By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- In Willamette University's continued celebration of National Girls & Women's in Sports Day throughout this week, it is an honor to highlight what Head Women's Volleyball Coach Lily Hallock has gained as a player and a coach, and how she is able to "Lead Her Forward" as she guides the Bearcats. "Lead Her Forward" is this year's theme for NGWSD at Willamette.
Hallock is in her first year with the Bearcats.
For Hallock, much of her positive learning experiences as a player were provided by men who were coaching girls' or women's teams. These coaches encouraged her to develop skills and confidence as an athlete.
"Growing up my dad coached many of my youth sports teams," Hallock recalled. "He was very supportive of powerful women, and when I was in my early twenties and coaching high school basketball he proudly served as my assistant coach. Pretty much every game, the opposing coach would walk up to him to introduce themself, assuming my dad was the head coach. He would quickly inform them they had the wrong person."
Prior to arriving at Willamette, Hallock was an observer of volleyball officials for the Pac-12 Conference. She was the head volleyball coach at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse from 2012-17. In her final two years at UW-Lac Crosse, her team won back-to-back Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championships and made consecutive trips to the NCAA Division III Volleyball National Tournament. For her efforts, Hallock was chosen WIAC Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2016.
With the great support that she received from her father and other coaches, Hallock was able to succeed as a student-athlete in college.
She played four seasons of NCAA Division III volleyball as a setter at UC Santa Cruz during the 1999 through 2002 seasons. She was chosen First Team All-Conference as a senior. She was a team captain for three years and was named team MVP twice. She also competed in basketball at UCSC. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Physiology from the University of Oregon in 2006 and received a Master of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Studies from Smith College in 2012. Hallock is an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.
Hallock has been able to focus her efforts on improving her players in much the same way that she was able to improve under the guidance of her youth and college coaches. Her experiences in volleyball have translated well to success off the court.
"On the court, women are often able to be more aggressive than is accepted in everyday life," Hallock said. "I've been able to take my aggressive nature from competition and use it to tackle everyday life."
Encouragement from her father helped lead Hallock into her coaching career. As a result, she's now working to "Lead Her Forward" as she encounters youngsters, high school players, and college student-athletes.
"When I was growing up I wanted to be a coach, but I never imagined that I could coach college athletics," Hallock commented. "My dad suggested that I become a high school teacher and coach, but I knew that wasn't the route I wanted to take. It wasn't until I was a college athlete that I started to see a path in collegiate athletics. I think it's important that we help show females a path towards any career they are interested in and inspire them to dream big.
"I first started coaching basketball when I was in high school," Hallock recalled. "Following my senior year, I was the lead coach at the little kids' summer camp our high school ran. Looking back, I'm surprised that my coach trusted an 18-year-old to be in charge of a gym full of dozens of elementary school kids, but he was also the person who said sports would be missing out if I didn't become a coach."
Now, Hallock is thrilled to pass her knowledge about sports and life to girls and women who want to participate in athletics. She has seen how athletics -- and volleyball in particular -- can impact people in many positive ways.
"I hope that through my coaching I can deepen the love of the game for the athletes I work with," Hallock said. "I want them to enjoy volleyball for life and I hope that some of them will become coaches.
"It is so fun to watch the athletes that I have coached go on and become successful in their personal and professional lives," Hallock added.
