Tara Hittle joined the Pepperdine women's volleyball sidelines as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the 2019 season. In her two seasons with the Waves, the team has posted a 35-15 (.700) winning percentage.
Hittle helped coach the Waves to one of the best seasons in recent years in the 2020 campaign, which was uncommonly played in Spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The squad finished with a No. 20 AVCA Coaches Poll final ranking and a NCAA Championship second round appearance. Pepperdine went 17-4 overall and 16-2 in the WCC to finish second in the league. The program saw the first two AVCA All-Americans honors since the 2013 season, with Shannon Scully and Rachel Ahrens having achieved the feat. Three players earned AVCA All-Pacific South Region and five to All-WCC postseason accolades, including Madison Shields to WCC Libero of the Year and Meg Brown to WCC Freshman of the Year. Scully, Ahrens, Brown and Isabel Zelaya were also named All-WCC first teamers.
In the 2019 campaign, Hittle helped coach the Waves to an 18-11 output, including a 14-4 record and a 3rd place finish in the West Coast Conference. Six Waves earned WCC postseason honors, including Hannah Frohling, Tarah Wylie and Shannon Scully to the All-WCC first team. After the season, Wylie and Scully also earned AVCA All-Pacific South Region honors. Wylie went on to sign a professional contract after the season, while Scully and Hana Lishman went on to make Team USA’s National Collegiate Team roster as well as earned spots on Team USA’s Spring Training roster.
A former NCAA Division I multi-sport student-athlete and professional volleyball player, Hittle spent her collegiate career playing both volleyball and basketball at the University of Hawai’i, graduating with a degree in physical education and health in 2009. While playing from 2004-08, with Wong on the coaching staff in 2006, she was a four-time letterwinner and remains in the record book for career digs (4th – 1,315) and digs/game (7th – 2.83). Hittle also helped the Rainbow Wahine to a pair of NCAA Elite 8 appearances in 2006 and 2008, as well as Sweet 16 berths in 2004 and 2005.
Most recently, Hittle served as an assistant coach with the Duke women’s volleyball program, a program that frequents the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championships. In 2018, Hittle helped the Blue Devil squad to a 16-12 overall record and a 5th place finish in the ACC, as well as a NCAA First Round ending. She helped three Blue Devils to All-ACC performances throughout the season, while also guiding two to AVCA All-American accolades.
Prior to Duke, Hittle spent time on the sidelines with Portland State in 2017, helping the Vikings to the team’s first 20-win season since 2013 and guiding four to All-Big Sky Conference honors. Before Portland State, she spent time as a member of the Dartmouth coaching staff in 2016.
From 2011-16, she served as a high school and club volleyball coach in her home state of Colorado, serving as the head volleyball coach at Valor Christian High School from 2014-15 and Doherty High School from 2011-14. She led DHS to a 2012 State Championship title and was named 2012 Colorado Coach of the Year.
After UH, she also played professionally for the Volleyball Franches-Montagnes in Switzerland during the 2010-11 season.
