Last update: November 28, 2022
EXECUTIVE STAFF
Jeremy Swann
Leslie Ray
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JEREMY SWANN - OWNER
Jeremy is owner of the Xceleration Volleyball Club. He is in his 15th season at Xceleration and in his 19th season of coaching junior girls’ volleyball. Jeremy returns this season to coach with Andy Schroeder for 18Blue. It will be their 12th year of coaching this team together. Before 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 6th year as Club Director for the 2022-2023 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. |
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
Jeremy Swann
Taylor Dixon
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ANDY SCHROEDER - CO-HEAD COACH 18BLUE
Andy is entering his 15th year with Xceleration and 18th 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 13 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, nearly 200 of his former players have gone on to play in college. JEREMY SWANN - CO-HEAD COACH 18BLUE Jeremy is owner of the Xceleration Volleyball Club. He is in his 15th season at Xceleration and in his 19th season of coaching junior girls’ volleyball. Jeremy returns this season to coach with Andy Schroeder for 18Blue. It will be their 12th year of coaching this team together. Before 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. TAYLOR DIXON – ASSOCIATE COACH 18BLUE Xceleration alumnus Taylor has played volleyball for over 10 years, including two years with Xcel. Taylor earned a scholarship to play at Cal State San Marcos as an outside hitter for the Cougars. There she earned her BA degree in Liberal Arts, with an emphasis in Sociology. Taylor also obtained her teaching credential from CSU San Marcos and currently teaches 2nd Graders. Taylor prepped at Liberty High School in Brentwood, CA through 2016, where she was on varsity volleyball all four years and earned First Team All-East Bay for two years in a row. Last season, Taylor kept a busy competitive volleyball schedule, serving as an assistant to both the 14s and 17s teams. Taylor said, "I look forward to coaching and being a part of the Xcel family once again!" |
Leslie Ray
Lucas Abbott
Kayla Coleman
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LESLIE RAY – CO-HEAD COACH 17BLUE
Leslie returns to Xceleration for her 10th season with the Club. Leslie was a starting Libero at Cal State University East Bay (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. LUCAS ABBOTT – CO-HEAD COACH 17BLUE Lucas returns for his 11th season with Xceleration and has coached or played volleyball at a high level for over 25 years. Since 2017, his teams have always finished top 10 (Gold) in league play in both the NCVA's Power League and most recently the newly formed WCVBA. In this most recent six-year span, his teams have earned multiple GJNC bids and, in 2018 his 15Blue team finished Top 5 in the Open Division at the AAU Girls' Nationals in Orlando. As a coach, he prides himself not only on his teams competing at a very high level but also having fun while doing so and running fast-paced practices with lots of positive feedback for his players. 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, leading 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 in each of his eight seasons as the Head Coach including making it to the CIF State playoffs three times and winning the D5 State Championship in 2022. 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 20+ year professional career to youth development, which he incorporates into his coaching. He is the program 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 17BLUE Kayla returns for her 10th season with Xceleration. 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. |
Andrew Randolph
Maynard Patacsil
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ANDREW RANDOLPH – HEAD COACH 17WHITE
Andrew is now in his 6th year of coaching, and has done so for multiple high school and club teams. He began coaching in 2017 for Belltown VBC in Riverside, CA for their 12's, 13's, 14's, and 16's. Shortly after, he moved on to coach the Girls' Frosh, JV, and Varsity teams for the 2019 season at Southlands Christian Schools in Rowland Heights, CA, as well as the Boys' team for Martin Luther King High School in Riverside. Andrew is entering into his second season coaching the JV team at Will C. Wood High School in Vacaville, CA. He is also joining Vacaville Christian High School as an associate coach for both the girls' and boys' teams during the upcoming seasons. Andrew helped coach the 16White team for Xcel last season, and looks forward to coaching the 17White team for the 2022-2023 season. Andrew played High School Volleyball for Berean Christian High School in Walnut Creek, CA from 2010-2014 as the team’s starting Libero. He also played three years as an Outside Hitter and Libero for Diablo Valley Volleyball Club (DVVC). He earned DVAL Honors all four years including Honorable Mention his Freshman year, 2nd Team All-League Sophomore and Junior years, and 1st Team All-League Senior year. From 2014-2017, Andrew