Bio

Olana "Tick" Hedrick-Sheaffer – Women's Volleyball Coach; Instructor; Athletic Trainer, 1973-2008

Olana “Tick” Hedrick-Sheaffer currently stands as the winningest coach in Penn State Altoona history. Her career record of 505-175 includes victories in 29 various conference and commonwealth championships. As a pioneer of women’s athletics, Hedrick-Sheaffer guided Penn State Altoona women’s volleyball from the junior college level into NCAA Division III competition in a career that spanned 35 years.

She began her career in 1973 and won 13 Penn State Commonwealth Campus Championships, eight Western Pennsylvania Conference titles, and eight State Junior College Championships. She was named Coach of the Year 13 times over three conferences during her tenure. Her 1995-96 team was inducted as part of the inaugural 2021 Penn State Altoona Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame class.

A pioneer on and off the court, Hedrick-Sheaffer also served as an instructor and became a certified athletic trainer. She coached men’s club volleyball, tennis, and women’s basketball at various points in her tenure. In 2004, she established an endowment for women’s athletics at Penn State Altoona, with a priority for women’s volleyball. The act of philanthropy helps provide unbudgeted expenditures to enhance the student-athlete experience.

For her outstanding service to the Penn State Commonwealth Educational System, “Tick” was awarded the Robert J. Scannell Roll of Honor Award. She was previously inducted into the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Hall of Fame for her work and accomplishments at Penn State Altoona.