Last update: December 12, 2019
EXECUTIVE STAFF
Jeremy Swann
Leslie Ray
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JEREMY SWANN - OWNER / 12BLUE CO-HEAD COACH
Jeremy is owner of the Xceleration Volleyball Club. He is in his 12th season at Xceleration (including coaching 18Blue with Andy Schroeder for 10 years) and in his 16th season of coaching junior girls’ volleyball. Jeremy will also serve as the Co-Head Coach of the 12Blue team this season with Gayle Swann. Prior to joining Xceleration, Jeremy was the Head Coach at Monte Vista HS in Danville for two seasons and led his teams to North Coast Section (NCS) appearances each season. Jeremy played volleyball at St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA and soccer at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, CA. LESLIE RAY - CLUB DIRECTOR Leslie returns for her 3rd year as Club Director for the 2019-2020 season. Leslie is responsible for all operational activities and needs of the club, including management of the support and coaching staff, finance, and detailed tournament, practice, and travel planning. Leslie also has multiple roles as Head Coach of the 17Blue and 13White. |
ADVISORY STAFF / COACHING
Jim Ross
Paul Harrison
Rob Browning
Ruth Lawanson
Mary Strong
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JIM ROSS - CONSULTANT / COLLEGE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Jim is in his 11th year with Xceleration. He began his involvement with Xceleration as a volleyball parent during his daughters’ participation in club volleyball. His initial role was the establishment of the club’s College Development Program that helps athletes navigate through the often-daunting world of college athletic recruiting. That program currently has over 500 coaches and programs in its database and is nationally recognized for its role. He picked up the additional role of Xceleration’s Club Director in 2009 through 2016 to handle the day-to-day operations of the club that included planning, administration, and managing the teams and coaching staff. During that time Xceleration has doubled in size from 6 to 12 teams. PAUL HARRISON – COLLEGE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Paul is an Xceleration Volleyball Club veteran; first, as a parent of two daughters that had gone through the Xceleration program, followed by his stint as an assistant coach to Andy Schroeder and the 18Blue for two years (making Junior Nationals appearances in Atlanta, GA in 2011 and Columbus, OH in 2012 where the team placed 5th), and in 2018 as Practice Coach while also serving as one of the club’s two College Development (CD) Program directors. Paul has been involved with Xceleration’s CD Program since 2009, where he prides in the joy of seeing Xceleration players reach their potential and achieve tremendous success throughout the years. His current duties with Xceleration are ways for Paul to give back to the club that has helped shape the lives of many young volleyball athletes, including his own. ROB BROWNING – INDOOR COACHING TECHNICAL ADVISOR / BEACH DIRECTOR Rob Browning, head women’s indoor and beach volleyball coach at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA joins Xceleration Volleyball Club to further strengthen its coaching staff and beach program. As the Indoor Coaching Technical Advisor, as well as Beach Director, Rob meets with club management on skill technique and implementation procedures, assists with the design and implementation of club wide practice plans, and assists with the running a series of “Coaches Training Clinics” for all Xceleration coaches prior to the start of the season. Read more. RUTH LAWANSON – LESSONS COACH As the Club's lessons and clinics coach, Ruth is available to all players to work on all skills and techniques to prepare for or during the season. Ruth Lawanson has been involved with volleyball for over 35 years as a player, coach, and clinician. She has coached at the University of Nevada, U.S. Air Force Academy, Fresno State, Angelo State, and Purdue University. In her career, she has helped coached 25 all-conference players, one all-region selection, and an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) honorable-mention All-American. She has also helped mentor 90 academic all-conference student-athletes. A setter and hitter during her career she was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team that won the bronze medal in Barcelona, Spain. She spent four seasons with the U.S. National Team, playing on the 1991 World Cup squad that earned a bronze medal in Japan and the 1990 World Championships team that won a bronze medal in China. She was also honored with the national team's 1991 Judy Bellomo Players Award and won a gold medal with the 1992 U.S. Olympic Festival West Region team. Read more. MARY STRONG – SETTING COACH Nominated for an Emmy as the host of the Fox Sports Net show "Dig" and the Directv Sports