Janel (Fetters) Coburn, one of Bushnell's best women's volleyball players makes her return to the Beacons as a Beach Volleyball assistant coach, beginning in 2026.
Playing for the Beacons from 2010-2023, Coburn reigned as the Beacon's all-time leader for kills for a decade, having collected 922. She is still second all-time for kills and holds a top-ten ranking in seven career statistical categories. Coburn helped the Beacons to a pair of fifth-place finishes in the Cascade Collegiate Conference as a junior and senior, lifting Bushnell to their first two appearances in the CCC post-season tournament.
During her playing career, Coburn was recognized for her efforts beyond just the court and was regarded as a significant "Tri-Athlete" as she excelled academically, athletically, and as a Champion of Character. As a sophomore, she was awarded the Bushnell Athletic Training Perseverance Award. She won multiple academic honors from the CCC and NAIA, and in 2013 and 2014 she was named the Bushnell Female Champion of Character. She went on to also receive the Champion of Character Award from the Cascade Collegiate Conference and was a nominee for the NAIA's Leroy Walker Champion of Character Award.
Coburn's coaching career began while she was an undergrad at Bushnell, serving as an assistant coach with the Oregon Volleyball Club. She went on to become the Varsity Head Coach at Blair High School in Pasadena, and since 2023 has served as the varsity Head Coach at Willamette High School. She also served as a head coach at NWAS Volleyball Club from 2024-2025, leading her team to a 16-1 record.
Coburn graduated from Bushnell in 2013 with a degree in Teacher Education, and she currently serves as a middle school Humanities teacher at Eugene Christian School. She lives in Eugene with her husband Lars and their two daughters, Ashlynn and Sloane.
