After being a part of the University of Pittsburgh’s 31-3 record-holding team, former Pittsburgh assistant coach, Lindsey Behonick, picked up her things alongside her family to take over the role of head coach for Oregon State volleyball.

On Nov. 16, 2022, former Oregon State head volleyball coach, Mark Barnard, announced that he would be retiring from his position as head coach following the conclusion of the 2022 volleyball season after being with the program for 18 seasons. 

Since then, the school and athletic department had been looking for a candidate to take over the role until settling on Behonick.

With an incomplete roster to fill and many players to train and get up to speed in the off-season, Behonick has big plans to turn the Beavers’ previous losing records into a successful powerhouse with big goals to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

That being said, the new coach realizes that big program rebuilds, such as this, don’t happen overnight.

“Obviously, what I want to happen is to make the tournament. Do I think it’s going to happen? Probably not. There’s also just ebbs and flows with how RPI is and how fast you can really make those jumps,” Behonick said. “I would love to do it as fast as I can, but not have it jeopardize the culture of the program.”

Being the program’s twelfth head volleyball coach, traveling from a university with a large volleyball presence, there is a hope that Behonick’s new coaching style and newly hired staff will bring the Beavers into a new era of success. 

“I have these ways that I want to play. I want to play fast,” Behonick said.

Coming into the new year with a new program, Behonick already has begun to shift the structure of the practices in the short eight hours the team can practice each week.

“I’m creating a gym that has some more structure than what they’ve been used to, but in a good way. I’m someone that wants to teach the all-around game,” Behonick said. “I’m already seeing improvements. I’m seeing girls in the gym that are eager to learn and that are starting to buy in and that’s what excites me.”

With senior setter Inna Balyko finishing her time at Oregon State, Behonick has already expressed her philosophy of how she plans on looking for new and talented athletes.

“I want to recruit the best players. I don’t care where they’re from as long as they’re good humans,” Behonick said. “I want to recruit players that want to be really good at volleyball, want to have a good education, and be successful outside of their time here at the university.”