Mix, the vibrant and dynamic Mary Strong discovered her love for sports at an early age. After watching her aunt play volleyball for Pepperdine University, she decided to follow in her footsteps and set her sights on earning a scholarship to play volleyball in college. Strong joined the Notre Dame HS volleyball team where she received All-CIF and League MVP honors, and eventually landed a full-ride scholarship as a NCAA Division I athlete on the women’s volleyball team at Loyola Marymount University. Strong helped lead LMU to victory as the WCC Conference Champs and parlayed her love for sports into a life-long career as a broadcast journalist and professional athlete. Strong traveled the country working for NBC and CNN where her extensive journalistic experience garnered her an Edward R. Morrow Award for her work in continuous LIVE news coverage both as a field reporter and anchor. She eventually combined her love for sports with her passion for storytelling by becoming a sports broadcaster for Fox Sports Net and NFL Network. Strong was one of the first women in sports broadcasting, covering PAC-10 football, AVP pro-beach volleyball and the World Series of Poker for Fox Sports Net. She later joined NFL Network anchoring LIVE news coverage for “NFL Network Now” and "Total Access." Strong covered the Poker Championships for NBC Sports and traveled with the International Pool Tour as a sideline reporter. She also hosted various shows for The Game Show Network and Outdoor Life Network, and helped launch the Directv Sports Mix for Directv’s innovative Mix channels. Eventually Strong circled back to the sport she loved and played professionally on the AVP pro-beach volleyball tour both nationally and internationally, ranking top 20. She would often find herself stepping off the court, wiping off the sweat and sand, and grabbing her microphone to go LIVE for the AVP broadcast on Fox Sports Net. Throughout her broadcasting and sports career, Strong taught yoga as a way to give back to her community. Yoga helped her prevent injuries as a professional athlete and she wanted to share its benefits with others. In 2009 she opened The Green Yogi, an eco-chic power yoga studio, in Manhattan Beach, California. Strong was voted top 20 yoga instructors in Los Angeles in 2013 and won various "Best Yoga Studio" accolades from 2009-2017. She was also a yoga ambassador for Lululemon and developed a line of candles called, Simply Om, to help support more than 7 global charities. Strong’s’ yoga studio was a hub for athletes from the NFL, NBA and NHL looking to take their game to a higher level through the deep and focused practice of yoga, both mentally and physically. Strong and her husband moved to the Bay Area, where she opened her second studio location in Berkeley, California. In 2018, after owning her studios for nearly a decade, Strong decided to focus on raising her young daughter and inspiring the next generation of athletes. She currently coaches volleyball and teaches yoga in the East Bay while running The Green yogi Online, an online virtual yoga studio, to help make yoga accessible to everyone. Strong was recently inducted into the Notre Dame HS Hall of Fame for her outstanding achievements in volleyball, allowing her to come full circle and thank her coaches, teammates and family for their contribution to her life in sports. Strong's approach to coaching integrates her high-level achievements in athletics and business with the powerful yogic principles of mind over body, “Often times we think as athletes that physically showing up is enough, but your mind must be fully present or you’re only operating at half capacity. In order to consistently achieve the highest level at anything you do, you must train your mind to operate in the now. That’s how games are won, and more importantly, how you can make what appears to be impossible, possible.” Read more here and watch here. |
COACHING STAFF
Much of what makes up our club is the result of our tremendous coaching staff. They are skilled volleyball players and coaches who are trained by the Xceleration staff in the methods that we want them to develop in our players. In addition, we make sure to only employ coaches that are being good role models on and off the court. We have very high standards for our staff that ensures that your daughters are being taught good life lessons both in and out of competition.
There is more to being a good coach than just an extensive knowledge of the game – you also have to be able to teach the girls how to effectively identify and work towards goals. We make sure to have coaches that not only preach it, they live their own lives by it.
There is more to being a good coach than just an extensive knowledge of the game – you also have to be able to teach the girls how to effectively identify and work towards goals. We make sure to have coaches that not only preach it, they live their own lives by it.
