Ally (Sather) Deal enters her first year at the helm of SRJC Volleyball. Deal is an adjunct faculty member in the Kinesiology, Athletics and Dance Department and is an alumnus out of Maria Carrillo High School. Deal earned numerous honors during her prep career, culminating with the All-Empire MVP award her senior year. Deal chose to stay close to home for her collegiate career, competing at Sonoma State University as an outside hitter. Deal was a four-time All CCAA performer and a two-time All Region honoree. She broke the career kill record at SSU, which had stood for fourteen years prior to her arrival on the scene. She also currently holds the record for most kills by a freshman at SSU. Deal was selected to the AVCA All-American Team during her senior year.
Deal has also coached with Empire for the past nine years. In 2013 she returned to her alma mater, Maria Carrillo, to take over as the head coach of the outstanding Puma varsity program. In her five seasons with the Pumas, they won four North Bay League Championships and made an appearance at NCS each year. In 2014, Deal was honored as the All-Empire Coach of the Year. She was also been nominated for Press Democrat's "Best High School Coach" award in 2015.