attended California Baptist University (CBU) in Riverside, CA and graduated with his Bachelor's in Psychology with a Minor in Coaching. He then remained at CBU for the 2018-2019 school year and earned his Master's degree in Sports and Performance Psychology. He has worked with a multitude of high school and college sports teams including Cheer, Golf, Basketball, Volleyball, and Soccer as a Mental Performance Coach. Andrew currently works as the Middle School Physical Education teacher for Vacaville Christian Schools. Andrew's goal is to gain as much experience as he can working among high school student athletes, and desires to be one of the first to work solely with high school athletes in the mental game capacity. Helping athletes learn to set goals for themselves and work diligently to find success is what Andrew is most passionate about, and will continue to work towards as he builds his career surrounding athletics. MAYNARD PATACSIL – ASSOCIATE COACH 17WHITE Maynard joins the club with 10 years of coaching experience, seven of which is at the Club Level. Born and raised in San Francisco and currently a Vallejo resident, Maynard is married with two girls and employed full-time in Contra Costa County, while also running the volleyball program at Benicia HS where he is the head volleyball coach for Boys and Girls Varsity, and assistant coach for the Boys and Girls JV teams, as well as the Frosh Girls team. Maynard was introduced into volleyball during a P.E. class in middle school, he was instantly hooked and wanted to learn more. Growing up in San Francisco, he fondly recalls there weren't many volleyball programs available, so all he could do was watch the Olympics and World games. It wasn't until his eldest daughter joined the volleyball team at her school that he got a chance to participate in the sport again as a coach to develop young athletes, see them flourish, and excel into high school and beyond. Included in his coaching experience is developing a volleyball program for a private school in Vallejo for 5th-8th grade. Before coming to Xceleration, Maynard coached at Club Solano in all coaching capacities for all age groups and at Vacaville Extreme 17's. In his spare time, Maynard plays in an intramural volleyball league in Vallejo as a DS/Libero. Maynard has an A.S. Degree Law Enforcement and is working to get a B.S. in Business Management. He is certified in First Aid/CPR, AED, ASCC, and SafeSport. Maynard said, “I love to see the growth of the players and to instill confidence just not through volleyball, but in life. I enjoy teaching the fundamentals and see the progress. If I could make a difference or impact a person's life, by giving them a chance to excel and feel confident, then I have succeeded as a coach.” |
Ruth Lawanson
Todd Ajari
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RUTH LAWANSON – HEAD COACH 16BLUE
Ruth Lawanson has been involved with volleyball for over 40 years as a player, coach and clinician. She has coached at University of Nevada, US 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 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. 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. Prior to her time on the national squad, Lawanson played with the Dallas Belles and the Minnesota Monarchs of the Major Volleyball League from 1987-89. She was the league MVP in 1988 and earned USVBA All-America honors with the national champion Chrysler Californians club team in 1989. She resumed her professional career in 1992, playing three years in Italy and France. At the collegiate level, Lawanson was one of the greatest players in Fresno State history, becoming the first Bulldog ever to earn NCAA Division I All-America honors as a senior in 1984. She was a three-time team MVP for the Bulldogs (1982-84) and her name still appears in several categories in the Fresno State record book. As a senior in 1984, Lawanson guided the Bulldogs to a 26-13 record and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Tournament. For her efforts she was named NorPac co-Player of the Year, first-team All-NorPac and earned All-Northwest Region honors. At the conclusion of her stellar Fresno State playing career, Lawanson became the first female athlete in the history of Fresno State to have her jersey retired. She was also the first athlete in a sport other than football and only the fourth athlete overall to receive that honor from Fresno State. Her other Fresno State accolades include the 1984 Rosa Parks award and designation as the 1984-85 Female Athlete of the Year. A member of the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame, Clovis Unified Hall of Fame and the Clovis West High School (Calif.) Wall of Fame, Lawanson was also named one of Fresno State's Top 25 Greatest Athletes and one of the Central Valley's Top 25 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Volleyball Coaches Association and continuthues to pass on her expertise at a number of volleyball camps and clinics around the country. In prior club seasons, Ruth's team won the 2021 NorCal Winter Classic Tournament and finished 17th out of 125 at AAU's. TODD AJARI - ASSOCIATE COACH 16 BLUE Todd enters his 5th season with Xceleration after coaching 17Blue, 16Blue, 16White, and 14Blue in prior seasons. Originally from Hawaii, Todd is now a Benicia, CA resident where he has coached at the club, and high school girls JV and Varsity teams at Benicia HS and assistant boys Varsity at College Park HS where the team in 2022 won the North Coast Section Division I championship and entered into the State playoffs. 