Andy Schroeder
Brett Leggitt
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ANDY SCHROEDER - HEAD COACH 18BLUE
Andy is entering his 12th year with Xceleration and 15th year as a club volleyball Head Coach. Prior to joining Xceleration, Andy spent four seasons coaching at Odyssey VBC and NorCal VBC. As a player, Andy played D-1 volleyball for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He was an AA-ranked beach volleyball player and, in 2007 was voted into the Seaside Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame. In 2015, Andy was named a finalist for the PrepVolleyball.com National Club Coach of the Year. In the last 10 years, Andy has coached Xceleration’s 18Blue teams that have consistently qualified for the USA Volleyball (USAV) Junior National Championships, with three teams finishing in the Top 5 in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2017. During his coaching career at Xceleration, more than 150 of his former players have gone on to play in college. BRETT LEGGITT - ASSOCIATE COACH 18BLUE Vacaville native Brett Leggitt is in his 3rd year coaching with Xceleration and his 2nd with the 18Blue. Growing up he played basketball and ran track at Canyon HS in New Braunfels, TX. He then attended Southwest Texas State University, now known as Texas State. After studying Agriculture Business, Brett later joined the U.S. Air Force and spent four years on active duty, and another six years as an active member of the Reserves. He fell in love with the sport and learned to play while serving in the Air Force. He played Middle Blocker for his squadron’s team. Brett joins the Xceleration staff with 10 years of coaching experience. He also served as the Head Coach of the freshman team at Vanden HS in Fairfield, CA for the 2012 season. He has coached all levels of club from 13U through 18U. Brett has been volunteering for the USA Volleyball High Performance National Team Tryouts for the past six years. Brett has been invited to work USAV High Performance Training Camps the past two summers as an assistant coach. Brett loves coaching as it allows him to be a part of the lives of so many amazing young people. He enjoys seeing athletes succeed both on the court and off as they move on through the different phases of their lives which he finds rewarding. |
Salomon Leon
Haley Walsh
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SALOMON LEON – HEAD COACH 18WHITE
Salomon joins Xceleration for his 3rd season after coaching the 15White in 2018 and 18White in 2019. Salomon will also serve as the Associate Coach of the 14Blue this season. He was a four-year letterman at Ygnacio Valley HS in Concord, CA. At Ygnacio, he trained as a Setter, Outside Hitter, and Libero. As a player, he has earned Bronze at the Boys Junior National Championships and MVP honors at Ygnacio. He played club volleyball for PacRim VBC. Salomon has been coaching club for 7 years. He has coached at PacRim, Solano, and Core VBCs. As a coach, he has earned a Bronze medal at Nationals. Salomon loves to watch his athletes grow. He finds joy in the overall process of player development throughout the season. Salomon has a strong love for the game and wants to share this passion with his future team. HALEY WALSH – ASSOCIATE COACH 18WHITE Xceleration alumnus Haley Walsh returns to the club for her 2nd year as the 18White Associate Coach and 14Blue Head Coach after a storied volleyball career as a Defensive Specialist at both Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ and then at Portland State University (PSU) in Oregon where she was a two-time Big Sky Fall All-Academic honoree in 2016 and 2017. She earned her degree from PSU in History in 2018. Prior to her college career, the Las Lomas HS (Walnut Creek, CA) graduate lettered in volleyball three times as a DS/Libero and Outside Hitter. There she was featured by Cal High Sports in its Top 4 Plays of the Year and won the North Coast Section Division II Championship in 2012, earned 2nd team All-League in 2013, and 1st team All-League and MVP in 2014. Haley was a college recruit out of Xceleration after her time with the 18Blue team. Haley said, “It will be nice to be able to experience a different side of the game. I also am looking forward to helping girls learn the tools they need to be successful at a high level.” Her favorite sports figure is Olympian and all-around athlete Jim Thorpe. Haley is currently the head coach of the Acalanes HS women’s volleyball team in Lafayette, CA. |
Leslie Ray
Lindsey Ray
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LESLIE RAY – HEAD COACH 17BLUE
