Last update: August 12, 2020
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 13th season at Xceleration (including coaching 18Blue with Andy Schroeder for 10 years) and in his 17th season of coaching junior girls’ volleyball. 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 4th year as Club Director for the 2020-2021 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. |
ADVISORY STAFF / COACHING
Jim Ross
Rob Browning
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JIM ROSS - CONSULTANT / COLLEGE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Jim is in his 12th 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. 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. |
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 13th year with Xceleration and 16th 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 11 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 160 of his former players have gone on to play in college. BRETT LEGGITT - ASSOCIATE COACH 18BLUE Vacaville native Brett Leggitt is in his 4th year coaching with Xceleration and his 3rd 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 more than 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. |
Haley Walsh
TBD
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HALEY WALSH – HEAD COACH 18WHITE
Xceleration alumnus Haley Walsh returns to the club for her 3rd year as the 18White 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. TBD – ASSOCIATE COACH 18WHITE Coming soon! |
Leslie Ray
Lindsey Ray
Deo Boongaling
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LESLIE RAY – HEAD COACH 17BLUE
Leslie returns to Xceleration for her 8th season with the Club. She is also in her 8th 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 8th season with Xceleration. 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. DEO BOONGALING – ASSOCIATE COACH 17BLUE Coming soon! |
Ruth Lawanson
Todd Ajari
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RUTH LAWANSON – HEAD COACH 16BLUE
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. TODD AJARI – ASSOCIATE COACH 16BLUE Todd enters his 3rd season with Xceleration after coaching 16White last season and 14Blue the season prior. 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. |
Jennifer Uresti
Jordan Minney
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JENNIFER URESTI – HEAD COACH 16WHITE
Jennifer is in her 2nd 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. JORDAN MINNEY – ASSOCIATE COACH 16WHITE Coming soon! |
Jeremy Swann
Haley Walsh
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JEREMY SWANN – HEAD COACH 15BLUE
Jeremy is owner of the Xceleration Volleyball Club. He is in his 13th season at Xceleration (including coaching 18Blue with Andy Schroeder for 10 years) and in his 17th season of coaching junior girls’ volleyball. 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. HALEY WALSH – ASSOCIATE COACH 15BLUE Xceleration alumnus Haley Walsh returns to the club for her 3rd year as the 18White 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. |
Taylor Elliott
Dana Pineda
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TAYLOR ELLIOTT – HEAD COACH 15WHITE
Taylor is a former Xceleration athlete and returns to join the coaching staff in her 4th year after serving as an Associate Coach for 15White, 14White, and 13Blue during the past three years. 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. DANA PINEDA – ASSOCIATE COACH 15WHITE Dana is an Xceleration alum and in her 2nd 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 last season, she is excited to return to Xceleration as a coach. |
Patrick Samples
Ari Cruz
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PATRICK SAMPLES – HEAD COACH 14BLUE
Patrick is in his 3rd season with the club after coaching 15White and 14White the past two seasons. 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. ARI CRUZ – ASSOCIATE COACH 14BLUE Coming soon! |
TBD
TBD
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TBD – HEAD COACH 14WHITE
Coming soon! TBD – ASSOCIATE COACH 14WHITE Coming soon! |
Lindsey Ray
Deo Boongaling
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LINDSEY RAY – HEAD COACH 13BLUE
Lindsey is back for her 8th season with Xceleration. 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. DEO BOONGALING – ASSOCIATE COACH 13BLUE Coming soon! |
Leslie Ray
Kristen Root
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LESLIE RAY – HEAD COACH 13WHITE
Leslie returns to Xceleration for her 8th season with the Club. She is also in her 8th 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. KRISTEN ROOT – ASSOCIATE COACH 13WHITE Kristen returns to Xceleration as associate coach of the 13White after coaching Xceleration’s 16White 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." |
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J.J. Gearhart-Utchen
TBD
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J.J. GEARHART-UTCHEN – HEAD COACH 12BLUE
J.J. Gearhart-Utchen is back with Xceleration as a coach. While J.J.’s daughters Audrey (Washington College) and Lo (SDSU) dreamed of playing for Andy and Jeremy as they came up through Monte Vista High School, J.J. dreamed of coaching with Xcel once her daughters finished their own collegiate careers! As varsity coach at Monte Vista, J.J. directed the squad to back-to-back East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) and North Coast Section (NCS) Championships by using Carol Dweck’s Mindset principles to overturn an 0-14 start to finish several 30+ win seasons. This worst-to-first arc caught the attention of the Positive Coaching Alliance, who named her a National Finalist Coach of the Year in 2015. In 2014, she was Sportstars Northern California Coach of the Year and Knight-Ridder Newspapers Coach of the Year. Her 2015 squad advanced to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state semi-finals. Her Monte Vista teams were American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic National winners for six years running. Developing student-athletes is her lifelong passion and her players have enjoyed success at Stanford, Harvard, Cal, New York University, several University of California and California State University schools, and many high quality smaller schools. She has used her college admissions adviser certificate from Cal to guide her players as they evaluate college for both athletic and academic fit. As a player, she earned All-League honors in basketball (4 years) and volleyball (3 years) and All Sac Joaquin Section in both sports as well. Recruited to Stanford as a setter and a small forward, volleyball became her primary sport. Playing middle blocker, she was a part of Stanford’s own “worst-to-first” rise as a member of the first team to make the NCAA Final Four. She played a spring season for Cecina, Italy’s A-2 team as an opposite, and returned to the U.S. to coach the men’s and women’s teams at then-Division II U.C. Davis. She has served as a High Performance evaluator and trainer, Mentor, and Level III Coach for USA Volleyball. J.J. serves as Poet Laureate of San Ramon, and is back in school at St. Mary’s College, where she’s pursuing an MFA in Poetry. It took five attempts, but she finally finished her first book this summer. J.J. believes having fun on the court is the best way to learn our sport. She looks forward to helping the 12’s develop all of their skills as they chase their volleyball dreams. TBD – ASSOCIATE COACH 12BLUE Coming soon! |
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 8th season. |
