Girls volleyball has new head coach

The Sisters High School (SHS) volleyball team has a new head coach, 23-year-old Mahryahna Callegan. Despite her young age, Callegan brings with her not only personal playing experience, but seven years of coaching experience.

Callegan was born and raised in Bend, and currently works for the law office of Angela Lee. She started to play volleyball when she was just eight years old, and played through high school as an outside hitter and also a libero for Mt. View. 

Photo by Rongi Yost

Mahryahna Callegan will lead the Outlaws volleyball program next year.

She received a scholarship to play in college but declined due to personal reasons, and instead attended COCC (Central Oregon Community College). While attending COCC she immediately took a coaching position at Mt. View as the freshman volleyball coach and the assistant varsity coach (2019-2020). The following year she became the JV coach and continued as the assistant varsity coach, and remained in that position through the 2022-2023 season.

Callegan became a volleyball referee the 2023-2024 season, and in addition to being a volleyball ref she also was a football referee. (She actually was the lone girl on the Pilot Butte middle school football team.) While she was a ref, she also coached the 15-year-old travel team for COVC (Central Oregon Volleyball Club). The team travelled around the northwest and did very well. They started the season ranked 163rd and finished significantly higher.

She told The Nugget she’s always wanted to be in charge of a program, and learned ofseveral head coaching opportunities that were open in Central Oregon. Callegan applied for the Sisters position, interviewed a week later, and was hired the following day.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to take over a program, and as a previous player and past coach I’ve looked up to Rory’s program (Rory Rush – former SHS volleyball coach),” said Callegan. “She’s been so successful and has stayed relevant as volleyball has changed over the years.

“After I got the job I immediately texted her (Rush) and told her I’d accepted the position,” added Callegan. “I told her that I’d always looked up to her program and the legacy she’d created at Sisters. I also told her I respected everything she’d established for the Sisters volleyball program, and told her I plan to continue to honor and respect her name and legacy as I continue with the program.”

Callegan told The Nugget that she devotes all her time to volleyball, and that she eats, sleeps, and breathes it. Her coaching philosophy is structure, and discipline, incorporated with fun. She stated that those things will make any player or program successful.

When matches begin she shared that she wants the girls to have fun, but to know they are there to win! As far as playing time goes, she noted that she’s really big on commitment, stats, film, and what the player will bring to the team.

Callegan said, “Sisters volleyball is known throughout the state as desired and respected and it’s an honor to take over the program. I believe strongly in my coaching and abilities, and believe I can coach/teach any player to be great and also be a good human.”

She plans to develop the volleyball program, starting with coordinating with the middle school and having the high school players run a practice. Next year she already has plans for a kids camp, that will be for first graders through middle school.

Callegan is not wasting any time getting started this year. Open gym began Tuesday, June 17, and summer workouts start June 23. 

“What I love about this time is that it allows all levels to create a relationship with each other, because you don’t get that during the season,” said Callegan.

Joining Callegan on the coaching staff is Mailee Utu. Utu has been a volleyball referee and coached for COVC for the past several years.