After a decorated playing career, co-founder and director Cat Dailey Minyard is passing along her volleyball expertise to the next generation of athletes in the Northeast. Cat has previously acted as an Assistant Coach for her alma mater, Yale University, as well as Amherst College. She is also a Lead Coach for Gold Medal Squared, the leaders in volleyball coaches' education. Before founding Northeast Volleyball Club with her husband Garrett, Cat played in the Italian Serie A league for Volley Millenium Brescia, leading her team to a 25-7 record and winning the 2018 Italian A2 Championship. Before Italy, Cat completed her master’s degree in Entrepreneurship at Durham University in the U.K., while also leading Durham to two national championships and capturing league MVP honors.

 

Originally from Southern California, Cat was a Top 20 college recruit after competing at the highest level of club volleyball with Laguna Beach Volleyball Club. She played for Cal for two years, including an NCAA Final Four appearance in 2007, before transferring to Yale. At Yale, Cat was the unanimous selection for the 2008 Ivy League MVP and led the team to an NCAA tournament postseason win. In the 2021 season, she was featured as the ESPN+  broadcast analyst for the Yale home matches.

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Cat specializes in developing athletes with a high “volleyball IQ” who understand how the game works at the highest levels.  At Northeast, Cat leads the business strategy and has served as Head Coach at the U15, U16, and U17 Girls levels. Cat is also the NEVBC Director of Recruiting, where she has helped over 18 NEVBC athletes go on to play in college at all levels, from the ACC to the Patriot League to the NESCAC, in just 3 seasons.

As co-founder and club director, Garrett Minyard brings over a decade of volleyball coaching experience, knowledge, and connections to our club. Before starting Northeast Volleyball Club, Coach Garrett spent a year in Italy as a coach in the Italian Serie A2 league. During that time, Garrett helped Volley Millenium Brescia capture a national championship and learned the ins and outs of professional team management. Before Italy, he earned his master’s degree in Human Resource Management at Durham University in the U.K., while also acting as the head coach for Team Durham Men's Volleyball. Garrett also assisted Team Durham Women's Volleyball who secured both the University and National league titles that season.

 

Garrett is originally from Long Island and played Division I men's volleyball for Sacred Heart University, where he was named Team Captain for both the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He never stopped coaching during his college career, working with Ripp Volleyball Club and Oxford High School. After graduation, Garrett began coaching full time for CPAC Volleyball Club under his mentor Danny Goncalves, the now Head Coach at Division I NJIT. Garrett then took the reins as Club Director, leading the club for two very successful seasons before moving overseas.

 

As a coach, Garrett focuses on developing young athletes into leaders on and off the court and teaching athletes how to compete at the highest levels. Always a student of the game, his technical knowledge is unparalleled. Garrett leads NEVBC's coaches training and development and helps guide all practice planning for our club teams.

 

Garrett is also the Head Varsity Coach at St. Luke's School in New Canaan, a Head Coach for Gold Medal Squared (the leaders in volleyball coaches' education and training), and the Volunteer Assistant Coach for NJIT Men's Volleyball in Newark, NJ. 

Coach Jonathan Mercado is both a leader in the Connecticut volleyball community and an accomplished educator. He founded the Northeast Boys Club program in 2019, and the program has grown and flourished under his leadership. Jon brings a tremendous amount of youth coaching experience to Northeast Volleyball Club, having led several boys and girls high school programs to successful seasons. He has also coached at Mizuno East Volleyball Club, CP-AC Volleyball Club, and Greenwich Volleyball Club.

 

Originally from New York City, Jon played club volleyball for Stellar Volleyball Club, eventually earning a Division I scholarship to Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. During his four years at Sacred Heart, Jon helped the men’s program qualify for the EIVA Conference tournament, where they continually upset nationally ranked programs. In addition to his successful athletic career, he graduated with a B.A. in Creative Writing and a Master’s degree in Education.

 

Currently an English/Language Arts teacher at Jockey Hollow Middle School STEM Academy in Monroe, Jon brings a unique perspective to Northeast Volleyball Club as an educator. He views the volleyball court as a classroom first and foremost, applying established educational principles to his coaching methods. Jon also specializes in training and improving the mindset of our athletes, developing and leading NEVBC's Athlete Mentality Program.

Shawn Hoyt brings an outstanding level of youth programming experience through his work as an educator and volleyball coach. Shawn joined NEVBC in 2019, and since then, he has grown youth volleyball in our area tremendously, launching our Fall Club program, Regional Team program, and expanding our summer classes and camps to allow more young athletes to learn volleyball.

 

As a Connecticut native, Shawn attended Killingly High School and then Springfield College where he earned his bachelor's in Sports Biology and a master’s in Human Nutrition. After graduation, he returned to Woodstock Academy where he found his passion for coaching volleyball. After only two years Shawn was promoted to Head Coach of Woodstock Academy and started his club coaching career at Husky Volleyball Club. In 2017, Shawn joined the Greenwich High School coaching staff and helped lead the team to an FCIAC and State Championship title. He also served as Assistant Director for Greenwich Volleyball Club and worked to promote youth volleyball growth through their Future Elite Program, as well as being named the Head Coach of the Greenwich boy's volleyball program.

 

Through all of these roles, Shawn has engaged youth athletes in his community and fueled their passion for volleyball. As a full-time science teacher at Greenwich High School, Shawn uses his passion for teaching both on and off the court to develop mindful and technically sound athletes.

Coach Mark ("Frog") Ogilvie is one of the original staff members at NEVBC, having returned stateside to coach at Northeast Volleyball Club after 4 years abroad in the United Kingdom completing his PhD.