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. In high school he played two years on Varsity and one season of club. He was an All-League setter his second year. As an adult he played men's club for several years before playing for the U.S. Air Force team, in his final year he made the All Armed Forces team as a setter. He continued to play club and tournaments during and after the military. The last tournament he played in was 2019 Men's Nationals U45 and U50. 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. |
Greg Ginsburg
Kaitlynn Zdroik
Allan Alberto
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GREG GINSBURG – CO-HEAD COACH 16WHITE
Greg returns to Xceleration for another stint of coaching with the club. The Reno native has lived in the Bay Area for a long time and confesses that he has coached “since dinosaurs roamed the earth” or since he was just out of college… oh so 35+ years ago. In addition to coaching club volleyball at Elite (LA) and Xceleration, Greg also has club and high school basketball and volleyball coaching experience at Salesian College Preparatory in Richmond, CA and St Mary's College High School in Albany, CA. Greg played a bit of both volleyball and basketball in college; generally enjoying his time on the bench (!). He earned a BS in Ecological Science (i.e., Biology/Environmental Biology) as a Cal undergraduate and an MBA in Marketing at Cal State University East Bay. Greg has also completed executive programs at Stanford for supply chain strategy and at Wharton for negotiation strategy. He currently leads the supply chain function at Smart Sweets, a nutritional snack food company. Coach Greg said this about coaching volleyball, “I love it when we learn something together and then execute it on the court.” KAITLYNN ZDROIK - CO-HEAD COACH 16WHITE Kaitlynn is an Xceleration alumnus and returns to the club as co-head coach of the 16White. After earning the Bay Valley Athletic League MVP honor for Liberty HS in Brentwood, CA, Kaitlynn concluded her club career with Xceleration's 18Blue under coaches Andy Schroeder and Jeremy Swann. She then was recruited to play Division I indoor and beach volleyball at San Jose State University. During that time, Kaitlynn also earned the Iron Spartan Award — given to one male and female athlete across all sports for outstanding performance and work ethic in the weight room. At the end of her college stint at San Jose State, Kaitlynn moved to Bournemouth, England, UK to further her education and semi-pro volleyball career; she competed on the UK Beach Tour and earned Gold in all but two tournaments through the season. She then was signed by Vitrolles Sport Volleyball Club to play professionally as a setter in Marseille, France. In 2022, Kaitlynn returned to the UK to coach England Women’s and Men’s top beach volleyball teams, specializing as their Head Game Strategist — the Men’s team is currently competing on the World Beach Pro Tour and now on the hunt for Olympic Qualification, and the Women’s team competed at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and had best season to date for England Women’s volleyball! Kaitlynn believes that integrity, balance, and passion have been most crucial to her career so far. “As much as I value being a student of the game, I believe growing as a person through sport and leaning into our mental health will truly guide us to not only be great teammates, but become better people in the world." Kaitlynn said, "I'm excited to take advantage of my brief time back in the Bay Area to give back to a club that was instrumental in my career as a player and coach. XCEL put me on a path to live out my childhood dream of playing volleyball professionally, but ultimately shaped my growth mindset that will impact my life long after volleyball." ALLAN ALBERTO – ASSOCIATE COACH 16WHITE In his 3rd year with Xceleration, Allan's 30 years of volleyball experience began in his hometown in the Philippines. Allan started his collegiate volleyball career at National University in the Philippines, playing the middle and right position. He was a member of the Philippine National Team in 2002, 2004, and 2005 and competed internationally in Fukuoka, Japan, in 2002. Allan also became a member of the Philippine Air Force Volleyball Team and was the Philippines' National Open champions from 2005 to 2007. Allan started his volleyball coaching experience as the Head Coach of Asian College of Science and Technology in the Philippines from 2004 to 2006. He was the Assistant Coach for the Philippine Air Force from 2004 to 2006 and National University in the Philippines from 2006 to 2008. When Allan arrived in California, he joined Club Solano and was one of the head coaches, coaching the Girls 15's, 16's, and 17's age groups from 2017 to 2020. Allan loves and is very passionate about Volleyball. He enjoys teaching players the fundamentals of the sport and fostering the importance of hard work, determination, and teamwork. His goal is to share his talent and experience with younger players, to inspire them to develop their skills and passion for volleyball. |
