Head Coach CARMEN STRATTON

Carmen Stratton took over as the women’s volleyball coach prior to the 2007 season, a position she filled on an interim basis during the 2006 season.

Stratton grew up in the area and attended Capistrano Valley Christian High School before heading off to Arizona State. She returned to the area in 2001 and served as an assistant coach at Saddleback before stepping in to play setter for the Gauchos during the 2002 season, earning first-team all-Orange Empire Conference honors. She finished her education and volleyball career at Concordia University where she earned all-GSAC, all-region, and all-American honors. She was also selected as her team’s MVP and earned a Champion of Character scholarship.

Stratton returned to the Saddleback program in 2006, serving as Associate Head Coach while Karen Jacobsen was out on maternity leave. Stratton has six years of coaching experience with the Laguna Beach Volleyball Club. She has also served as the assistant coach at St. Margaret’s High School for two seasons, helping guide that program to a pair of league and CIF titles. In 2005 she served as an assistant coach at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, helping to guide that team to league and CIF titles.

Assistant Coast WAYNE HERTEL

Assistant Coach KYLE BARNES

Kyle Barnes joins the Gaucho coaching staff under Carmen Stratton in 2009 and has been playing and coaching volleyball for nearly 20 years.  He was once a part of the community college system himself, playing at El Camino College before heading to the four-year level at Cal State San Bernadino.

Barnes has coached the Asics Tigers Volleyball Club and the Specific Volleyball Club at the club level and the Laguna Beach Volleyball Club for the past four years.  He was also a part of the 2008 CIF champion Santa Margarita Catholic High School coaching staff.

Barnes and his family live in Ladera Ranch.