 

 While overseas, Coach Frog competed with Team Durham Men’s Volleyball for five years as a libero and held an Assistant Coach role for the Durham women’s volleyball program, capturing a total of 4 national championships on the women’s side. Coach Frog also successfully completed a masters and PhD in Sociology during his time abroad. Upon his return to the states, Coach Frog also served as the Assistant Coach at Wesleyan University, a NCAA Division III program in the NESCAC that had an Elite 8 appearance in the 2018 NCAA tournament. In his collegiate career, he was also a libero/setter for Michigan State club volleyball.

 

In addition to his playing and coaching experience overseas, Mark brings a wealth of youth coaching and education experience to Northeast Volleyball Club, serving as an assistant coach for Woodhaven High School in his home state of Michigan in fall 2018. Frog has served as Head Coach for our Girls U16 Open team the past two years, as well as the Boys U18 Open team, in addition to many classes and camps.

 

Mark is also an accomplished educator and researcher, serving as an adjunct professor in Sociology at Southern Connecticut State University.

Kelsey Armstrong joins NEVBC with a variety of experiences at the youth and college level. She will be working with our Recruiting Director, Cat Dailey Minyard, to help support NEVBC athletes as they navigate the college recruiting process. The NEVBC College Recruiting team has helped over 18 NEVBC athletes go on to play in college at all levels, from the ACC to the Patriot League to the NESCAC, in just 3 seasons.

 

Currently, Kelsey works at Sacred Heart University in Student-Athlete Support Services. In her role, Armstrong provides academic support to student-athletes, including time management skills, organizational skills, academic advising, class registration, and progress towards degree. Armstrong advises eight teams, including women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, and football. She also leads student-athlete development initiatives in the areas of career development, personal health and wellness, and community service.

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In 2017, Kelsey joined the University of Hartford coaching staff and served as an assistant coach focusing on player development for the Hawks. She has also coached club volleyball for seven years working in various capacities in the Connecticut area. Through all of these roles, Kelsey has built relationships and developed athletes in an effort to help them reach their goals and maximize their potential. Prior to coaching, Kelsey was an All-Conference outside hitter for Western New England University, while earning a degree in education with a minor in coaching. She then earned her master’s in athletic administration from Springfield College. Kelsey was a two-time All-Conference, All-Area, and All-State player at Fitch High School who helped the team to three state tournament appearances, including the 2011 Connecticut Semifinals.

Pete Georgiou joined Northeast Volleyball Club after more than 14 years of coaching and building volleyball culture in Connecticut.  He brings a tremendous amount of knowledge, connections, personality, and technical coaching skills to Northeast.  A Connecticut local, he attended Norwalk High School where he first started playing volleyball.  He then attended Southern Connecticut State University and NEIT in Rhode Island before earning his Masters at Emporia State University.  After earning his degrees, Pete continued to play in adult leagues and soon began to coach, where he developed a penchant for rebuilding and reinvigorating programs.  

 

Pete coached for St. Luke’s School from 2010-2013 and led the team to their best season in ten years.  He was also the coach for the Greenwich High School Boys volleyball program, leading them to seven state tournament appearances and a division win during his eleven seasons as head coach. In 2013, Pete took over as the head coach of the Brien McMahon High School Girls volleyball program.  In 2015, Pete led the McMahon Senators to a 16-4 season and made the conference playoffs for the first time in 29 years.  In 2016, Pete coached the Senators to a conference title, where they ended the season as runners-up in the FCIAC.  Pete was honored as FCIAC Coach of the Year for his work both with McMahon’s Girls program and Greenwich’s Boys program.  A head coach for CT Juniors for seventeen years, Pete works as a Greenwich High School teacher and is the Program Associate for the Physical Education and Health department when he’s not on the court.

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Pete has coached the NEVBC 18 Open team in the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons, and this season Pete will assist in running the NEVBC Regional Team program as a Director.

Coach Rony joined the NEVBC team in 2020, where he led our U13 Club team to an incredibly successful season, including bringing home a Gold medal at the AAU Mohegan Sun tournament in the U14 Club division and a Bronze medal in the U13 Club division at the Nike Boston Festival, the largest tournament in New England.

 

Rony has coaching experience at every level, having coached for Saint Francis College, a NCAA Division I program in the Northeast Conference, where he was the Assistant Coach for three years before serving as the Head Coach for four years. He has extensive experience with coaching and administrating in the GEVA region, including serving as an administrator and club director for the All-Star Empire Volleyball Club in New York for 10 years. He coached numerous age levels and took 2 teams to USAV Junior Nationals in 2016 and 2019 at the U15s level.  He also coached for Creole Big Apple Juniors (15s, 16s, 17s, and 18s) and NYC Juniors (18s), and CALI.

 

Rony started his volleyball career playing for the varsity men’s volleyball team at Queens College, a Division II team in Flushing, NY. He is a renowned setter and has played on high-level teams in the New York Big City League and Greater Empire Volleyball Association (GEVA).  He led his GEVA team to two gold medals and one silver medal in USA Volleyball’s Adult National Championships.

Coach Kate comes to Northeast Volleyball Club as both an accomplished player and coach. Originally from Evergreen, Colorado, Kate started playing volleyball as a freshman in high school, eventually earning All-State and All-American honors. Kate has also played at the highest level of club volleyball, as her U18 club team won a National Championship at Junior Olympics.

 

Kate then went on to play four years of NCAA Division I Volleyball at the University of Denver as a left-handed opposite. After completing her degree at Denver, Kate earned a scholarship from Durham University in the United Kingdom to play in both the University League and National Volleyball League. 

