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Prep notebook: Barker’s switch from Northridge to Davis headlines volleyball coaching changes

By Patrick Carr Standard-Examiner - | Jun 14, 2021
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One of the more interesting local high school sports coaching switches this offseason was indeed a fall sport, but for once, it wasn’t football. It’s volleyball.

Four-year Northridge volleyball coach McKay Barker is now head coach at her alma mater, Davis High, as one of at least four volleyball coaching changes — three are in Region 1 — this year.

Barker takes over at Davis for Lori Salvo, a longtime volleyball coach at Davis and Viewmont who retired after last season.

“It was a really good opportunity that wouldn’t come up again for a really long time, at least. I never really saw myself leaving Northridge as quickly as I have. Who knows when it will happen,” Barker said.

Barker was a four-year letterwinner in volleyball at Davis as a libero, then played four years at Weber State where she still holds records for most single-season digs (515) and single-game digs (42).

From 2017-20, the Knights went a combined 48-47, took third place in Region 1 in 2018 and 2019, and fourth in 2020.

Salvo was the head coach at Davis in Barker’s senior year, and the two coached against each other several times as Region 1 opponents the past few years.

“It’s nice to come into a program that’s so organized with girls that are ready to compete, and it’s a really fun opportunity to walk into something like that not have to build it from the ground,” Barker said.

The Darts last won a region volleyball title in 2016 and have been a top-half team the last few seasons in Region 1, which has been dominated by Fremont and Syracuse.

Davis High is one of at least four schools locally that will have a new head coach, along with Northridge, Weber and Clearfield.

Northridge will have Mitch Stevens as its new head volleyball coach. Stevens was an assistant coach at Bountiful and coaches at the club level.

Renae Davis, a Weber High alumnus, will take over as head coach for the Warriors, making her the school’s fourth different head coach in as many seasons.

Renae Davis was a First Team Standard-Examiner All-Area honoree in high school and played setter for Laramie County Community College and at NAIA University of Providence in Great Falls, Montana.

Renae Davis replaces Liz Dutcher, who was hired last year to replace Jeff Barrows, who was hired the year before that.

Clearfield hired Brooke Pehrson as its new head coach to replace two-year coach Kirsten Gunderson. Pehrson is a Syracuse alumnus who was a four-year starting middle blocker at Idaho State after a decorated career at Syracuse High.

TWO ROY ALUMS NAMED ALL-AMERICANS

Two Roy High alumni were named junior college football All-Americans on Monday for the recently completed spring season.

Cormac Boyer and Zack Mendoza, who both play for JUCO independent Snow College, were named honorable mention All-American offensive linemen for their efforts with the Badgers football team, which lost in the NJCAA national championship game earlier this month.

Snow went 8-1 this season, with the only loss coming against Hutchinson (Kansas) in the aforementioned championship game. The Badgers rushed for an average of 184.8 yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry.

Boyer verbally committed to Weber State last month.

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