Indiana University Athletics
Getting To Know Assistant Coach Dottie Porch
10/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 2, 2006
A volleyball coach's job goes well beyond shouting encouragement and directions to the players out on the court and breaking down strategy in the huddle. There are countless hours of preparation that go into a match, from scouting, travel plans and practice. For Indiana assistant coach Dottie Porch, those hours of preparation are her favorite aspect of the job.
"I just think its fun, the preparation to get ready for a weekend," Porch said. "It's exciting to get your team prepared, both physically and mentally for an opponent."
Now in her second season with the Hoosiers, Porch has a variety of duties that fall under her coaching umbrella. She works primarily with the middle blockers while on the court, but away from University Gym, Porch coordinates the team travel as well as working with the recruiting efforts. She also serves as the liaison between the coaching staff and the 15 student-athletes that comprise the Indiana volleyball team.
"The student-athletes have no idea the time that is put into travel, but Dottie makes it look easy, she makes it look simple," Indiana head coach Katie Weismiller said. "On and off the court, she is the liaison between the girls and the coaching staff, and they will go to her and talk to her. She's a collection of things that she does for us. Obviously, she does the team travel, she does equipment and recruiting for us, but most of what she does is the personae and the personality and dealing with people."
Porch, a native of Richmond, Ind., has navigated the globe in order to land back in the Hoosier state. A two-sport student-athlete for the IPFW Mastodons, she split time between the basketball court in the winter and the volleyball court in the fall. However, that movement was nothing new to Porch, who had played three sports at Richmond High School.
"In high school, I was always a three-sport athlete, and everything was to get me prepared for basketball, since that was my first sport," Porch said. "So when I got to college, I was used to going from one sport to the next. I asked the volleyball coach if I could play, to practice, to stay in shape and he said yes. The rest is history."
After closing out her collegiate career as a two-time IPFW player of the year, three-time all-Great Lakes Valley Conference and two-time all-region honoree, the AVCA All-American took her talents across the Atlantic. Porch spent time playing professionally in four separate European leagues, beginning with a stint as the primary outside hitter for her team in the Orividen Ponnistus league in Orivesi, Finalnd in 1998-99. That season, she was named the Soumen Cup Player of the Game and European Cup Player of the Game. Following that maiden season in Europe, Porch spent a season as a utility player and outside hitter in the Vigevano, Italy league, as an outside hitter in the Lisbon, Portugal league and as the primary outside hitter of her squad in the Ankara, Turkey league. Although it was a big jump from Indiana to Europe, for Porch, it was just one more way to further her education.
"I thought it was a good idea to further my volleyball career, to see different parts of the world, but also to play at a high level," she said. "I played at a Division II school and we were really good, but it wasn't a Big Ten school. It wasn't on that level, and I wanted to experience different things, play at a high level and to see the world for free."
With exposure to a variety of cultures in her four seasons overseas, Porch could easily name her favorites. "The best place to play was Italy, and the best place to see was Portugal." And, as an added bonus, she can now say the basic statements and questions of living, such as "how much does this cost and where is that," in numerous languages.
Porch returned to Indiana after Turkey and spent time as a production assistant at Channel 13 in Indianapolis while working on breaking into sports broadcasting. She also spent three seasons as a co-coach of the Indy Junior Volleyball Club. While at Indy Juniors, two of her teams advanced to Nationals, and all members of her 18-1 squad advanced to the collegiate ranks. Porch also evaluated players and helped develop their skill base, with a special emphasis on the middle blocker corps with a variety of drills and practice plans.
"When I got into club, that was me getting back into volleyball," Porch explained. "I hadn't been involved - I had worked in television, and my schedule didn't allow me to deviate from that very much. Coaching club got me back into volleyball. I just liked being around the kids. I coached 16's, 17's and 18's, and seeing their ambition about the court and their future was great. I know the path they are trying to take, and I liked being a role model, helping and influencing."
When Porch sent out resumes to college coaches, it was not only her experience, but also her personality that appealed to Weismiller.
"And her will, her drive, her passion, they are contagious. You can't train those things, and she has them. I knew that I could help her with Division I volleyball at the coaching level, but you can't train those other things. That truly sets her aside from most coaches."
Porch has definitely made her presence felt in just her second season on the sidelines for the Hoosiers. In 2005, Indiana middle blockers set a new program record for most total blocks in a season, and Mandy Eberle broke both the single season-block assists and total blocks records. Already in 2006, the Hoosiers have tied program records for most total blocks in a five-game match and most solo blocks in school history, both coming against No. 19 Michigan. This year's middles have also set new career-bests for block solos and block assists and are climbing the program charts. However, Porch is quick to deflect the praise back to the players.
"I don't know if it [the success] is the coaching, it's aspects of the game," she said. "The girls work hard, and it's their drive and wanting to get better at it that makes them successful."
Given Porch's array of talents, one cannot help but wonder what lies ahead in her future.
"My philosophy is to do what you like," she said. "I liked television, I loved television, but I also love volleyball. I love sports. I'm not going to be bitter about where I work, but I'm not a 9-5 person, so I have tried to put myself in a position where whatever I do, I'm going to enjoy. Maybe one day down the road I'll do television. It seems like most of the time, coaches are making the jump to television in different sports, but I'm enjoying coaching volleyball right now. I'm young to coaching, I have a lot to learn about coaching and different aspects of it, and I'm very eager to learn, so this is what I am going to do for right now."
For Weismiller, Porch's' ability coach at the Division I level is a no-brainer.
"She has all the skills necessary to become a Division I coach," Weismiller said. "She has the personality and the talent. She truly can do anything she wants."