 

As a coach, Kate coached club for Colorado Volleyball Association for two years at the U17 and U18 levels, passing on her extensive knowledge and preparing many of her players for college volleyball opportunities. Kate also held an assistant coaching role for Team Durham women’s volleyball after sustaining a serious shoulder injury, where she then worked with Northeast Director Garrett Minyard to coach their team to two National Championships in both the National Volleyball League and the BUCS University League.

 

In addition to coaching our athletes on the court, Kate is also a performance coach with Upper Deck Fitness, Northeast Volleyball Club’s exclusive fitness partner. 

Brendan McGourn’s volleyball resumé is as impressive as they come.  A Connecticut native, Brendan made a name for himself on the Southington High School Boys Volleyball Team before being recruited to play at Springfield College (Division III) in Springfield, MA, a powerhouse of a school in men’s volleyball.  In his four years at Springfield, Brendan and his team earned not one, not two, but three NCAA National Championships.  

 

With a passion for the sport, Brendan quickly transitioned to coaching after college, first as an assistant for the men’s team at his alma mater, Springfield College, and then to his current role as the Yale Women’s Volleyball Assistant Coach.  In the eight years he has been on the coaching staff at Yale, the Bulldogs have amassed five Ivy League Championships.  Brendan, with a deep interest in sports psychology, prides himself on coaching to players’ individual strengths and finds great reward in explaining the “why.”  Those “light bulb moments” that he witnesses players have when the connection from input to output is made are some of his greatest joys in coaching.  

 

Outside of volleyball, Brendan enjoys spending time with his fur baby, Khaleesi.  He is the owner and director of FAST Summer Camp, a summer day camp in Southington, CT with a multi-sport approach that encourages kids to get out of their comfort zones by learning new sports.  Brendan is also the owner and area developer of CT XP League, an eSports league modeled after classic youth sports organizations.  We are thrilled to have Brendan on Team Northeast!

A native of Las Vegas, Ian brings a depth of coaching at the high school, club, and college level that few coaches have in the sport of volleyball.  His success as the setter at both Green Valley High School and in the University of Texas Men’s Club Program paved his way to be a seasoned and successful coach in the sport.   

 

Ian’s coaching days began at Trinity Episopcal School before he moved on to San Juan Diego High School.  From there, he coached at the club level with Austin Juniors, where he racked up many championships and awards (including coach of the year) before later coaching for City Beach Volleyball Club and NYC Juniors.  His coaching resumé encompasses a number of roles and accolades at the college level including The University of Texas (Big 12 Champions, National Semifinals appearance), The University of Kansas, and San Jose State University (2nd highest RPI increase in D1).  

 

In 2018, Ian took over as head coach of the Women’s Volleyball Program at Fordham University (Bronx, NY) and since taking the helm has brought the team to their highest finish in the Atlantic 10 in program history.  In addition to setting thirteen program records since becoming Fordhan’s head coach, Ian has coached the Atlantic 10 Libero of the Year and the AVCA All-Region Outside Hitter.  

 

In his time off of the court, Ian enjoys reading, rowing, tennis, and basketball.  He is an avid concert goer and foodie and loves hiking and spending time with his corgi, Herbie.  

Tim brings with him to Northeast an impressive volleyball resumé as both a player and coach.  A five year standout on the Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, CT) Men’s Volleyball Team (D1), Tim earned All-EIVA Honors in back to back seasons.  He was the 2020 NCAA statistical champion in digs per set with 3.09 and holds the extreme honor of being named the runner up for the Erik Shoji Award, an honor given each year to the nation’s top libero in NCAA Volleyball.  In 2020, Tim was selected to the USA Volleyball Men’s Collegiate National Team.  

 

As a coach, Tim is also no stranger to success with experience coaching both boys and girls teams in club volleyball, including a gold medal win at AAU Nationals in 18 Open.  At the heart of his coaching style is a deep sense of care for his players and their individual and collective development.  

 

In his time away from coaching at Northeast, Tim enjoys singing and is a professional volleyball player.  We are thrilled to have him coaching our athletes in the gym!

Matt Somerville is one of our most accomplished coaches at Northeast, having led our Boys 16 Open team in 2019-2020 to a near perfect season, with a bid to USAV Nationals and 6 gold medals in 8 tournaments. He has also head coached our Girls U12 Club team. 

 

A Connecticut native, Matt started playing volleyball at Amity High School, where he led his team to two conference titles and was a three-time All-Conference and two-time CT All-State player. After high school, Matt continued his playing career as a Libero at Sacred Heart University, an NCAA Division I program.

While playing at Sacred Heart, Matthew began his volleyball coaching career at Bethel and Joel Barlow High Schools. After graduating, he became an assistant director and head coach for TCA Volleyball Club in Fairfield, as well as an assistant coach for the Sacred Heart University Women’s Volleyball team, an NCAA Division I program. During Matt’s time coaching at SHU, the Pioneers won the 2010 and 2011 NEC conference championships and went on to play against Nebraska and Stanford in the NCAA tournament. He also served as the varsity assistant coach at New Canaan High School in 2019 and 2020. When he's not coaching volleyball, Matt works as a social worker at a K-8 school in Bridgeport. 

Nicole’s love for the sport of volleyball began in her hometown of Totowa, NJ where she was a three year varsity starter on her high school team, earning All-Conference honors her senior year.  In college, she played for Sacred Heart University’s (Fairfield, CT) Women’s Club Volleyball Team.  After graduating from college, she spent a year coaching at Sacred Heart University for their club program before transitioning to her most recent coaching roles at Trumbull High School.

