Before volleyball became Rawles’ passion, he was a three sport, four year varsity standout in high school at Cheasaning High School.  He competed in football, basketball and track and was captain of his football team his junior and senior seasons. He was a hard-nosed competitor and earned 1st team All-Conference in football his junior and senior years. 

Always one for staying active, Rawles comments, “After high school, I needed to fill the competitive void that had been such a big part of my life.  I started playing beach volleyball and that was it.  Never in my wildest dreams did I realize that volleyball would become such a passion for me.”

Rawles played competitively in the Midwest Professional Volleyball Association (MPVA) for six seasons and was ranked as high as number 3 on the tour in 2006.  While playing on the tour, Rawles was a finalist for Rookie of the Year in 2002, and he was named Most Improved Player in 2003.  During this period, Rawles kept a busy schedule as he juggled completed his degree in Early Childhood Education at Baker College, playing, and coaching volleyball.

Rawles coaching career began when he was 20 years old and he became involved in coaching a 14 and under AAU volleyball team.  As his young teams became a powerhouse, Rawles continued to move up to coach the elite 17 and under national level team.  He was also named Assistant Club Director.

Rawles was offered his first high school varsity coaching job at Western Michigan Christian High School in 2004.  After one year there, he was offered the job at North Muskegon High School, where he led the volleyball team to a Class C state title in 2006.  Rawles adds, “After winning the state title, I knew that coaching volleyball was what I wanted to do.  I enjoyed the challenge of taking a group of individuals and molding them into a cohesive unit.  Volleyball is such a fast paced game and you need chemistry on the court to be successful.”

Rawles has directed the highly respected club volleyball program, the Saints Club team for the past four years.  He has run several tournaments and is a leader in the local high school ranks.

Rawles took a leap in his professional growth after his state championship at North Muskegon High School.  He spent one year under Cathy George as a volunteer assistant coach at Michigan State University in 2007.  Rawles was able to experience first-hand the requirements of running a successful collegiate volleyball program.  The Spartans qualified for the NCAA national tournament and won their first round match before bowing out in the second round of the tournament. 

The future looks bright for the Saints and with four recruiting classes under Coach Rawles belt, there is plenty of talent and depth in the program.   Coach Rawles was voted by his peers as the Champions of Character coach in 2008.

Coach Rawles is married to Kari Rawles and they reside in East Grand Rapids, with their daughter Peyton who will turn three this year.

BRANDYN THORSEN Assistant Coach - Brandyn Thorsen, after taking a year off from coaching with the Saint’s two years ago, returns with enthusiasm and the challenge of making this team a league contender and a national powerhouse. After a stellar competitive 4 year career as a starter on the Michigan State University volleyball team as an outside hitter. Thorsen is ready to put his energies into passing a long his wisdom to the players.

Thorsen recently completed his teaching degree in Special Education from Grand Valley State University. Head Coach Dave Rawles has worked with Brandyn since 2004 and is impressed with his technical knowledge of the game and claims his expertise in passing and defense is second to none.

Coach Schultz has been coaching at the club level for the past two seasons with Saints Juniors Volleyball Club in Grand Rapids. Elmer spends his summers coaching with Sports Performance Volleyball Club out of Aurora, Illinois working with elite players in summer camps.

Coach Elmer Schultz resides in East Grand Rapids and enjoys being highly active and spending quality time with his immediate family.