Eastern Iowa Volleyball
Coaching Staff

The following will work the SoloSpike Camps. ALL coaches are SoloSpike Certified.

Rick Blackwell
Head Volleyball Coach, Mount Mercy University

Blackwell was girls' volleyball coach at Cedar Rapids Xavier High School for two seasons (2003-04), leading the Saints to their first-ever Iowa Class 3A state volleyball tournament in 2004. He is currently the Co-owner of Corridor Courts in Marion, owner of Easterniowavolleyballcamps.com and is a volunteer coach and organizer for USA Volleyball, having worked with Xplosion and Rapid Spikers. Blackwell, a 1976 graduate of Coe, also received a Masters of Arts from the Iowa in 1993 and the Educational Leadership and Superintendent's Certificate from Northern Iowa in 2005.

Deb Marlin
Associate Head Coach, Mount Mercy University

Marlin has been involved in volleyball at the high school, college, and club levels for most of the past 20 years. She played volleyball for Morningside, where she ranks third in career assists and third in assists per game.

Marlin served as head volleyball coach at Kirkwood Community College when they finished fourth at the NJCAA Division II national volleyball tournament. She is also an invited clinician for many area summer camps.

While her primary focus is the setters, Marlin works with all players on improving their game and court awareness.

Jenna Watts

Coach Watts was a four year starter at Mount Mercy University earning all-league honorable mention honors her junior and senior year. She joined the MMU coaching staff in the fall of 2011.  She has been involved with Solospike for four years as a player and coached Solospike sessions during the summer of 2011. Coach Watts holds several blocking and attack records at MMU!  She was an outstanding athlete at New London garnering all state honors in volleyball, basketball and softball.  She graduated from MMU in 2011 with a B.A. in Education.