 

Nicole spent two years as the Girls Freshman Volleyball Team coach before taking over at the helm in her current roles as the coach of both the Trumbull High School Boys Volleyball Team and the Trumbull High School Girls Volleyball Team.  Trumbull took home the Girls FCIAC Championship in 2018, the Girls LL State Championship in 2019, the Girls FCIAC East Region Regular Season and Tournament Championship in 2020, and the Boys West Division Championship in 2021 -- all under Nicole’s leadership.  Nicole prides herself on the positivity she brings to her coaching and the rapport she builds with her players.   

 

Off the court, Nicole is a math teacher at Trumbull High School and enjoys hiking.

We are excited to welcome Helena to our Northeast coaching staff!  A native of Brazil, Helena has spent over a decade playing the sport between club and school teams, first for Minas Tenis Clube in Brazil before ultimately being recruited to play on the George Mason Women’s Volleyball Team and then the University of New Haven’s Women’s Volleyball Team.  Her club experience includes being part of All-State teams as a U15, U16, and a U17 player and being a National Team member as a U16 player.  Her accolades as a player include selection to All-State teams, the MVP of an international tournament in Portugal and another in Chile, and conference player of the week on many occasions at the collegiate level.  

 

Helena spent five seasons on the coaching staff of the University of Bridgeport’s Women’s Volleyball Team.  In her time there, the team amassed four conference championships and one regional championship, making it to the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Tournament.  A number of her players were named to the all-conference team, one of which was nationally ranked.  

 

Outside of volleyball, Helena is a product manager.  She loves spending time with her family and friends and enjoys traveling to different places. 

Growing up in western New York, Meaghan’s love for the sport began when she played for her high school’s varsity team (Newfane, NY) as well as the club team, WNY Stars Volleyball.  That love continued when she played for the SUNY Oswego (Division III) Women’s Volleyball Team.  On her college team, Meaghan’s leadership skills were front and center not just as an outside hitter and defensive specialist, but as the team’s captain for three of her four years at SUNY Oswego.

 

Following graduation, Meaghan jumped at the chance to step into a coaching role.  In addition to the time and teams she coaches at Northeast, Meaghan is the head coach for the girls freshman volleyball team at Greenwich High School.  Her coaching strengths include passing and defensive techniques, while bringing patience and enthusiasm to every practice and match.  In her first season with the team, she led them to a 9-2 overall record.  Her proudest coaching moment is always when players new to the sport get their serve over the net for the first time.  

 

Meaghan is currently an eighth grade English teacher at Western Middle School in Greenwich, CT.  She enjoys playing volleyball every chance she can get, whether that’s indoors or on the beach.   In her spare time, she loves reading and traveling-- she’s been to nine countries and counting!  We are lucky to have Coach Meaghan in our Northeast family!

Austin brings to Northeast a wealth of volleyball success as both an athlete and coach.  Five years of high school volleyball in his native Canada, the final two as captain, combined with two seasons at the OVA Club level cemented his love of the sport.  After high school graduation, Austin walked on to the Queen’s University Men’s Volleyball Team, a top five program in all of Canada.  He spent three years on the team, playing middle and occasionally filling in at right side, playing alongside several national team players.

 

After college, Austin continued his love for the sport playing in men’s leagues in New York City before earning a spot with the London Aces Volleyball Club in the UK.  In his four years on the team, they won the London Premier Division three separate times as well as the NVL shield.  

 

Outside of coaching volleyball, Austin brings extensive coaching experience in youth basketball, baseball, and rugby.  While his teams have garnered many division titles and tournament wins, Austin’s coaching focuses on ensuring that each athlete has fun and enjoys the sport.  In his free time, he loves hiking, skiing, vintage sports cars, and spending time with his wife and two kids.

Henryk brings a lifelong commitment to education to our club.  Always an athlete (high school football, soccer, BMX freestyle, and squash), he fell in love with volleyball during the 1984 Olympics, but unfortunately was unable to pursue his passion as there were no boys volleyball programs in the area.  However, upon attending Binghamton University, he quickly got involved in volleyball, managing the women’s DIII program, running the intramural program, and becoming a practice player for the university men’s team.  Within two years, he was the starting outside hitter for their men’s team (ranked 25th in the country at the time), was promoted to assistant coach for the women’s program, and was a regular on the outdoor courts.  It was the outdoor game that really allowed Henryk to thrive, enjoying a 20 year Open level career with multiple tournament cashes, not to mention meeting his wife- who happens to have the most wins in Connecticut outdoor volleyball history!

 

Following his college coaching experience, Henryk was a coach at Bethel and Weston high schools, coached club for the CT Impact travel program and CT Juniors state program, and assisted as a volunteer coach at Newtown High School.  With almost a quarter century of player and coach experience, Henryk joined NEVBC during the summer of 2020, appreciating what the program was doing for his own children in the girls and boys open programs.  In his “real” life, Henryk owns ReConnect24, LLC, a science education content provider and curriculum design consultancy.  Combining his passion for science, sports, and education, Henryk is able to specialize in body mechanics, mindset development, and higher level game strategy during his private lessons, clinics, and as one of our club coaches.

We are excited to welcome Carson to the Northeast coaching staff!  A native of Pittsburgh, Carson brings an impressive history and skillset to the game.  A graduate of Upper St. Clair High School, her leadership and efforts as a defensive specialist helped earn her team four back-to-back WPIAL AA section championships.  From her career in high school, she continued her love for the sport, playing intramural volleyball at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA.  

 

As the current Masuk High School (Monroe, CT) girls freshman volleyball coach, Carson prides herself on forming positive relationships with her athletes and leans into her strength of teaching defensive strategies all while stressing the importance of having her players develop a high volleyball IQ.

 

In her time away from volleyball, Carson is a chemistry teacher (Bridgeport, CT), a Teach for America Peer Mentor in CT, and a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University.  She enjoys watching science fiction movies and trying food at new restaurants.

