BIOGRAPHY
Michael Seemann will enter his 19th season at the helm of the Portland State volleyball program in 2025 and 21st overall at the school.
Under Seemann’s guidance, the Vikings have reached new heights. They made their first ever NCAA Division I Tournament appearance during the 2008 season, and then returned in 2010. In 2021, the Vikings recorded their first-ever Division I national postseason win, beating Pacific (Calif.) in five sets in the first round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). Additionally, Seemann's 2010 squad became the first in school history to win both the Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament titles. Seemann picked up the first of two well-deserved Big Sky Coach of the Year awards that season (the other came in 2021).
In his first 18 seasons at Portland State, Seemann has posted at least 20 wins eight times, compiling an impressive 282-241 (.539) record and a 184-116 (.613) mark in Big Sky matches. He has led the Vikings to Big Sky Conference regular-season titles in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013 and a pair of conference tournament titles in 2008 and 2010.
SUSTAINED SUCCESS
The most decorated program on the Park Blocks, Seemann has been a strong steward for a Portland State volleyball program that holds four NCAA Division II National Championships (1984, 1985, 1988, 1992), three NCAA Division II Runner-Up finishes (1981, 1983, 1991), 18 national postseason appearances (14 as Division II member, 4 as Division I member), five Big Sky regular-season titles (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013) and two Big Sky tournament titles (2008, 2010).
Under Seemann, the Vikings have placed in the top four of the Big Sky Conference in 10 of his first 18 seasons. That includes eight first- or second-place finishes, the first seven of which came in his first seven seasons at the helm of the Vikings.
Strong home records have been a staple under Seemann, both when the Vikings played at the old Stott Center and at the new Viking Pavilion (2018-present). In his first 18 seasons, the Vikings are 145-76 (.656) at home under Seemann. That included a perfect 10-0 record at home in 2007, as well as perfect Big Sky Conference home records in 2007 (8-0), 2009 (8-0), 2010 (8-0), 2012 (10-0) and 2013 (10-0).
Additionally, the Vikings have consistently performed well while playing tough non-conference opponents under Seemann. That included a 7-4 non-conference record in 2023, when the Vikings recorded three wins over Pac-12 programs – the most in a single-season during the program’s Big Sky Conference era (1996-present).
Serving and defense have been consistent points of emphasis under Seemann. Sophia Meyers broke the single-season program record for aces per set with 0.47 in 2023, an average the led the Big Sky Conference and ranked her in the top 25 of the NCAA. Meanwhile, nine of the 10 highest single-season dig totals have been set by players who played for Seemann. Additionally, three of the top five leaders in career digs at Portland State played for Seemann, including record holder Ellie Snook who became just the fourth player in Big Sky Conference history to reach the 2,000-dig milestone, finishing with 2,138 in her Portland State career.
It didn’t take long for Seemann to put his mark on the program, as he led the Vikings to their first-ever Big Sky regular season championship and to the title match of the conference tournament in his first year at helm in 2007. The Vikings went undefeated in 10 home matches at the Stott Center and finished the season 21-8, making it the program’s third-straight 20-win season.
Seemann then led the Vikings to their first Big Sky tournament title the following year when they beat Northern Colorado, 3-0, and top-seeded Eastern Washington, 3-1, at the conference tournament.
The Vikings captured their second regular-season title in 2009, going 14-2 in Big Sky play and 21-8 overall. The Vikings closed out the regular season by winning their final nine conference matches that year, including eight via a 3-0 sweep. A 25-set winning streak for the Vikings remains their longest ever in the school’s NCAA Division I era and the third-longest in school history.
The 2010 season featured a title sweep as the Vikings won both the Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles. The Vikings again finished 14-2 in Big Sky play and 21-9 overall that season. Seemann was named Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year for the first of two times that season.
The Vikings added a fourth and fifth Big Sky regular-season title in 2012 and 2013, going 17-3 through a 20-match conference schedule both seasons. The Vikings went a perfect 10-0 in Big Sky play at home both seasons and made the Big Sky championship match in 2013.
A seventh 20-win season under Seemann came in 2017 when the Vikings finished 21-9 overall and 11-5 in Big Sky play.
The eighth 20-win season came in 2021 when Seemann led the Vikings to the first of back-to-back appearances in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). The Vikings went 20-11 overall and 12-4 in Big Sky play in 2021. They won the program’s first-ever national postseason match as an NCAA Division I member that season, beating Pacific (Calif.), 3-2, in the first round of the NIVC.
The Vikings made another appearance in the NIVC in 2022. They opened that season 9-1 in Big Sky, the program’s best start to conference play since they opened the 2012 conference season 14-1. The hot conference start followed a non-conference schedule in which the Vikings beat Oregon State for the first time since 1990. The Vikings recorded a 3-1 win over the Beavers at the team's home tournament, the Hotel Vance Rose City Showdown.
PLAYER ACCOLADES UNDER SEEMANN
Players have consistently developed into all-conference and individual award winners while competing for Seemann. Three different players have earned Big Sky MVP honors under Seemann between Nique Fradella (2009), Whitney Phillips (2010) and Garyn Schlatter (2013). Additionally, a Viking has been named Big Sky Libero of the Year six times during Seemann's tenure between Kasimira Clark (2012, 2013), Tasha Bojanic (2017) and Snook (2020, 2021, 2022). Snook became only the second three-time Libero of the Year within the Big Sky Conference, joining Sacramento State's Kristin Lutes.
Players have earned All-Big Sky first-team honors 22 times under Seemann, including four straight for Schlatter, who was the first player in Big Sky Conference history to earn the honor during all four years of their career. Sophia Meyers became the Vikings’ latest All-Big Sky first-team selection, receiving the honor unanimously in 2023.
