Rainier High School senior volleyball star Allyson Ooms couldn’t have imagined she’d be a Division I beach volleyball player when she started playing indoor volleyball as a fourth grader.
After all, she only just started playing beach volleyball less than 18 months ago.
Ooms, the 2025 Central 2B League MVP, announced her verbal commitment to play beach volleyball at California State University, Bakersfield, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, choosing to play for the Roadrunners over at least six other schools.
“It’s so insane. It’s been a journey. It’s a dream come true, honestly,” Ooms said.
Since she began playing beach volleyball with DaKine Volleyball Club in the spring of 2025, she visited several colleges, including CSUB in late August, when she received an offer from the coaching staff.
Ooms will play for head coach Andy Fulenwider, who helped the Roadrunners tie their school record for wins in a season with 16 in 2024.
“Their culture was definitely something that drew me in first. The coaches are amazing. They’re great people,” Ooms said. “They want to obviously have a successful program, but they are very much about helping everyone get to the same level. They like very raw players, and they want to help you get to the best you can be.”
Ooms has been one of the best players in the area since she stepped onto the floor for Rainier as a freshman playing for her mother and head coach Carrie Ooms. Allyson led the Mountaineers to back-to-back trophies at the 2B state tournament, finishing in fourth place in 2023 and fifth in 2024. In her junior year, she was named the C2BL MVP, The Chronicle’s All-Area MVP, and she amassed a stat line of 276 kills, 292 digs, 27 aces and 15 blocks for the Class 2B District 4 champion Mountaineers.
A season like that wasn’t difficult to sell to college coaches.
Ooms spent time sending emails and highlights to college coaches in the offseason, and she heard back from a handful of Division I, Division II and NAIA programs. She credited her club coaches for their combined network of connections that helped her get in touch with programs around the nation. Ooms also thanked her parents Carrie and Edgar for their support.
“The beach volleyball world is not as big as people think, so when your coaches have good connections, that helps a lot,” Allyson Ooms said. “I know a lot of people don’t like their parents being their coaches, but my mom has helped me so much in becoming a well-rounded person and a well-rounded player. She and my dad have helped so much with the recruiting process.”
Ooms admitted that she “fell out of love for indoor volleyball” after a recent club season, and once she partook in a few beach practices, she knew her goal was to pursue it collegiately.
“After going to a few beach practices, I knew it was something I really loved to do. It’s a lot more my vibe,” Ooms said. “The coaches have been great in helping me get to this level. I caught up really fast.”
Outside of volleyball, Ooms will study criminal justice and forensics in pursuit of a career in crime scene investigation.
“I’ve always watched crime documentaries since I was young. I’m a very curious person,” she said.
Before she travels to Bakersfield following her graduation from Rainier in 2027, Ooms has one more indoor season with the Mountaineers and one more club beach season with DaKine. Her Rainier Mountaineers are rolling to start her final season, off to an 8-1 mark with six consecutive sweeps.
Rainier came short of a state trophy last fall despite being the 2B’s top seed, and Ooms is motivated to finish her career with a bang.
“Our goal every year is to make it to state. I would like to place again, and it would be cool if we can get further than we have in the past three years,” Ooms said.