Leslie Ray
Rochelle Alonsabe
Deo Boongaling
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LESLIE RAY – HEAD COACH 15BLUE
Leslie returns to Xceleration for her 10th season with the Club. Leslie was a starting Libero at Cal State University East Bay (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. ROCHELLE ALONSABE – ASSOCIATE COACH 15BLUE Rochelle joins the staff in her 2nd year with Xceleration. The Vallejo, CA resident has been involved playing and coaching volleyball for nearly 20 years, starting at Jesse M. Bethel HS as middle front and all-around in the back row for the Jaguars, where she received Rookie of the Year honors in her sophomore year on the Varsity team. In club volleyball, Rochelle played left side and right side as a second setter and dominant left hitter. After high school, Rochelle attended Laney College in Oakland, CA and also continued her path playing volleyball. After graduating from Laney, Rochelle’s volleyball coaching career started at Club Solano and also at Rodriguez HS in Fairfield, CA for the freshman team. Recently getting back into the game, Rochelle is coaching the freshman team at Will C. Wood in Vacaville, CA and now begins her journey with Xceleration. Rochelle said, “The most motivating thing about coaching is the lives and mindset impacted that you have changed as a coach – being able to influence young minds to being great, successful, diligent, and assertive, allowing them to show their leadership skills and building and trusting relationships with my parents and players, so that they feel safe and also challenged to become better.” DEO BOONGALING – ASSOCIATE COACH 15BLUE Deo is entering his 3rd year as a coach for Xceleration. Prior to coaching here, he was an undergraduate assistant coach for the Cal State East Bay women’s volleyball team. Deo grew up 20 minutes away from Martinez, in Vallejo, California and graduated from St-Patrick’s - St Vincent’s High School where he played 3 years of varsity volleyball before moving on to play at San Diego City College. During high school, Deo also played 2 years of competitive club volleyball for Diablo Valley VBC. |
Owen Uresti
Maynard Patacsil
Jhoanna Rollins
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OWEN URESTI – CO-HEAD COACH 15WHITE
Coming Soon! MAYNARD PATACSIL – CO-HEAD COACH 15WHITE Maynard joins the club with 10 years of coaching experience, seven of which is at the Club Level. Born and raised in San Francisco and currently a Vallejo resident, Maynard is married with two girls and employed full-time in Contra Costa County, while also running the volleyball program at Benicia HS where he is the head volleyball coach for Boys and Girls Varsity, and assistant coach for the Boys and Girls JV teams, as well as the Frosh Girls team. Maynard was introduced into volleyball during a P.E. class in middle school, he was instantly hooked and wanted to learn more. Growing up in San Francisco, he fondly recalls there weren't many volleyball programs available, so all he could do was watch the Olympics and World games. It wasn't until his eldest daughter joined the volleyball team at her school that he got a chance to participate in the sport again as a coach to develop young athletes, see them flourish, and excel into high school and beyond. Included in his coaching experience is developing a volleyball program for a private school in Vallejo for 5th-8th grade. Before coming to Xceleration, Maynard coached at Club Solano in all coaching capacities for all age groups and at Vacaville Extreme 17's. In his spare time, Maynard plays in an intramural volleyball league in Vallejo as a DS/Libero. Maynard has an A.S. Degree Law Enforcement and is working to get a B.S. in Business Management. He is certified in First Aid/CPR, AED, ASCC, and SafeSport. Maynard said, “I love to see the growth of the players and to instill confidence just not through volleyball, but in life. I enjoy teaching the fundamentals and see the progress. If I could make a difference or impact a person's life, by giving them a chance to excel and feel confident, then I have succeeded as a coach.” JHOANNA ROLLINS – ASSOCIATE COACH 15WHITE Jhoanna joins Xceleration for her 2nd year after a successful 16-year club and high school coaching career. She has coached JV at St. Patrick-St Vincent HS for three years, JV at Rodriguez HS for four years, and Club Solano for 16 years for ages 13s,14s, and 15s. Originally from the Philippines, Jhoanna played for Cavite City National HS and Solano College as an Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker. During high school, she was “Athlete of the Year” for all four years. Jhoanna currently resides in Fairfield, CA with her husband James and their three children and is also a coach at Solano College. Jhoanna loves to coach! She said, “I fell in love with volleyball at 13 and I like to share the knowledge of volleyball, the commitment, the discipline, the responsibility, the respect, the friendship, the love of playing, and more… are the heart of volleyball, so I want the girls to fall in love with volleyball, too. I just love coaching!” |