Carol spent her youth playing volleyball in Canovanas, Puerto Rico.  In 8th grade, she moved to Connecticut where she then found herself playing basketball. She played four years of college basketball but upon graduating college, she fell back in love with volleyball. 

 

Carol made her first appearance in the coaching world as the Girls Volleyball Head Coach for Central High School in Bridgeport, CT where she led that program for six years.  Since 2019, Carol has been at the helm of the Masuk High School Varsity Girls Volleyball team, leading the team to a conference finals for the first time in school history.  In addition to being the head coach of the girls team, she also spent three years coaching the Boys JV volleyball team at Masuk. 

 

When Carol isn’t coaching, she is a physical education teacher at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School in Bridgeport.  Carol brings her educational background, knowledge, and passion to her coaching style at Northeast, where she is first and foremost a teacher of the game.  Carol has made a name for herself in the Connecticut volleyball world, and we are so grateful to have her on the NEVBC coaching staff.

Coach Kathryn is the second Yale Bulldog on the Northeast Volleyball Club staff. Originally from Florida, Kathryn started playing volleyball at just 8 years old, coming from a family with a tradition of high-level international volleyball athletes.

 

Kathryn is now in her senior year with the NCAA Division I Yale women’s volleyball team as an outside hitter, where she led the Bulldogs to a 13-1 conference record, her third Ivy Championship in three seasons, and the highest national ranking in program history. She had an outstanding freshman season in 2017 for the Bulldogs, earning Ivy League Rookie of the Year and 1st Team All-Ivy League.

 

Prior to Yale, Kathryn played club volleyball for Tampa United and Orlando Volleyball Academy, competing at the highest levels and even earning a highly coveted spot in the USA Volleyball Junior National A1 program from 2012 to 2017. As a coach, Kathryn has worked with her high school program, coached a variety of summer camps and clinics, and has done private indoor and sand training with college-bound athletes.

Bryan Coloma-Gomez has an extensive resume in the sport of volleyball as both an athlete and as a coach.  Bryan played for Shelton High School’s boys team and was a club player for CT Juniors/Mizuno East Volleyball Club and Husky Volleyball Club.  After high school, Bryan continued to play volleyball competitively through both Yankee indoor and outdoor tournaments.    

 

Bryan’s coaching career began in 2010 as the assistant coach for both the Shelton High School girls and boys teams. Ranked #4 in the state during Bryan’s tenure, the Shelton High School Boys Team made it as far as the semifinal match of the state tournament.  In 2015, he became the Head Coach for Masuk High Girls Varsity Team (then ranked #6 in the state).  In his final year at Masuk, he also stepped in as the Head Coach for the Masuk High School Boys Team and helped them achieve the #9 ranking in the state of Connecticut.  During this same time, Bryan also coached for Mizuno East Volleyball Club where he led the 16-1s team to a 2018 NERVA Regional Championship.  He was the Head Coach when they went to compete at the National level at the 2018 & 2019 Boys Juniors National Championships.  Most recently, Bryan has been a head coach and assistant coach at Greenwich Volleyball Club where he has helped the U15, U16, and U17 teams to multiple medals and tournament victories.  Bryan is now at Greenwich Academy as the varsity assistant and is a substitute teacher for the physical education department.  In his spare time outside of coaching, Bryan enjoys birding, puzzles, and photography.  

When asked what Bryan’s motivation is in coaching athletes, he had this to say, “My goal is to make sure our players are great teammates on the court as well as off the court, to give them the tools they may need to handle challenges they may face, and to enjoy the time that they spend here while focusing on their goals.” 

Kevin Marino brings with him to Northeast a wealth of coaching experience in both high school and club volleyball.  For almost a decade, Kevin has been on the coaching staff at New Canaan High School Girls Volleyball, taking over as head coach in2017 after being the assistant coach.  Kevin has also been on the coaching staff of Joel Barlow Boys Volleyball since 2013, taking over as head coach in 2020 after serving as assistant coach.  One of Kevin’s proudest moments as a head coach came in the spring of 2021 when Barlow captured the Class M State Championship.  After being a standout for Barlow as a student in 2010 and 2011, earning first team all-conference both years, the 2021 state championship was a very special milestone for Kevin returning to his alma mater to coach.  Kevin also has significant coaching experience at the club level, having been a head coach at both Mizuno East Volleyball and Chelsea Piers Volleyball.  

 

Outside of the time Kevin spends coaching, he enjoys playing golf and barbecuing.  He is currently a building sub at Joel Barlow High School.  Kevin and his girlfriend Sarah live in Fairfield with their dogs Kobe and Moose.  Kevin is excited to join the NEVBC staff and help continue to grow the sport in our region!

Sandy Doski is one of the most highly respected volleyball coaches in the state of Connecticut amongst the sport’s athletes, coaches, and officials.  Her involvement in the volleyball community spans the last four decades, beginning with her career as a standout at New Milford High School on the volleyball team. Sandy was recruited to be the starting outside hitter at Northeastern University in Boston (Division I) and played for two years there before transferring to the University of Hartford (Division I) to continue her volleyball career and complete her bachelor’s degree in business.  After college graduation, Sandy began coaching on the girls’ side, spending time at New Milford High School,  New Fairfield High School, and Danbury High School, before eventually landing at Newtown High School.  

 

In 2012, Sandy became a volleyball official in the state of Connecticut, a job which she enjoys to this day.  Wanting to continue to grow the sport of volleyball in Connecticut, Sandy started the boys volleyball program at Newtown High School in 2015 and led them to back to back conference championships in both 2018 and 2019.  In addition to her involvement in high school boys volleyball, Sandy has run Southern CT Volleyball since 1985, which hosts outdoor doubles tournaments every summer and attracts highly competitive athletes from the region and beyond.

