Le Mars resident Deb Richarz was recently honored as a member of the 2025 Iowa Girls Coaches Association Volleyball Officials Hall of Fame Class.
Richarz says she was taken aback by an honor that she never expected after many years of officiating volleyball.
Richarz was an athlete through and through at West Lyon High School, and she turned that into a multi-sport playing career in college at Augustana. Basketball was one of her top sports in her playing days, so it naturally made sense as a sport to officiate. Richarz says after an injury on the hardwood, it changed her trajectory to a different sport.
Richarz’s volleyball officiating career has spanned 34 seasons of competition. In that time, she has seen rule changes both major and minor, but the biggest change has been the level of competition. She says every year the kids get better and stronger, and they are more energized to get better as volleyball players.
Early on in her career, Richarz was rarity in the officiating profession. Being a woman posed challenges sometimes for Richarz who as breaking into a majority male field. In softball, Richarz was the first woman to umpire a state tournament game. She says she never looked at it as a barrier, but it was more of an opportunity to be treated as an equal.
As an official, Richarz has naturally found herself as the center of scrutiny from players, coaches, and spectators. That poses some challenges, but Richarz says she had a strong support system that gave her the confidence to stand firm in her calls.
In her 34 years of officiating volleyball, Richarz worked 20 state tournaments and five state championship matches. Those matches are nerve-wracking for players and coaches, and the same is true for the officials. Richarz says she was reminded that the nervous feelings before a big match were normal.
Richarz’s first state championship match came in 2001 when Tripoli beat Rock Valley 3-0. Richarz says it was an interesting match due to her familiarity with Rock Valley and the dominance of Tripoli.
Richarz continues to be a mainstay in the volleyball community in this state. She currently serves as the officials’ liaison for the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, a position she has held since 2021. Richarz encourages anyone that may be contemplating officiating to give it a shot.
Richarz was inducted into the hall of fame at a ceremony at Johnston High School in a ceremony that coincided with All-Star Series on Saturday, November 15.