Leslie returns to Xceleration for her 7th season with the Club where she will serve as Head Coach for both 17Blue and 13White in the 2019-2020 season. Leslie is also in her 7th season as an assistant coach at Cal State East Bay (CSUEB) in Hayward, CA. Leslie was a starting Libero at CSUEB for two seasons before graduating with a degree in Child Development. Prior to CSUEB, Leslie attended Golden West JC and prepped at Long Beach Poly HS, where she was a high school All-American. Leslie played six seasons of club volleyball with the prestigious Mizuno Long Beach VBC. A fierce competitor on the court, Leslie brings a love of the game to her coaching. She is an excellent student of the game and is able to convey both the skill and passion to her players. Leslie is currently the head coach of the Miramonte HS women’s JV volleyball team in Orinda, CA. LINDSEY RAY – ASSOCIATE COACH 17BLUE Lindsey is back for her 7th season with Xceleration. She will also serve as the Head Coach of the 13Blue for the 2019-2020 season. Lindsey completed her collegiate volleyball career at the Cal State East Bay volleyball team after finishing a celebrated high school career in Southern California at volleyball powerhouse Long Beach Poly. She capped her 2012 prep season by being named “Long Beach Century Club Player of the Year” and “Long Beach Press Telegram All-Area Player of the Year” after leading Poly into the 3rd Round of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Championships. An exceptional talent, Lindsey is looking forward to teaching volleyball and working with Xceleration’s players in a sport she loves and is passionate about. Lindsey is currently the head coach of the Miramonte HS women’s Varsity volleyball team in Orinda, CA. |
Lucas Abbott
Kayla Coleman
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LUCAS ABBOTT – HEAD COACH 16BLUE
Lucas returns for his 9th season with Xceleration and has coached or played volleyball for almost 25 years. In 2018, his 15Blue team finished Top 5 in the Open Division at the AAU Girls' Nationals in Orlando. Also, in the 2018 Final National 15s Club Rankings, Prepvolleyball ranked his team at #45 (of 80 ranked) in the nation and was the highest ranked 15s team in the NCVA! Lucas was a Middle Blocker and All-League performer at Las Lomas HS in Walnut Creek, CA before heading off to play D1 volleyball at Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA. While at Humboldt, Lucas was the team’s starting Middle Blocker for four seasons and team captain his last two seasons, and led the squad to Nationals twice. His playing career continued until 2013, culminating with a season playing professionally with the PVL/NCVA’s NorCal Premier. Lucas is currently Girls’ Varsity Head Coach at Berean Christian HS in Walnut Creek, CA. He has taken his team to the NCS playoffs all five of his seasons as the Head Coach including making it to the CIF State playoffs twice. He has also served as the assistant coach for the PVL/NCVA Men’s NorCal Premier in previous seasons. Away from volleyball, Lucas has dedicated his career to youth development, which he incorporates into his coaching. He is the director for a youth mentoring outreach program at the University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, called Boost@BerkeleyHaas KAYLA COLEMAN – ASSOCIATE COACH 16BLUE Kayla returns for her 9th season with Xceleration after a break from coaching last year. Kayla has assisted coaching the 13White, 15Blue, 16Blue, and 17White teams during her previous seasons with the club. Kayla graduated from Holy Names University (HNU) in Oakland where she was the starting Libero for the volleyball team for three seasons. During her career at HNU, Kayla made the All-Conference team twice and was selected Libero of the Year in her senior season. The Turlock native was her league MVP for two years in high school. Kayla received her professional doctorate degree in pharmacy and is a registered pharmacist for Blue Shield. |
Todd Ajari
Michaela Gardner
Michelle Hector-Branner
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TODD AJARI – HEAD COACH 16WHITE
Todd enters his 2nd season with Xceleration as Head Coach of the 16White after coaching 14Blue as an associate in 2019. Originally from Hawaii, Todd is now a Benicia, CA resident where he has coached at the club, and high school JV and Varsity teams at Benicia HS. As an assistant coach, Todd has taken two of his club teams to Junior Nationals in Minneapolis in 2017 and Detroit in 2018. Todd has also coached fast-pitch softball, baseball, and wrestling. Todd has overcome many challenges, including struggling academically and being a late starter in the game of volleyball. With determination, focus, hard work and extra effort, he raised his bar hitting the books and sharpened his skills at College Park HS in Pleasant Hill, CA. He also played for Golden Bear VBC his senior year and in high school made the Diablo Valley Athletic League (DVAL) All-League Team as a Setter. After high school, Todd played men's club volleyball and coached at Sport Health for one season before enlisting in and playing for U.S. Air Force team where he also made the All-Armed Forces Team in his last year in the military. Todd then continued to play men’s club teams until 2007 when he focused on coaching his kids in sports. Todd said, “I enjoy coaching sports in general because I like the challenge of finding ways to communicate with individual players and teams, so they are able to understand and perform better. I put a lot of effort into volleyball as a player