 

Sandy and her husband Gary live in Newtown and are the proud owners of Doski Building and Remodeling.  They enjoy spending time with their adult children Abbey and Jeremy, both storied high school athletes in-- you guessed it, volleyball!  In her free time, Sandy enjoys traveling, playing golf and tennis, and being with her dogs, Addie and Zeus.  We at Northeast are extremely lucky to have such a respected coach in our NEVBC family!

Kiara Robichaud is an extremely valuable member of the Northeast coaching family!  Originally from Lexington, KY, Kiara came to Connecticut in her 8th grade year, playing four years of volleyball at Joel Barlow High School. While there, Kiara earned both All-Conference and All-State accolades, her senior year receiving both Conference and State MVP. That same season she led the Joel Barlow team to the program’s first state title and was chosen as the 2018 Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year for volleyball.

 

Kiara is an elite outside hitter and currently a junior at Columbia University and a rostered player on their women’s NCAA Division I volleyball team, having earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week in the first week of her freshman season. Kiara also coached the NEVBC 16 Club team in the 2020-2021 season, leading them to a very successful season. In addition to the time she’s coached teams, camps, and clinics at Northeast, Kiara has coached the JV girls volleyball team at Weston High School in the 2020 season and summer clinics at Joel Barlow High School.  Her love for volleyball transcends all seasons as Kiara has a reputation of being the fiercest of competitors in local summer grass tournaments.

Northeast Volleyball Club is excited to welcome Fatima Samb to our coaching staff!  A Florida native, Fatima’s love for volleyball began in her freshman year of high school where her talent earned her not only a varsity spot on her high school team (Bolles School, Jacksonville, FL) but offers to play at the club and high performance level.  During her high school tenure, Fatima played for a number of clubs including Top Select, Jacksonville Juniors, and No Fear.  She also participated extensively with USA Volleyball’s High Performance program, playing for the Florida Region team that won gold at the 2018 and 2019 High Performance championships.  She garnered many athletic and academic awards during her high school career, including Prep Volleyball SuperSoph 79, AVCA Phenom List, UnderArmour All-American Watch List, and AAU Academic All-American.  .  

 

Originally a highly ranked basketball recruit with offers from Louisville and South Carolina, Fatima earned a spot on Yale’s volleyball roster after realizing that the sport was her true passion.  A sophomore middle blocker for the Bulldogs, Fatima is majoring in neuroscience.  In her time off of the courts, Fatima enjoys traveling and art. 

We are happy to have Cam back coaching with us again in the Northeast gym!  In addition to coaching the 14 Club team in the 2020-2021 season with us, Cam has also coached high school athletes in summer camps.  Cam brings with him to Northeast the skills to fiercely compete not only on the indoor court, but on the sand as well.  Cam is currently pursuing his goal of becoming a professional beach player with AVP and has won a number of local beach volleyball tournaments on the way.

 

No stranger to success on the volleyball court, Cam was a high school standout at Coventry High School in Coventry, RI. Cam earned a spot at Rivier College playing NCAA Division III Mens' volleyball and immediately made an impact for his team, earning Conference Freshman of the Week honors three times in his debut season. Cam played as an outside hitter his freshman and sophomore seasons at Rivier before transitioning to libero for his junior and senior seasons.  Cam was a two time All-State and three time All-Conference awardee and was named Conference Defensive Player of the Year his senior year as well as First Team All-Conference.

 

Cam is currently pursuing his Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) at the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, CT.  

Northeast Volleyball Club is excited to welcome volleyball standout Jeremy Doski to our coaching roster!  A native of Newtown, CT, Jeremy was All-Conference in his time at Newtown High School and was recruited to play DIII volleyball for Endicott College in Beverly, MA.  In his time as a Gull, playing both setter and opposite, Jeremy racked up numerous accolades including ECAC DIII North Rookie of the Week, NECC Rookie of the Week, NECC All-Conference (First and Second Teams), and NECC All-Tournament Team.  Following his graduation from Endicott, Jeremy played opposite for Newcastle University in England.  Following the completion of his Master’s, Jeremy found every opportunity to play volleyball- whether it was in the gym, on the grass, or in the sand.  

 

Known for his setting and defensive work strengths, Jeremy has served as an assistant coach for the Newtown High School Boys Volleyball Team and assisted with numerous high school camps and clinics over the last decade.  His greatest joy in coaching is seeing players see their hard work in practice transfer to in-game situations.  In addition to his involvement in high school boys volleyball, Jeremy runs Southern CT Volleyball with his mom Sandy, which hosts outdoor doubles tournaments every summer and attracts highly competitive athletes from the region and beyond.  

 

Outside of volleyball, Jeremy works as a software developer and enjoys golf, skydiving, and tech.  We couldn’t be happier to have Jeremy on Team Northeast!

We are excited to welcome Joosje to our talented NEVBC coaching lineup!  Her love of volleyball was cemented as a starting middle hitter and outside on Staples High School’s (Westport, CT) volleyball team.  She earned many accolades as a high school athlete including All-Area Girls Volleyball MVP, All-Conference, and All-State Second Team.  From there, Joosje went on to play DIII women’s volleyball for Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, PA as their outside and was named All-Centennial Conference Honorable Mention in her time there.  Her time at Gettysburg paved the way for her coaching career, working at numerous camps and instructing athletes 1:1 in private lessons.  

 

As a coach, Joosje prides herself in ensuring that communication is open and ongoing to help each athlete reach his/her potential.  She stresses to her athletes the importance of “strong mind, strong body” both on and off the court to develop mental and physical endurance and strength.  Her greatest joy in coaching is being witness to players' “a-ha” moments, evidence that hard work always pays off.  

