Bio

Marion Champion
Associate Head Coach

A proud product of California’s Delta Valley and Bay Area, Marion Champion has been a cornerstone of the Roadrunner Volleyball coaching staff since 2012. With a résumé that spans both elite playing and extensive coaching experience, she brings a wealth of knowledge, passion, and leadership to the program.

As an All-League and All-State standout at Delta Valley College, Champion’s talent earned her a place at nationally ranked Cal State Hayward (now Cal State East Bay), where she led her team to the NCAA Tournament every year of her career. A dominant outside hitter, she set the CSUH school record for kills in a single season and was named Female Athlete of the Year in 1999 for her excellence both on and off the court. Her impact on the game was further cemented in 2012, when she was inducted into the Cal State East Bay Athletics Hall of Fame.

Champion’s playing career is decorated with numerous All-Tournament and Player-of-the-Week honors, outdoor pairs titles on the NCVA and Spike It Up tours, and a Top-3 finish at the USAV Nationals. This combination of collegiate and competitive success makes her an inspiring role model for Roadrunner student-athletes.

With over 20 years of coaching experience at both the club and collegiate levels—including time with powerhouse program Delta Valley Volleyball Club—Champion’s expertise and energy have shaped generations of players. Her extensive knowledge of both indoor and beach volleyball, combined with her ability to build strong, motivated teams, has made her an invaluable leader in the desert volleyball community.

In addition to her coaching role, Champion serves full-time as Public Information Officer at College of the Desert, a position she assumed in 2018. This dual commitment highlights her dedication to the success of both the college and its students, on and off the court.

Together with her husband and Co-Head Coach, Detlev Rothe, Marion shares her love of the sport with athletes throughout the Coachella Valley. They reside in the valley with their three children—Juliette, Landon, and Grayson—and enjoy exploring the region’s year-round outdoor opportunities as a family.

Marion’s Coaching Philosophy

"Volleyball has been a guiding force in my life for more than two decades—not only as a competitive sport, but as a source of community, recreation, and personal growth. The lessons I learned as an NCAA athlete—discipline, resilience, teamwork—are lessons I strive to pass on to every student-athlete I coach.

There is nothing more rewarding than watching athletes push themselves, succeed together, and grow as people both on and off the court. As long as I have the passion for this sport, I will continue to pour that energy into developing young people who are not only strong athletes, but also strong individuals prepared for life beyond the game."

~ Bio current as of August 2025