BILLINGS - She'll forever be tied to blue and pink.
After 28 seasons of donning blue as the head volleyball coach at Billings Skyview High School, and a pioneer of Pack the Place in Pink to support the fight against breast cancer, Vicki Carle has announced her retirement from coaching, according to School District 2 Activities Director Mark Wahl.
"I have a list a mile long of things I want to do now," Carle told MTN Sports.
Carle, a breast cancer survivor, has spearheaded 13 Pack the Place in Pink volleyball matches. The Falcons, with help along the way from dozens of other Montana schools who jumped on board in support, have raised nearly $450,000 since the event started in 2007. All of the proceeds have been donated to breast cancer patients in Montana.
Carle led Skyview to the State AA championship in 1996 and helped the Falcons reach multiple other title matches. Skyview closed last season with a 12-16 mark falling in the Eastern AA playoffs in five sets to Billings Senior.
"Vicki has had a life-long impact on the student-athletes who have come through her program and has had the same impact on the many who have been served through the Pack-the-Place-in-Pink fundraiser that has become a yearly event at Skyview," said Wahl in a media release. "We truly appreciate all that Vicki has done to serve Skyview High School over these many years and wish her all the best in her new endeavors."
During her college years Carle actually dominated the basketball court as Vicki Heebner at Montana State and was the first women’s basketball player to be inducted to MSU’s Athletic Hall of Fame. She was honored in 2018 as one of 125 Extraordinary Ordinary Women of Montana State University. An interactive cyberwall display is set up in the atrium of MSU’s library that includes all honorees.
