Michael Orstein was on the way home from a morning swim when he received the text.

He had to pull over. He started crying. Vicki Staton — a trailblazer for women’s athletics and revered volleyball and women’s basketball coach at Washington & Jefferson College — passed away on July 30 from a brief illness. She was 77.

Mr. Orstein, a longtime swimming and diving coach at the school, admired Ms. Staton. He eventually arrived home and sat in a quiet room as he typed out a tribute, trying to find the right words to encapsulate her profound influence. He shared a post on LinkedIn concluding with a quote from legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden.

“A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.”

Ms. Staton won games. Exactly 646 of them between volleyball and women’s b

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