Women's Volleyball
Barnard, Mark
Mark Barnard
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- Mark.Barnard@oregonstate.edu
- Phone:
- 737-4940
Mark Barnard enters his sixth season as the head volleyball coach at Oregon State in the fall of 2021. Barnard was elevated to the position on June 27, 2016, after 11 seasons as an assistant coach and associate head coach with the Beavers.
Most recently, during a shortened COVID-19 season in 2020-21, Oregon State went 5-13 in a season that was all conference matches. The Beavers swept Arizona State and California in Barnard's fifth season at the helm, along with a win against USC. He coached Grace Massey to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team, while Mychael Vernon and Kateryna Tkachenko each earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors during the season. Despite the shortened season, four Beavers earned a spot in the program's single-season records. Freshman Izzi Szulchewski recorded the seventh-highest marks for freshman in assists (589) and digs per set (2.82), while posting the fifth-best freshman mark in a season with 8.79 assists per set. Massey notched the seventh-most digs per set in a season with 4.21. The freshman combo of Vernon and Aliyah McDonald tabbed top-10 marks for freshmen, Vernon third with 3.35 kills per set and McDonald with an attacking percentage of .239 for ninth.
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In Barnard’s initial season leading the Beavers, OSU recorded 12 wins, doubling the program's win total from a year before. Marshall became the first two-time All-American in program history. She was also named All-Pac-12 First Team, and she and six other teammates were honored academically by the conference, that included second team selections Cheshire and Reagan.
Year two of the Barnard era included a nine-win improvement from 2016 to 2017. Along the way, the Beavers earned their fourth NCAA Tournament berth in program history and the first five-match conference win streak since 1990 – and the Beavers did it twice – and Barnard was named as the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. In addition, OSU notched the first weekend sweeps of the Washington and Arizona schools since 1990 and 1996 respectively and went on to complete the season sweeps of those schools for the first time since 1984 and 1990.
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Also in 2017, Mary-Kate Marshall earned All-America honors for the third time in her career while setter Kylee McLaughlin garnered Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors and AVCA Pacific North Region Freshman of the Year accolades. In 2017, Marshall became the first OSU player ever to be named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week on three occasions and earned all-conference first team honors. McLaughlin collected all-conference honorable mention while Maddie Goings and McLaughlin were named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. Kory Cheshire and Lanesha Reagan were recognized as Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team selections along with three teammates receiving honorable mention.
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The 2018 season was marred by injuries from the outset with returning starting middle blocker Kory Cheshire missing the entire season, outside hitter Shekinah Clarke missing all but four matches, and starting opposite Haylie Bennett missing time due to three separate injuries. Despite the injuries, the Beavers finished the preseason with a 10-2 record and road wins over a pair of top 25 teams in Iowa State and San Diego. Grace Massey earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week in August after earning co-MVP honors at the Iowa State Challenge. Massey added Pac-12 All-Academic First Team honors and five of her teammates were also recognized for academics.
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For the second straight year, the 2019 season was disrupted by a slew of injuries and illness with starting setter Maddie Sheehan going down at midseason and hitters Chloe Brown, Maddie Goings, Cecilee Max-Brown and Amy Underdown missing time including one stretch with all four sidelines. In addition, opposite hitter Nya Buckner missed the full season for the second year in a row. Despite the difficulties, the Beavers won six preseason matches and swept the opening weekend of Pac-12 play for the first time since 2004, beating No. 24 Oregon in five as well as Colorado. Massey earned the second Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week award of her career following the opening week of conference play. Eight OSU players earned Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll.
Barnard, who oversaw the team’s setters and offense during his tenure under former head coach Taras Liskevych, has mentored some of the top student-athletes in program history. Most recently, in 2014, Tayla Woods concluded her Oregon State career with 3,153 assists, which ranks fourth all-time. Woods was teammates for two seasons with Megan McBride, whose 2,605 career assists ranks seventh.
In 2014, the Beavers, under Liskevych and Barnard, advanced to their first ever Sweet 16, defeating UALR and Creighton en route. OSU was led offensively by Marshall, who was named the Pac-12 Conference’s Freshman of the Year.
