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www.SanDiegoVolleyballCamp.com 6th Annual AVP™ Youth Beach Camp |
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www.SanDiegoVolleyballCamp.com 6th Annual AVP™ Youth Beach Camp |
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Former/current coaches and guest professionals (not all pictured)
Camp Director - Ariel Haas Girl's Varsity Head Coach - Canyon Crest Academy, AVP Promoter
Mike Placek - Director of instruction AVP player, Encinitas Wave coach, Point Loma High School Girl's Head Coach: Placek graduated from UCSB, but did not play volleyball there. He was an all-Big West Conference tennis player his last three years. Highest finish in 2008 at the San Diego AVP event, 3rd place. Mike currently ranks in the top 20 on the AVP. (AVP.com)
Matt Olson AVP player, Encinitas Wave coach Matt Olson currently ranks in the top 10 on tour with his partner Kevin Wong. In 2006, he set a new career best finish for the third straight season in 2006. He finished the year eighth in kill percentage (.589) and 10th in hitting percentage (.429). Olson finished the 2005 season ranked sixth in hitting percentage (.438) and seventh in kill percentage (.582) on the AVP Tour. (AVP.com)
Logan Tom Tom was a member of the 2008 US Olympic women's indoor silver medal team. She was the starting outside hitter and led the team in total points and aces. She is considered one of the top players in the world. Tom was a four-time first-team All-American at Stanford, and twice was chosen as the National Player of the Year. She was named the Pac-10 Conference Freshman of the Year in 1999, and both the Conference Player of the Year as well as the Pac-10 Female Athlete of the Year in 2001 and 2002. Tom was selected to three NCAA Final Four all-Tournament teams, including getting MVP honors in 2001 when Stanford won the national title. Tom left Stanford ranked in the top five on the career charts in kills, aces and digs. At 16, Tom was the youngest player on the 1996 U.S. Junior National Team, but she led the team in both kills and blocks. In 1998 she was the Gatorade National High School Volleyball Player of the Year. In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Tom was the only high school player on the National Team (at 19 years old), yet she started for the team that placed fourth. In the 2004 Athens Olympics her team finished fifth. After Stanford, she played professionally in Brazil, Italy and Switzerland. (AVP.com)
Dianne Denecochea Born in Detroit, Michigan, the 6'4" power player attended the University of Tennessee where she was a two-time first-team All-Conference Selection as well as earning Academic Athlete of the Year honors. Upon graduation, she turned professional, playing nationally in the Major League Volleyball league before heading to Europe to play in Switzerland with Uni Basel and in Belgium with Dauphines. Returning to the U.S. to compete in the sand for the first time with the 4 Woman Pro Beach Volleyball League, she led Team Paul Mitchell to two consecutive championships in 1996, (earning "Surprise Player of the Year" honors) and 1997 before returning to Europe for one season to play with powerhouse Cemar Volleyball in Spezzano, Italy. DeNecochea began playing full-time on the AVP tour in 2001, capturing her first tournament win with partner Liz Masakayan at the Santa Barbara Open and a Bronze Medal at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour season finale in Fortaleza, Brazil. Seeded seventh in Santa Barbara, it marked the last time that a team not seeded first or second won an AVP event since the start of 2001. The title also marked the final one for Masakayan, who finished with 47. 2002 netted her three, second-place finishes on the AVP with partner Barbra Fontana and in 2003, with Nancy Mason, five third-place finishes and one second-place finish in eight events. She began playing with Tammy Leibl midway through the 2005 season and the veteran pair earned 16 top-five finishes in 22 events. DeNecochea has finished the season ranked in the top 11 in five of the past six years, with the only exception being in 2004 when she took time off due to pregnancy. Said Souikane AVP player, Coast VBC coach 12 years coaching club volleyball. Coach of numerous professional beach women volleyball players. High School Coach for 4 years, including Francis Parker School, The Bishop's School, Ramona H.S., Mission Bay H.S. Assistant Coach at San Diego Mesa College 2004. Played with The Moraccan National Team for six years. Currently on AVP tour. He has been involved with volleyball since the age of 11. He has played for the Moroccan Natinoal Team and medaled in the African Volleyball Championships in 1990 (bronze), 1991 (silver), and 1993 (bronze). Souikane has competed on the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Tour since 1998. In 2001, he participated in the Francophone Games in Ottawa, Canada. (coastvbc.com)
Mike Morrison - AVP player, Encinitas Wave coach/trainer Mike grew up in Michigan. After completing his BBA at Western Michigan University and playing in a few beach tournaments on the shores of Lake Michigan, he opted to move to Southern California for surfing and beach volleyball. Mike and his wife Susan currently reside in San Diego and is also a certified personal trainer, specializing in high-level balance and core-focused exercises. Mike's best AVP finish is 5th place. (AVP.com)
AJ Mihalic Nicknamed "AJ", Mihalic grew up on the New Jersey shore and played volleyball during summers at Belmar Beach. While attending the New Jersey Institute of Technology, he studied mechanical engineering and literature. As a freshman he walked on to the volleyball team. By his senior season he was voted team captain three times and a Small-Schools All-American. In 2001 Mihalic moved with his wife Janet to Hermosa Beach, Calif. to pursue a career in beach volleyball. Mihalic also works as an engineer in Torrance, Calif. Mike is one of the main partners associated with Danny Kinda and KindaGood.com.
Danny Kinda of KindaGood.com
Laura Ratto AVP player, coach with Sand and Sea volleyball club, www.digsetspike.com Ratto was UC-Riverside's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2001 and graduated with a degree in psychology. She set the school's single season mark for attack percentage, and left with the third-most career assists in the school's history. Ratto then received a Master's in Kinesiology with a specialization in Exercise and Applied Sports Psychology from SDSU, where she used to be head volleyball coach for the women's club team. (AVP.com)
Marisa Tirri (formerly Medina) OH/S at University of Redlands 3 years
Nick Ellis Ellis was a two-year starting Libero at Grossmont, where he was selected Best Defensive Player. Nicknamed "Sixx." Tauna Vandeweghe (not pictured) Alternate USA Women's Olympic Team 1984, Silver Medalist All American Collegiate Swimmer |