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Jhoanna Rollins
Tui Saluni
Allan Alberto
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JHOANNA ROLLINS – HEAD COACH 14BLUE
Jhoanna joins Xceleration for her 2nd year after a successful 16-year club and high school coaching career. She has coached JV at St. Patrick-St Vincent HS for three years, JV at Rodriguez HS for four years, and Club Solano for 16 years for ages 13s,14s, and 15s. Originally from the Philippines, Jhoanna played for Cavite City National HS and Solano College as an Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker. During high school, she was “Athlete of the Year” for all four years. Jhoanna currently resides in Fairfield, CA with her husband James and their three children and is also a coach at Solano College. Jhoanna loves to coach! She said, “I fell in love with volleyball at 13 and I like to share the knowledge of volleyball, the commitment, the discipline, the responsibility, the respect, the friendship, the love of playing, and more… are the heart of volleyball, so I want the girls to fall in love with volleyball, too. I just love coaching!” TUI SALUNI – ASSOCIATE COACH 14BLUE ALLAN ALBERTO – ASSOCIATE COACH 14BLUE In his 3rd year with Xceleration, Allan's 30 years of volleyball experience began in his hometown in the Philippines. Allan started his collegiate volleyball career at National University in the Philippines, playing the middle and right position. He was a member of the Philippine National Team in 2002, 2004, and 2005 and competed internationally in Fukuoka, Japan, in 2002. Allan also became a member of the Philippine Air Force Volleyball Team and was the Philippines' National Open champions from 2005 to 2007. Allan started his volleyball coaching experience as the Head Coach of Asian College of Science and Technology in the Philippines from 2004 to 2006. He was the Assistant Coach for the Philippine Air Force from 2004 to 2006 and National University in the Philippines from 2006 to 2008. When Allan arrived in California, he joined Club Solano and was one of the head coaches, coaching the Girls 15's, 16's, and 17's age groups from 2017 to 2020. Allan loves and is very passionate about Volleyball. He enjoys teaching players the fundamentals of the sport and fostering the importance of hard work, determination, and teamwork. His goal is to share his talent and experience with younger players, to inspire them to develop their skills and passion for volleyball. |
Jennifer Uresti
Amanda Mallard
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JENNIFER URESTI – HEAD COACH 14WHITE
Jennifer is in her 3rd season at Xceleration and has coached all levels of high school volleyball and club for the better part of 20 years. Jennifer’s volleyball success started early on; she was a CIF Div. III State Champion, a First Team Jr. College All-American and attended Fresno State University on full scholarship and was an All-WAC selection. She started her coaching career while playing college volleyball and coaching high school and club. Jennifer stepped away from the game as she started her family and has been back in the gym for the past 10 years here in the Bay Area. She has enjoyed picking up coaching again alongside her children as they have grown to thrive in the sport. Currently, Jennifer is coaching the JV Boys and Frosh-Soph Girls teams at Berean Christian High School. Jennifer’s excited to share her love of the game with all the players she interacts with. She is passionate about teaching younger players that strong fundamentals and a good work ethic can carry them through their years of playing and beyond. AMANDA MALLARD – ASSOCIATE COACH 14WHITE Amanda is joining Xceleration for her 2nd season of coaching club volleyball. By joining Xceleration the Berkeley, CA native continues her 15-year journey as a coach altogether. After graduating from Albany HS, Amanda began her collegiate volleyball career at Laney College. During her two years at Junior College, she was a two-time First Team All-Conference player and was awarded Best Defensive Player and MVP. She completed her college career overseas, playing for the University of Galway in Ireland, where the Irish Volleyball Association awarded her Best Defensive Player. Amanda said this about coaching, “My goal is to bring out the best in each player by creating an environment that cultivates high self-esteem. I want the players to approach life like they approach the court, with great confidence. As a 15-year swimming coach, it was my job to break down the fear that often deteriorates the building blocks of success. My job is to empower my players to believe in themselves and for them to see that on the other side of fear is their wildest dream achieved.“ |