 

Joosje is a manager at Deloitte, working with their risk and financial advisory practice.  In her time away from the courts, she enjoys cooking and baking, especially exploring recipes from around the world.  Joosje has recently found a renewed interest in Olympic weightlifting, which she has found to be a tremendous learning experience.  We are thrilled to have Joosje as part of our NEVBC family! 

As a southern California native, it comes as no surprise that volleyball has been a part of Julia’s life since the age of 11. Her success at Rancho Bernardo High School (San Diego, CA) and with Wave Volleyball Club (San Diego, CA) only fueled her passion for the sport and encouraged her to take her game to the next level.  Julia was a four-year letter winner and two-year captain in high school, earning numerous accolades including All-State, All-League First Team, Team MVP, and Best Offensive Player.  

 

As an outside hitter for Fairfield University’s Women’s Volleyball Team, Julia continues to serve as a leader on and off the court as a repeat All-Academic awardee in addition to her impressive volleyball stats.  One of her most treasured memories as a Stag was when the team clinched the MAAC Championship in 2019.  Throughout her college career, she has assisted with many camps and clinics and instructed athletes 1:1 in private lessons.  Julia is greatly looking forward to formally beginning her coaching career at Northeast.

 

In her senior year at Fairfield University studying communications and Spanish, Julia is eager to give back to the volleyball community after all of the incredible opportunities she has been afforded through the sport.  In her free time, she enjoys hiking, yoga, and listening to music. 

A native of Austin, Texas, Luci has a long and storied run of volleyball success.  At her alma mater Cedar Park High School, she helped lead her team to the State Championship for the first time in program history.  In her time at Cedar Park, she earned All-District, All-State First Team, and All-State Academic honors.  Playing for Austin Junior Volleyball Club in high school, Luci won not one, but two USA Volleyball National Championships with her club in 2015 and again in 2017.

 

Recruited to play for Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT,  Luci’s success continued as a five year starter on the team as both a middle hitter and right side.  Contributing to her team’s run for NCAA postseason play, Luci was named to the All-Conference First Team, All-Conference Second Team, All-Rookie Team, All-Tournament Team, and was a three-time All-Academic for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.  In her time at Fairfield, Luci assisted with a number of different camps for youth athletes and is excited to get her coaching career off to a great start at Northeast.  

 

When she is not on the court, Luci enjoys running, surfing, cooking, and playing sand volleyball.  We are thrilled to have her join our Northeast coaching staff!

Amy’s love for volleyball began in college when she played competitively for Yankee Volleyball as both a libero and as a setter.  She remained active in local competitive volleyball leagues for over ten years following college graduation, including playing at the USA Volleyball Adult Nationals.  

 

Her seasoned run as a girls and boys high school coach combined with her club coaching experience makes her a welcome addition to Northeast Volleyball Club.  Her coaching resumé includes time at West Haven High School, Notre Dame High School (Fairfield, CT), and Norwalk High school before her current roles as the Brien McMahon High School (Norwalk, CT) girls assistant coach and the Newtown High School boys head JV coach.  Amy’s most memorable coaching moments include the Newtown boys team’s first semi-finals appearance at states in 2019 after having been a varsity sport for only four seasons, as well as their back-to-back SWC Championships in both 2018 and 2019.  With over a decade of experience in club coaching, Amy has been at the helm of teams for a number of clubs across Connecticut, including Greenwich Volleyball Club, CT Stars, CT Velocity, and CT Juniors in addition to the time she’s been with us here at Northeast. 

 

With nearly three decades of experience in teaching middle schoolers, Amy currently serves as the Instructional Coach for Digital Learning for all of Norwalk Public Schools.  Prior to her present role, she spent time teaching science and math in Norwalk, Stratford, and West Haven.  As a teacher, Amy puts great value not only on technical skill, but on the chemistry of a team.   Outside of teaching and coaching, Amy enjoys scrapbooking, traveling, and reading.  We’re so happy Amy is with us on Team Northeast!

A native of Bayport, NY, Gregory was a five year varsity player at Sayville High School, earning All-County recognition every year of his high school career.  He was recruited to play DI volleyball for the Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, CT) Men’s Volleyball Team, earning All-Division honors all four years and Rookie of the Year his freshman year.   

 

Prior to coaching at Northeast Volleyball Club, Gregory was the Girls JV Coach for Bayport-Blue Point High School in Bayport, NY in addition to being the team’s Assistant Varsity Coach.  His coaching strengths center around perseverance and decisiveness, all while maintaining a sense of humor.  Gregory’s favorite coaching moment is when his team won the King Island Championship.  

 

Outside of coaching at Northeast, Gregory is a full-time student at Sacred Heart University and a server at Sandcastle on the Ocean in Fire Island, NY.  In addition to volleyball, Gregory loves good food, hanging out with friends, and disco music. 

With a wealth of competitive volleyball playing and coaching experience, Jeffrey is a valuable member of the Northeast coaching staff.  A four year standout at Yale University, Jeffrey was selected as Team MVP twice in his college career in addition to being named to the All Coast East Team.  Following graduation from Yale, Jeffrey played for six years in the Empire State Games and played semi professionally on both the Molson and East End beach volleyball tours.  