and I like to share my experience to help other players improve and develop passion as an athlete and for volleyball.” His favorite athletes are Brandon, Amanda, and Dayna Ajari. MICHAELA GARDNER – ASSOCIATE COACH 16WHITE Michaela returns for her 2nd year with Xceleration as the 16White associate coach, following last year’s coaching stint as co-head coach of the 15White. Michaela played on the club’s 18-1 team and completed her collegiate volleyball career at Ashford University, Cal State East Bay, and Bellevue University. Michaela has assisted at Diablo Valley VBC and Premier VBC in Nebraska and has also coached at multiple volleyball camps for kids. She prepped at St. Patrick-St. Vincent, first playing middle and then finished as an outside hitter. In college, Michaela was an outside hitter all four years. In her first collegiate season at Ashford University in Iowa, she earned Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-Conference for the NAIA, followed by a year at Cal State East Bay, and then at Bellevue University in Nebraska. During her junior and senior years at Bellevue, her team made it to nationals both years. She is currently finishing her psychology degree. Michaela said, “I first fell in love with the game of volleyball my freshman year of high school, after I was asked by the coaches to join because I’m so tall. I told them I didn’t know how to play but they convinced me to try. From my first practice my love for the game grew profoundly. I started out on the freshman team; the game seemed so much more fun and easier to get the hang of than basketball, which I had been playing since the third grade. By the end of my freshman season I was pulled up to varsity for post- season and I was determined to play volleyball in college. I was able to accomplish this goal by hard work and the guidance of the Xceleration family.” She followed, “I enjoy passing on the knowledge that I’ve learned throughout my volleyball experience and seeing how that knowledge positively impacts the girls’ skills I’m coaching. It also gives me the opportunity to stay connected to the sport I love. I enjoy being able to bring the gift of volleyball to other people and be a step in their path to get them where they want to be.” Her favorite athlete is Serena Williams. MICHELLE HECTOR-BRANNER – PRACTICE COACH 16WHITE Michelle is in her 2nd year with Xceleration and in her 3rd at the club and middle school levels. The Oakland resident played high school volleyball at George Washington HS in San Francisco where she was an All-City Middle Hitter. Previously, her 12U team won its regional championship while at Club Kalani. Michelle said, “Leadership and motivating people to be their best self is what I do. Fun is a necessity to life and I love the outdoors.” She followed, “I enjoy coaching, to assist girls in becoming the best player they can be. Teaching girls the true meaning of team. We win together, we lose together. Success is what you make it.” In addition to volleyball, her favorite sports are water and snow skiing. Michelle has a BA in Psychology and an MBA, and is currently working on a doctorate in Organizational Leadership. Her favorite athletes are Serena Williams and Klay Thompson. |
John Vuong
Malia Bolko
Dana Pineda
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JOHN VUONG - HEAD COACH 15BLUE
John is joining our staff for the upcoming season. John has been a high school coach for over 25 years at both Notre Dame in Belmont and Campolindo in Moraga. He guided Campo to the State Championship in 2012 and a runner up finish in 2010. John will be Head Coach for both the 15Blue and 14White teams this season. MALIA BOLKO – ASSOCIATE COACH 15BLUE Xceleration alumna Malia Bolko rejoins the club as the 15Blue Associate Coach after playing for the 2015 team under her favorite coaches, Andy Schroeder and Jeremy Swann. In her four years after Xceleration volleyball, Malia enjoyed a historic collegiate volleyball career at the University of California, Davis (2015-2018). There she earned multiple defensive specialist of the week awards as a Libero in the Big West Conference, and finished her successful career as the All-Time Dig Leader in UC Davis Women’s volleyball history with 1,855 digs. A four-time Big West Honor Roll recipient, Malia graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Managerial Economics with an emphasis in Business. Prior to her college career, Malia attended St. Patrick - St. Vincent HS where she helped the team to four North Coast Section playoff appearances, capturing the CIF-NCS Banner in 2013. She was a three-time Tri County Athletic League first-team selection after garnering TCAL Rookie of the Year in 2012. Malia is happy to be back and excited to help young athletes grow and learn the game of volleyball. DANA PINEDA – PRACTICE COACH 15BLUE Dana is an Xceleration alum and in her 1st year coaching with the club. She started playing volleyball at the age of 10 and immediately fell in love with the sport. She played varsity at St. Joseph Notre Dame (SJND) HS in Alameda, CA for three