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Greg Ginsburg
Michaela Ahlenslager
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GREG GINSBURG – HEAD COACH 13BLUE
Greg returns to Xceleration for another stint of coaching with the club. The Reno native has lived in the Bay Area for a long time and confesses that he has coached “since dinosaurs roamed the earth” or since he was just out of college… oh so 35+ years ago. In addition to coaching club volleyball at Elite (LA) and Xceleration, Greg also has club and high school basketball and volleyball coaching experience at Salesian College Preparatory in Richmond, CA and St Mary's College High School in Albany, CA. Greg played a bit of both volleyball and basketball in college; generally enjoying his time on the bench (!). He earned a BS in Ecological Science (i.e., Biology/Environmental Biology) as a Cal undergraduate and an MBA in Marketing at Cal State University East Bay. Greg has also completed executive programs at Stanford for supply chain strategy and at Wharton for negotiation strategy. He currently leads the supply chain function at Smart Sweets, a nutritional snack food company. Coach Greg said this about coaching volleyball, “I love it when we learn something together and then execute it on the court.” MICHAELA AHLENSLAGER – ASSOCIATE COACH 13BLUE Michaela is an Xceleration alumnus and joins the coaching staff for her 2nd year with the 13Blue. The Hercules, CA resident will be in her fifth year of coaching after two seasons at the club level for Plumas Volleyball Club U12 and River Cities Thunder 15-1s, and a season at the high school varsity level for her alma mater Salesian College Preparatory in Richmond, CA. After playing for Xceleration and prior to coaching, Michaela played MB/OH for Feather River College in Plumas County, CA and then at Marshall University in West Virginia where she earned a double major – Bachelor of Science degrees in Health Sciences and History. On reasons Michaela enjoys being on the Xceleration staff, she said, “Coaching is teaching, and I love helping players learn the game, whether it’s serving overhand for the first time… or swinging line versus angle.” She followed, “The sense of accomplishment they feel and the confidence it brings them makes all the hard work worth it. I love what playing a sport can do for kids as far as confidence, sense of self, and leadership skills, and I support the process and love being a part of it. |
Krystal Hin
Taylor Dixon
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KRYSTAL HIN – CO-HEAD COACH 12BLUE
Krystal joins Xceleration for her 2nd year of coaching club volleyball. The Pacifica native, now residing in Vallejo, CA, first got involved in volleyball because of her older sisters. Krystal’s first club team at the tender age of 12 was with the Golden Bears VBC, but she spent most of her club years with Beach Vibes VBC as a starting Outside Hitter. She played four years of varsity volleyball at Terra Nova HS in Pacifica, as a Middle and Outside Hitter, where she received All-league second team as a freshman, league MVP her sophomore year, and first team All-league her junior and senior seasons. Currently, Krystal is a Communications major at the College of San Mateo, with plans to transition to a four-year university to earn her bachelors. She played one season of indoor and beach volleyball before the pandemic, and she was able to earn first team All-conference. Krystal said, “Even as I’ve grown older, my love for the game has remained strong and I’m grateful for the endless connections I’ve built throughout the volleyball community.” She followed, “Not only is volleyball a passion of mine, but as a sibling of six, working with kids is something that has always come naturally to me. It’s amazing to see the growth of players on and off the court through the course of the season, and I hope the kids are as excited to learn from me, as I am from them.” TAYLOR DIXON – CO-HEAD COACH 12BLUE Xceleration alumnus Taylor has played volleyball for over 10 years, including two years with Xcel. Taylor earned a scholarship to play at Cal State San Marcos as an outside hitter for the Cougars. There she earned her BA degree in Liberal Arts, with an emphasis in Sociology. Taylor also obtained her teaching credential from CSU San Marcos and currently teaches 2nd Graders. Taylor prepped at Liberty High School in Brentwood, CA through 2016, where she was on varsity volleyball all four years and earned First Team All-East Bay for two years in a row. Last season, Taylor kept a busy competitive volleyball schedule, serving as an assistant to both the 14s and 17s teams. Taylor said, "I look forward to coaching and being a part of the Xcel family once again!" |
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, and publication of the club’s monthly newsletter, XCELlent NEWS, which currently is in its 10th season. |