 

Jeffrey is a highly regarded coach at the high school, college, and club level, having been at the helm of a number of high school, university, and volleyball club teams.  Jeffrey’s high school coaching experience includes time as head coach of boys and girls programs at Trumbull High School, Notre Dame High School (Fairfield, CT), and his current role at New Canaan High School.  At the college level, he has been on the coaching staffs at Yale University, Iona College, the College of Mt. St. Vincent, and most recently, at Sacred Heart University.  In his coaching tenure at the university level, Jeffrey was named DIII NEVCA Coach of the Year, not once but twice, and coached six all-conference players and one all-American.  Jeffrey also brings decades of club coaching experience to us at Northeast, with time spent previously coaching at CT Juniors, TCA, and Skywalker.  His coaching strengths center around technical correction and game strategy.  

 

Jeffrey is the IT Director for the town of Darien, CT and a partner in an educational technology firm.  He immensely enjoys being a spectator at his children’s activities which include volleyball, hockey, colorguard, and theater.  He and his wife are licensed foster parents that specialize in caring for newborns. 

Tes’s family introduced her to the sport of volleyball as a young girl.  In fact, she can’t remember a time she wasn’t playing pepper with her parents in the front yard of her childhood home.  Tes started playing volleyball competitively in high school and played all four years on varsity at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk, CT. She was a 3-time recipient of FCIAC Scholar Athlete of the Week, MaxPreps Player of the Week, and holds the record for most assists in school history. After high school, Tes played for the Goucher College Varsity Volleyball team from 2018-2021.  She is currently on the Columbia University Club Volleyball team.  

 

For the 2020 season, Tes was the first freshman head volleyball coach at Brien McMahon High School, returning to coach at her alma mater.  She also coached for the Norwalk Parks and Rec Volleyball IQ middle and elementary school program.  Tes joined the NEVBC coaching staff for the 2020-2021 club volleyball season, serving as the assistant coach for the Girls U17 Open and Girls U13 Club teams.  Tes has also coached many of our NEVBC camps in addition to traveling the country coaching with Gold Medal Squared.

A native of Churchville, PA, Erika’s love of the sport of volleyball dates back to her middle school days.  She played four years on her high school varsity team as both a middle and right side, and her love for volleyball continued into college, playing pick-up games and beach volleyball at every opportunity she had.

 

Erika’s coaching resumé includes both club and school positions.  She has coached NEVBC Fall Club, been a head coach for our Regional Teams, and an assistant coach for our Girls 16 Open Team that made a run at USAV Nationals in Las Vegas in 2021.   Erika is the current assistant coach for St. Luke’s School (New Canaan, CT) Varsity Team, after serving as the assistant coach for the school’s JV team in prior seasons.  Her strengths as a coach center around blocking and serving, but her priority with her teams is to always build strong connections between players.  Always passionate about learning, Erika is excited to grow her knowledge of the sport and to continue to grow as a coach and as a player.  

 

Outside of coaching, Erika is a sixth grade English teacher.  Her interests include reading, running, swimming, and playing guitar.

We are excited to welcome Ardi to our coaching staff! Ardi began his career at Newtown high school where he quickly made a name for himself, racking up awards including All-State First Team his junior and senior year, Senior All-Star Match MVP, and was a two-time All-Conference player. Ardi additionally earned the Val Dickinson Volleyball Senior Award in Honor of Val Dickinson; a referee and assigner for the CFVO who lost her battle against cancer in 2008. Ardi played club volleyball for Mizuno East, recieving club MVP four seasons in a row and the Coaches’ Award his senior year. Ardi has also had the honor of playing at two USA Volleyball Events. 

 

Ardi is currently playing Division 1 Volleyball at Sacred Heart University as a libero and will be a sophomore in the fall. Ardi’s coaching experience includes 16U Girls team at Husky, as well as leading summer camps and clinics for both boys and girls for two years. In addition to indoor volleyball, Ardi has also coached doubles on the grass and sand for two years. 

Coach Toni comes to Northeast Volleyball Club as a seasoned athlete and coach.  Her passion for volleyball began in seventh grade playing for PepsiCo Volleyball Club.  From there, she played for Westchester Volleyball Club and was a four year starter on Fox Lane High School’s varsity team, garnering numerous recognitions in her high school run including Westchester Player of the Year, All-Section, All-Regional, and All-State First Team.

 

Following her high school success, Toni went on to play for St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, NY where she majored in sports medicine and minored in physical education.  During her tenure at St. Bonaventure, Toni’s team was ranked 7th in the Atlantic 10 Conference.  Following graduation, she returned to her alma mater as a physical education teacher and became the school’s head volleyball coach.  In just her third year at the helm, she led her team to States, where they finished the season ranked third in the state of New York.  Toni is the current middle school volleyball coach at Fox Lane and has been inducted into the Fox Lane High School Hall of Fame as an athlete, teacher, and coach.  As a coach, she enthusiastically encourages each and every player to find success through hard work.  Her single greatest joy in coaching is watching an athlete find success with something they have been struggling with- those “a-ha” moments are pure magic!

 

In her time away from the courts, Toni is a teacher/Dean of Students at Fox Lane Middle School.  She enjoys skiing, playing tennis, spending time on Candlewood Lake, and being with her family. 

Olivia is returning to Northeast Volleyball Club for her second season of coaching with us.  Originally from Long Island, NY, Olivia started playing volleyball when she was in seventh grade, playing both school and club teams through her middle and high school years.  She attended Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT, where she played on the Women's Club Volleyball team.  Olivia currently teaches eighth grade social studies at Western Middle School in Greenwich, CT. During the fall season, Olivia is the Head JV Coach at Greenwich High School.

 

In her first year at NEVBC (2020-2021), Olivia was the assistant coach for U14 Open and the head coach for 15 Regional.  She also coaches Northeast’s middle school and high school clinics that are held during the summer and school year.  In her free time, she loves to be with friends and family, read and, of course, play volleyball.  Olivia is super excited for another fantastic year at Northeast!