years as a starting setter and was co-captain her senior year. During her high school career, Dana led the team and ranked first in the Tri-County Athletic League in assists her junior and senior years. She also received an All-League Honorable Mention and was named the All-League Second Team her junior and senior years, respectively. During her time at SJND, she helped lead the team to two North Coast Section finals and one Northern California final appearance. Dana played six seasons at Xceleration where she was the starting setter and captain of her 16’s and 17’s teams. In 2015, her 18’s team won the SoCal National Qualifier in Anaheim and went on to compete in Junior Nationals in New Orleans. Last club season, Dana was the assistant coach for the La Jolla Volleyball Club 14-Barb team down in San Diego. Now back home after graduating from San Diego State university, she is excited to return to Xceleration as a coach. |
Patrick Samples
Taylor Elliott
Jennifer Uresti
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PATRICK SAMPLES – HEAD COACH 15WHITE
Patrick is in his 2nd season with the club as head coach of the 15White after guiding the 14White team last season. A former Setter and Outside Hitter, Patrick has over eight years of coaching experience at the club and high school levels for both girls and boys. Patrick attended Vacaville HS and later earned an Associate Degree in Medical Assisting. He enjoys teaching and watching players progress. Patrick’s favorite athlete is tennis great Roger Federer. TAYLOR ELLIOTT – ASSOCIATE COACH 15WHITE Taylor is a former Xceleration athlete and returns to join the coaching staff in her 3rd year after serving as an Associate Coach for 14White last season and 13Blue the year before. Taylor attended Bishop O'Dowd HS in Oakland and played varsity volleyball for two years when the Dragons won the North Coast Section title both years. After playing for Xceleration in her junior and senior seasons, Taylor attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as a freshman and went to nationals on the club volleyball team. She returned home to attend The College of Alameda in 2013 when the team made it to the first round of the CCCAA playoffs. The following year, Taylor landed on the First Team All-Conference team. Taylor has played outside hitter, right-side hitter, and her main position, middle blocker. Her coaching career started during her senior year in high school with mPower VBC. She has also held head coaching positions at One VBC with the 14s and the 15s and as an assistant with the 18s, and with HC Synergy 16s and 18s as an assistant coach. Additionally, Taylor was previously JV head coach and Varsity assistant coach at Encinal HS in Alameda. Taylor also worked as the women’s varsity assistant coach at Branham HS in San Jose. JENNIFER URESTI – PRACTICE COACH 15WHITE Jennifer is in her first season at Xceleration. She has coached all levels of high school volleyball and club with over 15 years experience. Jennifer’s volleyball success started early on. She was a CIF Div. III State Champion her senior year of high school, and a First Team Jr. College All-American at Kings River Community College where they also finished 4th in State. Jennifer attended Fresno State University on full scholarship and was an All-WAC selection as a middle blocker during her Senior year. Jennifer still holds the record for the most blocks in a single game. She started her coaching career while playing college volleyball, coaching in the club scene for Sierra Pacific Volleyball Club and Central Cal Volleyball Club. Jennifer secured her first high school varsity head coaching job her first year out of college. Jennifer stepped away from the game as she started her family and has been back in the gym for the past six years here in the Bay Area. Jennifer has enjoyed picking up coaching again with her two children who are actively thriving in the sport. Currently, Jennifer is coaching the JV Boys and Frosh-Soph Girls teams at Berean Christian HS in Walnut Creek. She has also been an assistant coach for Girls 14’s and Boys 17’s age group at BAVC. Jennifer’s excited that she is back in the gym and can share her love of the game with all of the players she comes in contact with. She has a passion for teaching younger players that strong fundamentals and a good work ethic can carry them through their years of playing and beyond. |
Haley Walsh
Salomon Leon
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HALEY WALSH – HEAD COACH 14BLUE