A native of Sydney, Australia, Barnard helped mentor fellow Australian and All-American Rachel Rourke from 2006-09. She concluded her career with a program-best 1,920 kills. Rourke is the program’s first and only back-to-back all-conference performer, doing so in 2008 and 2009.
Barnard oversaw the development of Camille Saxton, who finished her career in 2012 as one of the most prolific offensive players at Oregon State. She ended her career 11th in school history in kills and fifth in attacks. Saxton finished with 1,307 points, 12th all-time.
Barnard joined the Oregon State program on July 22, 2005 as an assistant coach under Liskevych. He was promoted to associate head coach in July 2008 after three seasons in Corvallis.
Barnard spent the 2015 and 2016 offseasons as the head coach of the Australian Women’s National Team. Nicknamed the “Volleyroos,” the team entered 2014 ranked 100th in the world, and in one year under Barnard’s direction, improved to 46th.
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Barnard had International experience prior to his appointment as head coach. He was an assistant for the National Team from 1997-00, including the Sydney Olympics.
During that time, he also served as head coach of the women’s national junior team (1999-2000) and women’s national youth team (1997-99). In 2001, Barnard led the National Team of Australia to its first qualification to the World Championships in over 20 years. At its height, the Australian team was ranked No. 12 in the world.
Barnard, who broke into the profession at the high school level, coached at Westfields Sports High School from 1992-97. They won the National Championships in 1995-96 becoming the first school to ever achieve this honor. He also spent time coaching the National Junior Men’s Team from 1994-97.
He was prolific as an athlete as well, playing on the 1984 Australian Junior Men’s Team. He also competed on New South Wales Junior Teams from 1982 through 87, three times winning the National Championships and was an All-Australian 12 selection.
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Barnard is a 1991 graduate of the University of Sydney with a degree in Education and Science. Mark and his wife, Louise, have two children, Isabella, and Alexander.
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
• 1982-87: New South Wales Junior Teams
• 1984: Australian Junior Men's Team
COACHING EXPERIENCE
• 1992-97: Westfields Sports High School
• 1994-97: Australia National Junior Men's Team
• 1997-99: Australia National Women's Youth Team
• 1999-00: Australia National Junior Women's Team
• 1997-05: Australia National Women's Team
• 2005-08: Oregon State Assistant Coach
• 2008-16: Oregon State Associate Head Coach
• 2016-present: Oregon State Head Coach
Most recently, during a shortened COVID-19 season in 2020-21, Oregon State went 5-13 in a season that was all conference matches. The Beavers swept Arizona State and California in Barnard's fifth season at the helm, along with a win against USC. He coached Grace Massey to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team, while Mychael Vernon and Kateryna Tkachenko each earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors during the season. Despite the shortened season, four Beavers earned a spot in the program's single-season records. Freshman Izzi Szulchewski recorded the seventh-highest marks for freshman in assists (589) and digs per set (2.82), while posting the fifth-best freshman mark in a season with 8.79 assists per set. Massey notched the seventh-most digs per set in a season with 4.21. The freshman combo of Vernon and Aliyah McDonald tabbed top-10 marks for freshmen, Vernon third with 3.35 kills per set and McDonald with an attacking percentage of .239 for ninth.
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In Barnard’s initial season leading the Beavers, OSU recorded 12 wins, doubling the program's win total from a year before. Marshall became the first two-time All-American in program history. She was also named All-Pac-12 First Team, and she and six other teammates were honored academically by the conference, that included second team selections Cheshire and Reagan.
Year two of the Barnard era included a nine-win improvement from 2016 to 2017. Along the way, the Beavers earned their fourth NCAA Tournament berth in program history and the first five-match conference win streak since 1990 – and the Beavers did it twice – and Barnard was named as the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. In addition, OSU notched the first weekend sweeps of the Washington and Arizona schools since 1990 and 1996 respectively and went on to complete the season sweeps of those schools for the first time since 1984 and 1990.
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Also in 2017, Mary-Kate Marshall earned All-America honors for the third time in her career while setter Kylee McLaughlin garnered Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors and AVCA Pacific North Region Freshman of the Year accolades. In 2017, Marshall became the first OSU player ever to be named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week on three occasions and earned all-conference first team honors. McLaughlin collected all-conference honorable mention while Maddie Goings and McLaughlin were named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. Kory Cheshire and Lanesha Reagan were recognized as Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team selections along with three teammates receiving honorable mention.
