiate levels in the state for several years. She worked with the Canby Volleyball Club before assisting at Division III Pacific University in 2005. After a short stint with the Boxers, Collins returned to CVC as the head coach. In 2006 and 2007, she served as the head coach at Hillsboro High School.
