Tyler played competitive volleyball for almost 22 years and has played at several different levels beginning with local recreational leagues and competing in college. At his best, Tyler played for the University of Iowa (Hawkeyes) where he played most of his college career as the setter. He has an uncanny ability to place the set perfectly every time no matter where the pass was; and his hitters trusted that the set would be in the right place. He realized that in order to win consistently he (as the setter) had to be the emotional and physical leader of the team. Although it considered a club sport at the University of Iowa, he competed against most of the Big Ten schools including Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Indiana. During his tenure at the University of Iowa, they were ranked in the top 15 nationally. Although his college days are well in the past, he continues to play in local leagues and in occasional tournaments. In addition to playing, for the past 3 years he has coached for Willamette Valley Volleyball Club, 2 years in 14U and one year 16U Gold coach, his teams have always produced a winning record and they have jumped up in the CEVA power league rankings 20 to 30 spots. Coach Tyler loves to teach. His coaching philosophy is to teach players how to improve both physically and mentally on the court and provides players with a dynamic, challenging, and positive experience. On the personal side, Tyler is happily married (23 years) with 3 beautiful daughters and all of them excel tremendously in sports as well as other aspects of their lives. His oldest is an outstanding volleyball player and maybe even hits better than her dad. The middle ranks in the top 10 nationally in the 100 meter hurdles and will probably beat him this year. The youngest may be the most talented yet since she's doing her best to keep up with her older sisters.