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The 2018 season was marred by injuries from the outset with returning starting middle blocker Kory Cheshire missing the entire season, outside hitter Shekinah Clarke missing all but four matches, and starting opposite Haylie Bennett missing time due to three separate injuries. Despite the injuries, the Beavers finished the preseason with a 10-2 record and road wins over a pair of top 25 teams in Iowa State and San Diego. Grace Massey earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week in August after earning co-MVP honors at the Iowa State Challenge. Massey added Pac-12 All-Academic First Team honors and five of her teammates were also recognized for academics.
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For the second straight year, the 2019 season was disrupted by a slew of injuries and illness with starting setter Maddie Sheehan going down at midseason and hitters Chloe Brown, Maddie Goings, Cecilee Max-Brown and Amy Underdown missing time including one stretch with all four sidelines. In addition, opposite hitter Nya Buckner missed the full season for the second year in a row. Despite the difficulties, the Beavers won six preseason matches and swept the opening weekend of Pac-12 play for the first time since 2004, beating No. 24 Oregon in five as well as Colorado. Massey earned the second Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week award of her career following the opening week of conference play. Eight OSU players earned Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll.
Barnard, who oversaw the team’s setters and offense during his tenure under former head coach Taras Liskevych, has mentored some of the top student-athletes in program history. Most recently, in 2014, Tayla Woods concluded her Oregon State career with 3,153 assists, which ranks fourth all-time. Woods was teammates for two seasons with Megan McBride, whose 2,605 career assists ranks seventh.
In 2014, the Beavers, under Liskevych and Barnard, advanced to their first ever Sweet 16, defeating UALR and Creighton en route. OSU was led offensively by Marshall, who was named the Pac-12 Conference’s Freshman of the Year.
A native of Sydney, Australia, Barnard helped mentor fellow Australian and All-American Rachel Rourke from 2006-09. She concluded her career with a program-best 1,920 kills. Rourke is the program’s first and only back-to-back all-conference performer, doing so in 2008 and 2009.
Barnard oversaw the development of Camille Saxton, who finished her career in 2012 as one of the most prolific offensive players at Oregon State. She ended her career 11th in school history in kills and fifth in attacks. Saxton finished with 1,307 points, 12th all-time.
Barnard joined the Oregon State program on July 22, 2005 as an assistant coach under Liskevych. He was promoted to associate head coach in July 2008 after three seasons in Corvallis.
Barnard spent the 2015 and 2016 offseasons as the head coach of the Australian Women’s National Team. Nicknamed the “Volleyroos,” the team entered 2014 ranked 100th in the world, and in one year under Barnard’s direction, improved to 46th.
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Barnard had International experience prior to his appointment as head coach. He was an assistant for the National Team from 1997-00, including the Sydney Olympics.
During that time, he also served as head coach of the women’s national junior team (1999-2000) and women’s national youth team (1997-99). In 2001, Barnard led the National Team of Australia to its first qualification to the World Championships in over 20 years. At its height, the Australian team was ranked No. 12 in the world.
Barnard, who broke into the profession at the high school level, coached at Westfields Sports High School from 1992-97. They won the National Championships in 1995-96 becoming the first school to ever achieve this honor. He also spent time coaching the National Junior Men’s Team from 1994-97.
He was prolific as an athlete as well, playing on the 1984 Australian Junior Men’s Team. He also competed on New South Wales Junior Teams from 1982 through 87, three times winning the National Championships and was an All-Australian 12 selection.
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Barnard is a 1991 graduate of the University of Sydney with a degree in Education and Science. Mark and his wife, Louise, have two children, Isabella, and Alexander.
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
• 1982-87: New South Wales Junior Teams
• 1984: Australian Junior Men's Team
COACHING EXPERIENCE
• 1992-97: Westfields Sports High School
• 1994-97: Australia National Junior Men's Team
• 1997-99: Australia National Women's Youth Team
• 1999-00: Australia National Junior Women's Team
• 1997-05: Australia National Women's Team
• 2005-08: Oregon State Assistant Coach
• 2008-16: Oregon State Associate Head Coach
• 2016-present: Oregon State Head Coach
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