Xceleration alumnus Haley Walsh returns to the club for her 2nd year and 1st season as Head Coach of the 14Blue. She is also serving as Associate Coach of the 18White for the 2019-2020 season. She is proud to coach at her former volleyball club after a storied volleyball career as a Defensive Specialist at both Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ and then at Portland State University (PSU) in Oregon where she was a two-time Big Sky Fall All-Academic honoree in 2016 and 2017. She earned her degree from PSU in History in 2018. Prior to her college career, the Las Lomas HS (Walnut Creek, CA) graduate lettered in volleyball three times as a DS/Libero and Outside Hitter. There she was featured by Cal High Sports in its Top 4 Plays of the Year and won the North Coast Section Division II Championship in 2012, earned 2nd team All-League in 2013, and 1st team All-League and MVP in 2014. Haley was a college recruit out of Xceleration after her time with the 18Blue team. Haley said, “It will be nice to be able to experience a different side of the game. I also am looking forward to helping girls learn the tools they need to be successful at a high level.” Her favorite sports figure is Olympian and all-around athlete Jim Thorpe. SALOMON LEON – ASSOCIATE COACH 14BLUE Salomon joins Xceleration for his 3rd season after coaching the 15White in 2018 and 18White in 2019. He is also serving as Head Coach of the 18White this season. He was a four-year letterman at Ygnacio Valley HS in Concord, CA. At Ygnacio, he trained as a Setter, Outside Hitter, and Libero. As a player, he has earned Bronze at the Boys Junior National Championships and MVP honors at Ygnacio. He played club volleyball for PacRim VBC. Salomon has been coaching club for 7 years. He has coached at PacRim, Solano, and Core VBCs. As a coach, he has earned a Bronze medal at Nationals. Salomon loves to watch his athletes grow. He finds joy in the overall process of player development throughout the season. Salomon has a strong love for the game and wants to share this passion with his future team. |
John Vuong
Kristen Root
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JOHN VUONG – HEAD COACH 14WHITE
John is joining our staff for the upcoming season. John has been a high school coach for over 25 years at both Notre Dame in Belmont and Campolindo in Moraga. He guided Campo to the State Championship in 2012 and a runner up finish in 2010. John will be Head Coach for both the 15Blue and 14White teams this season. KRISTEN ROOT – ASSOCIATE COACH 14WHITE Kristen returns to Xceleration as associate coach of the 14White after coaching Xceleration’s 16White, 13White and 14White the past few seasons. With years of coaching experience, the Libero/DS at Oakland's Holy Names University (HNU) and Sacramento's American River Community College loves helping people reach their goals. She loves the game and enjoys helping girls gain confidence and skills that apply to every aspect of life. At HNU she was named to the PacWest Conference All-Academic team. Before that in high school, Kristen was named the Best Defensive player during her senior year and played club volleyball for Force, Gold Cal Jrs., and Precision. Kristen has a Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University and B.A. in International Relations from HNU. Kristen’s favorite athlete is basketball legend Michael Jordan for his quote, "Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion." |
Lindsey Ray
Natahlee Wilson
Imani Moreen
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LINDSEY RAY – CO-HEAD COACH 13BLUE
Lindsey is back for her 7th season with Xceleration. She will also serve as the Associate Coach of the 17Blue for the 2019-2020 season. Lindsey completed her collegiate volleyball career at the Cal State East Bay volleyball team after finishing a celebrated high school career in Southern California at volleyball powerhouse Long Beach Poly. She capped her 2012 prep season by being named “Long Beach Century Club Player of the Year” and “Long Beach Press Telegram All-Area Player of the Year” after leading Poly into the 3rd Round of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Championships. An exceptional talent, Lindsey is looking forward to teaching volleyball and working with Xceleration’s players in a sport she loves and is passionate about. Lindsey is currently the head coach of the Miramonte HS women’s Varsity volleyball team in Orinda, CA. NATAHLEE WILSON – CO-HEAD COACH 13BLUE Natahlee is in her first season of coaching club as a Co-Head Coach for 13Blue for the 2019-2020 season. She is finishing up her senior season at Cal State East Bay and she is so excited to start positively impacting her players like she’s been with her past coaches. As a Southern California native, she played on the varsity team as a starting libero and an outside hitter at John W. North HS in Riverside, CA and played one year of club at Mavericks VBC. Coming from a family with a strong volleyball background, she was always surrounded by coaching from her mother and her cousin and she looks forward to guiding girls to their full potential like her family did with her. IMANI MOREEN – PRACTICE COACH 13BLUE Imani joins Xceleration as practice coach of the 13Blue this season. The Orange, CA native graduated from Foothill HS where she played four years of varsity volleyball and won the League Championship as a senior, helping her team make it to the semi-finals of the CIF Tournament. She earned 1st Team All-League and Coaches Award as a senior, 2nd Team All-League as a junior, and All-League Honorable Mention as a sophomore. Imani earned Honor Roll all four years and spent three years as a member of the Young Black Scholars. Imani played for the Tustin Volleyball Club, Goldenwest Volleyball Club, Mission Gold Volleyball, and Momentous Volleyball Club. She is currently on the roster of the Cal State East Bay volleyball team and is majoring in Psychology. Her hobbies include hanging out with herfriends, listening to music, and finding new places to go when she has free time. She also enjoys eating Anything and loves trying new food. |
