Hall of Honor
Mark Birtwistle began coaching Women’s Volleyball at Eastern College in 1990. In the years since, his teams have set the standard for success at the conference, regional, and national level.
He is a demanding teacher who challenges his athletes to love the game and love each other. In the process, his teams perform at an exceptionally high level. Eastern Women’s Volleyball won over thirty matches in six consecutive seasons. This year’s team, despite having 15 players playing their first season of collegiate competition, is 18-1 and unbeaten in the MAC Commonwealth.
At the time of induction, teams had amassed 772 career wins, 21 Conference Championships, and 19 NCAA Tournaments. Eastern won opening-round games in 15 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. He has taken three teams to the NCAA Championship site with the 2011 squad reaching the Final Four.
Fifteen different players have earned AVCA All-America Honors. Three of those athletes became four-time All-Americans. Coach Birtwistle has six AVCA Regional Coach of the Year Awards and has been named conference coach of the year ten times.
Coach Birtwistle is the first active coach to be inducted into the Hall of Honor. He joins five of his players: Lisa Sondej, Kate Adams Coneen, Erin Meredith, Maria Horning, and Courtney Reinhold in Eastern’s Hall of Honor.