The Vikings had three All-Big Sky first-team selections in both 2021 and 2022. Parker Webb and Makayla Lewis received the honor both seasons, while Snook joined them in 2021 and Madison Friebel in 2022. Three Vikings also received first-team honors in 2017, when Bojanic, Erin Clark and Caitlin Bettenay received the honor.
Pati Anae was an All-Big Sky first-team selection in 2016. Schlatter earned the honor each season from 2010-13. Wheeler joined Schlatter on the first team in 2012, while Megan Ellis joined her in 2011. Phillips received the second of her two first-team honors alongside Schlatter in 2010. Nique Fradella joined Phillips on the first team in 2009, while Michelle Segun and Marija Vojnovic received the honor in 2007 and 2008.
Additionally, six different Vikings have been named the Big Sky Conference’s Top Newcomer under Seemann, including the last four straight. Whitney Phillips earned the first Top Newcomer honor under Seemann in 2009, while Jaklyn Wheeler followed in 2012. Recently, Lewis, Friebel, Lauryn Anderson and Carisa Barron have taken home the last four Top Newcomer awards in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively.
Overall, 50 Vikings have received All-Big Sky honors under Seemann.
Statistically, Seemann has coached the Portland State career leaders in kills per set (Phillips, 4.85 k/s), hitting percentage (Katy Wilson, .307), assists per set (Fradella, 11.6), digs per set (Snook, 5.05), total blocks (Segun, 489), blocks per set (Erica Jepsen, 1.28), total points (Webb, 1,794.0), points per set (Phillips, 5.32) and double-doubles (Garyn Schlatter, 47).
Several of those players also set single-season program records under Seemann. Offensively, Phillips set the single-season record for kills during the 25-point scoring format, recording 556 in 2010. Anderson set the record for hitting percentage during the program’s Division I era with a .384 mark in 2023. Schlatter set the record for total assists during the 25-point scoring format with 1,252 in 2012. Meyers set the record for aces per set during the 25-point scoring format with 0.47 per set in 2023.
Defensively, Kasmira Clark set the record for total digs with 635 in 2012, while Snook set the record for digs per set with 5.47 in 2019. Segun also set the records for total blocks and blocks per set during the program’s Division I era with 180 and 1.71 per set, respectively, in 2007.
OTHER COACHING ENDEAVORS AND PERSONAL
Seemann first arrived at Portland State in 2005 as an associate head coach. He immediately laid the foundation for the Vikings’ future by bringing in three players – Fradella, Jepsen and Vojnovic – who would start all four years of their career.
Outside of Portland State, Seemann’s resume includes two national championships coaching 16U and 17U club teams, two Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) Coach of the Year Awards, and two NWAACC Championships.
In 2010, Seemann guided the NW Juniors Air Max squad to the national title in the 18-Under American Division at the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships in Reno. For their efforts, the squad was named one of four recipients of the George Pasero Team of the Year award at the 59th annual Oregon Sports Awards.
Before coming to Portland State, Seemann was an assistant coach at Oregon State University for three seasons (2002-04), where he worked primarily with the setters and outside hitters. He coached two athletes to All-Pac-10 Conference honors while at OSU. Seemann was also the coordinator and the budget administrator for team travel and fundraising.
Seemann had one of his most successful head coaching experiences at Mt. Hood Community College, where he coached from 1998-2001. He led Mt. Hood to back-to-back NWAACC Championships in 2000 and 2001 and was named the NWAACC Coach of the Year both seasons. In the four years he was the head coach, he compiled an overall record of 118-20 (.850). He also had two players receive All-America honors and 11 go on to compete for NCAA or NAIA universities.
Seemann’s resume also includes coaching a Nike Juniors Volleyball Club team. His club teams have had great success on the national platform at the National Volleyball Festival where they had a third-place finish in 2000, a second-place finish in 2001, and national championships in 2006 and 2007.
In 2004, Seemann became one of the co-founders of the Columbia Empire Region High Performance team, where he designed and held tryouts for the USA Volleyball affiliate team. His team had a top-five finish at both the 2004 National High Performance Tournament and the 2005 Global Challenge.
Seemann got his first break into the college coaching ranks as the head coach at Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, where he served for three seasons (1995-97). He led the Lumberjacks to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference regional championship in 1997 and coached two players to all-region honors and one to regional MVP. At Northland College, Seemann also served as an instructor.
As a player, Seemann competed for numerous club teams from Wisconsin to California.
Seemann graduated from Portland State in 1999, with a degree in communication studies.
| Michael Seemann Coaching Record |
| Year |
Overall |
Big Sky |
Conf. Finish |
| 2007 |
21-8 |
13-3 |
1st |
| 2008 |
20-9 |
11-5 |
2nd |
| 2009 |
21-8 |
14-2 |
1st |
| 2010 |
21-9 |
14-2 |
1st |
| 2011 |
18-13 |
12-4 |
2nd |
| 2012 |
21-11 |
17-3 |
1st |
| 2013 |
21-11 |
17-3 |
T-1st |
| 2014 |
9-20 |
7-9 |
6th |
| 2015 |
9-19 |
5-11 |
9th |
| 2016 |
17-12 |
9-7 |
6th |
| 2017 |
21-9 |
11-5 |
4th |
| 2018 |
5-25 |
4-14 |
10th |
| 2019 |
10-19 |
6-12 |
T-8th |
| 2020* |
6-12 |
5-11 |
T-8th |
| 2021 |
20-11 |
12-4 |
3rd |
| 2022 |
18-13 |
11-5 |
2nd |
| 2023 |
16-12 |
9-7 |
5th |
| 2024 |
8-20 |
7-9 |
T-6th |
| Total |
282-241 (.539) |
184-116 (.613) |
|
| *Matches played in winter 2021 |