Leslie Ray
Ashley Mulshenock
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LESLIE RAY – HEAD COACH 13WHITE
Leslie returns to Xceleration for her 7th season with the Club where she will serve as Head Coach for both 17Blue and 13White in the 2019-2020 season. Leslie is also in her 7th season as an assistant coach at Cal State East Bay (CSUEB) in Hayward, CA. Leslie was a starting Libero at CSUEB for two seasons before graduating with a degree in Child Development. Prior to CSUEB, Leslie attended Golden West JC and prepped at Long Beach Poly HS, where she was a high school All-American. Leslie played six seasons of club volleyball with the prestigious Mizuno Long Beach VBC. A fierce competitor on the court, Leslie brings a love of the game to her coaching. She is an excellent student of the game and is able to convey both the skill and passion to her players. ASHLEY MULSHENOCK - ASSOCIATE COACH 13WHITE Ashley returns for her 3rd season as assistant coach, after serving as the Co-Head Coach of the 15White. She enjoys being able to bring the gift of volleyball to other people and be a step in their path to get them where they want to be. The Oakland native has been coaching since 2015 for CYO, Jr. Club, Club, High Performance, and Clinics. She previously coached at Core and played Middle in college. Her favorite athlete is Nyjah Huston. |
Jeremy & Gayle Swann
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JEREMY SWANN – CO-HEAD COACH 12BLUE
Jeremy is owner of the Xceleration Volleyball Club. He is in his 12th season at Xceleration (including coaching 18Blue with Andy Schroeder for 10 years) and in his 16th season of coaching junior girls’ volleyball. Jeremy will also serve as the Co-Head Coach of the 12Blue team this season with Gayle Swann. Prior to joining Xceleration, Jeremy was the Head Coach at Monte Vista HS in Danville for two seasons and led his teams to North Coast Section (NCS) appearances each season. Jeremy played volleyball at St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA and soccer at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, CA. GAYLE SWANN – CO-HEAD COACH 12BLUE Gayle is a Bay Area native that played basketball and ran track at then Cal State Hayward. She worked as an athletic trainer and a teacher in sports medicine at California HS (Cal High) in San Ramon, CA for 10+ years. Gayle also served two years as Assistant Coach of Cal High’s varsity boys’ volleyball program and two years as Assistant Coach for Monte Vista high school’s varsity girls’ volleyball program in Danville, CA. Gayle runs Xceleration’s Winter Workout and Co-Ed Beginners programs. She also leading the program’s Beginner’s Club for girls 12-and-under. |
SUPPORT STAFF
Normie Pineda
Tomas Pineda
John David
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NORMIE PINEDA – TRAVEL COORDINATOR
Normie makes team travel arrangements for Xceleration. She has been part of the Xceleration family since 2010 when her daughter Dana started her club volleyball career. You will often see Normie cheering for our teams at tournaments and will be keeping our teams organized with respect to tournament travel. TOMAS PINEDA – MEDIA & PHOTOGRAPHY Tomas came to Xceleration in the 2010 season when his daughter, Dana, began her club volleyball career. During the six seasons that Dana competed for Xceleration, Tomas shared his photography with the club, visiting court-side with teams during tournaments. After Dana graduated in 2015, Tomas stayed on to continue taking photographs for Xceleration. You will see him at tournaments capturing court action while cheering for our teams, documenting other club events, and collaborating with Xcel’s Media & Communications Director to produce visual and print media for the club. His digital images of teams and athletes are made available to Xceleration families free of charge. JOHN DAVID – MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS John has been affiliated with Xceleration since 2011 when his daughter Sam joined the club, and ever since the media team was created in 2013, he has become the club’s historian, archiving and reporting highlights and accomplishments of its current and former athletes. John also supports the club’s various online registration and communications needs, such as content development for and management of its website, presence in social media circles, creation of marketing and digital materials (e.g., Player Recruitment Profiles and Team Information sheets), and publication of the club’s monthly newsletter, XCELlent NEWS, which currently is in its 7th season. |
