Adams State College alumna Lindy Mortensen recently completed her ninth season at the helm of the Grizzly volleyball program. In 2012, she led the Grizzlies to their first-ever NCAA Division II Tournament appearance and their second straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference West Division title.
Mortensen, who enters the 2014 season with a 129-124 collegiate record, claimed her first collegiate head coaching win on Aug. 26, 2005 against Southwestern Oklahoma State. The Grizzlies went 11-15 in that season, her first at ASC, before finishing 2006 with a 5-23 mark. The Grizzlies then had a remarkable turnaround in 2007 going 15-14 while advancing to the RMAC Tournament for the first time in four years. The Grizzlies did not stop there and defeated Fort Lewis in the quarterfinal round, ASC's first post-season victory in four years.
The Grizzlies continued that success in 2008 as they defeated three nationally-ranked teams, including two ranked in the top 10, while finishing 15-13 overall. The Grizzlies also defeated Nebraska-Kearney for the first time in school history in the quarterfinals of the RMAC Tournament advancing to the semifinals for the second straight campaign.
In 2009, the Grizzlies finished 14-14 and qualified for the RMAC Tournament for the third straight season.
After a 9-17 season in 2010, the Grizzlies quickly bounced back to go 19-9 in 2011 while winning a share of the RMAC West crown while advancing to the RMAC Tournament semifinals once again.
The Grizzlies then had their best season in nearly two decades in 2012 as they went 24-6 overall and 16-3 in RMAC play to win the West Division crown by four full matches while finishing in a tie for second place overall. Nationally ranked for the first time in their Division II history, the Grizzlies once again advanced to the semifinals of the RMAC Tournament and were then selected for the NCAA Division II Tournament.
During the season, Mortensen claimed her 100th career win against Fort Lewis on Sept. 29 and won 11 straight matches, the Grizzlies’ longest winning streak since 1992. They also defeated perennial RMAC power Metro State for the first time since 1996.
For the 2013 campaign, Mortensen led the Grizzlies to a 17-13 overall record and a strong 9-2 home mark. The season was capped off with wins over Regis University and Colorado School of Mines in the RMAC Volleyball Tournament before falling to Metro State University, 3-0
Mortensen now ranks second in ASU history for career volleyball wins behind only Vivian Frausto, who claimed 178 wins in her 12-year (1985-96) tenure.
Mortensen has coached 10 different players to a total of 16 All-RMAC honors in her time at Adams State. Andrea Tuck and Darcy Jennings-Calkins were also honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association as All-Southwest Region selections in 2007 while Tuck also picked up First Team Daktronics All-Region honors as well. Tuck also became the Grizzlies’ first NCAA Division II All-American in 2008 earning honors from both Daktronics and the AVCA while Jennings-Calkins added 2009 all-region accolades from both organizations to her school-record setting resume.
A new wave of players then came in to lead the program, led by Dominique Davis, who earned All-RMAC honors in both 2011 and 2012 while becoming ASU’s all-time career kills leader in the Grizzlies’ NCAA Tournament match. Setter Gabriella Rifilato was also named to the All-RMAC squad in 2012 and was the RMAC’s Setter of the Year. Both players also received all-region accolades from both Daktronics and the AVCA.
The program’s student-athletes have also shined academically as the Grizzlies received the AVCA Team Academic Award for both the 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic years.
Prior to taking the reins of the Grizzly program, Mortensen had guided the Montezuma-Cortez High School Panthers to six straight Southwestern League titles and a perfect 60-0 league record from 1999-2004. The feat is even more amazing, considering the 4A Panthers competed in a mostly Class 5A league.
Recording a 193-46 record in her nine years (1996-2004) at MCHS, Mortensen was one of the best high school coaches in all of Colorado and guided her Panther teams to the state tournament on six occasions. She was named as the Southwestern League Coach of the Year on seven occasions, including in each of her last six years with the Panthers and as the state’s 4A Coach of the Year in 1999 by both the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. Mortensen was also tabbed as the Colorado High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2003, the same year in which she was Colorado’s nominee for National Coach of the Year honors. Leading the Panthers to the 4A State Tournament’s final four in 1999 and 2001, Mortensen was also been selected to be an All-State coach on three occasions, including in 2004.
Earning her bachelor’s degree in secondary physical education from Adams State in 1980, Mortensen, a native of La Veta, Colo., started her coaching career at Sanford (Colo.) High School in 1983 and became the Indians’ head volleyball coach in 1985. She guided the Indians for two years before moving to Cortez along with her husband Wade, who is now the head boys' basketball coach at Sangre de Cristo High School in Mosca, Colo. Wade, a veteran high school coach, claimed his 500th career win in 2012.
After moving to Cortez, Lindy Mortensen was the assistant varsity/head junior varsity coach from 1992-95 before taking control of the Panther program in 1996.
Quickly going to work, Mortensen led the Panthers to their first SWL title in just her second year at the helm. She and the squad then started the string of six consecutive league titles in 1999.
Throughout her high school coaching career, Mortensen coached 12 players that have received college volleyball scholarships and has guided nine players that were selected to play in All-State games.
Although not having collegiate coaching experience prior to her arrival at Adams State, Mortensen was no stranger to the collegiate game, the San Luis Valley or the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Her eldest daughter Amber, who directs the local Dunes Volleyball Club, was the former head volleyball coach at 2A Sangre de Cristo High School and 3A Monte Vista High School and now teaches physical education at Alamosa High School.
Her younger daughter Annie (Rice) completed a 2-year career at Fort Lewis College in Durango in 2003 after spending two years at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling. She earned her master’s degree at ASC in 2006 and is now teaching and coaching at Center High School.
Her son Marcus capped a strong 4-year career on the Grizzlies’ basketball team in 2008. As a junior, he was named as the RMAC West Division’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year while helping the Grizzlies to their first RMAC West Division title and NCAA Division II National Tournament appearance. He completed his degree in human performance and physical education at ASC in 2010 and now resides in Denver.
Second son Ryan also finished his basketball and educational careers at Colorado Mesa University in 2010 and is now pursuing a teacher's license in English at Adams State while assisting his father Wade with the boys’ basketball teams at Sangre de Cristo.
Youngest son Jess, also a prep basketball player, graduated from San Juan High School in Blanding, Utah in 2011 and currently attends Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
