Assistant Director Kamalu Makekau-Whittaker

Coach Kamalu Makekau-Whittaker, finished her stellar NCAA Division 1 career in 2019 where she was the starting setter for the Cal State Northridge Matadors. This was after spending several season on the USA Volleyball High Performance team as a youth.

While at CSUN Kamlu trained under Gold Medal setter Jeff Stork. Kamalu Makekau-Whittaker led the Matadors with a career-high 412 assists (4.85 aps) while also recording 128 digs and serving eight aces and averaged 5.10 assists per set in Big West matches which ranked 10th among all conference setters.

Coach Makekau-Whittaker heads LAVBC setter training and guided Team Flow-1 to (2) Championships in her first year with LAVBC in 2020-2021 and to a 2022 Bid to the USAV Girls National Championships. Coach Kamalu was named LAVBC Coach of the Year in 2020-2021 & 2022-2023 after leading her u13 team Flow-1 to the club first podium finish at regionals and a bid to the 2022 GJNC. This in only the club’s 4th year.

Coach Kamalu Makekau-Whittaker is a USA Volleyball Impact and Safe Sport certified coach

Program Director Coach Joienne Graves

Coach Graves, comes to LAVBC via American University where she competed on the club team after an extensive youth club career in Michigan.

Coach Joie started playing very early and her focus on the libero position is something we at LAVBC lean on to teach defense and defensive movements.

Coach Joie Graves is a USA Volleyball Impact and Safe Sport certified coach.

Coach Jason Debileus

Coach Dibelius (Coach JD), will be joining LAVBC for the 2021-2022 campaign! We have been working on onboarding Coach Dibelius for over year and we are beyond excited for LAVBC and all of our players that we were able to add Jason to our staff.

Jason has a long and prestigious career in volleyball and coaching as well as being a National Defense Medal recipient as a member of the US Army. His passion for teaching the sport is incredible and we look forward to what his energy and experience will bring to LAVBC.

Coach Jason Dibelius is a USA Volleyball Impact and Safe Sport certified coach.

Coach Telly Roberts

Coach Roberts, is the Magnet Coordinator and Head Volleyball Coach at Los Angeles High School. Coach Roberts was one of the first coaches to onboard to LAVBC through our school outreach program and now Head Coaches U13 Waves. His LAHS boys team were the 2022 Division 4 CIF Champions.

Coach Telly is completing his M.S. degree in Educational Administration and an Administrative Services Credential. Mr. Roberts has several years of coordinator experience with a focus on cultivating a student-centered culture focused on empathy and equitable instructional practices while implementing systems to promote school wide student success. Coach Roberts is a USA Volleyball Impact and Safe Sport certified coach.

Coach Lisa Hom

Coach Lisa, was born and raised in Long Beach, California.  She was a two-sport athlete playing volleyball and track all 4 years at Cerritos High School. In volleyball she was a defensive specialist/libero and in track she competed in hurdling, triple jump, long jump and the 400 meter. Lisa went on to play volleyball at Whittier College as a DS/Libero, where she earned a Bachelors of Arts in Biology. Lisa still plays co-ed beach and indoor volleyball.

Lisa began coaching volleyball her first year in college for Plus Volleyball Academy and for Club Green. While in graduate school in Indiana, Lisa coached for three years at Network VBC before she moved to coaching at Northern Indiana Volleyball Association.

In addition to coaching club, Lisa coached the Freshman team at John Adams High School (JAHS) during the 2020 season and has assisted with varsity during the 2020-2021 seasons.

Coach Madison Mimoun

Coach Mimoun, is from Santa Monica, CA and has been playing volleyball for 11 years. She is still playing at the college level and prides herself on her ability to play multiple positions. She has played volleyball for two colleges: Mills college (division 3) and Holy Names University (division 2). Currently she is enrolled at Loyola Marymount Univeristy where she is considering continuing her volleyball career at the club level or walking on (GO MADI!) She has spent time at the Middle Blocker, Defensive Specialist and Opposite positions. As a Coach Madison has coached for over 4 years with a focus on player development at the u7-u14 ages.

Coach Lauren Gotshall

Coach Gotshal, grew up in Northern California and played 4 years of club in the NCVF and was a 2017 CIF State Champion and 2018 CIF State Runner Up with Presentation High School.  She continued playing at the college club level where she played Middle Blocker at Gonzaga University and led the program as President for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons.

Coach Gotshal, has coached boys and girls of all ages from 2016-2021.

“I graduated from Gonzaga University in 2023 with degrees in both chemistry and economics. I am new to Southern California and excited to continue my journey with LAVBC!”

Coach Sophia Lawrence

Coach Sophia, is an n and dedicated volleyball player and coach with a strong background in both indoor and beach volleyball. She played 5 season at Predators Volleyball Club in Ontario, Canada under the tutelage of Paul Pavan (father of AVP Professional Sarah Pavan). She won (2) Provincial Championships in Calgary and British Columbia.

Sophia came to the states to purse beach volleyball and currently plays for Santa Monica College Beach after (2) seasons with the indoor team. She is currently training and looking for opportunities to play at a higher level. She currently coaches at the Middle School level and counts here extensive knowledge of the game and her disciplined and goal-orientated approach to coaching as among her strongest assets.

Coach Katreh Hasanvand

Coach Hasanvand, steps in as Assistant Coach of Crush Madi this season. A former surgeon and high level volleyball player from Iran, Coach Hasanvand brings decades of experience and a passion for player development to the staff.

Coach Jospeh Pullard

Coach Joseph Pullard, joins LAVBC for the first season in 2023-2024 from New Roads school where he coaches and teaches.

Coach Pullard comes from a family of professional athletes (father NBA/brother NFL) and brings his experience of high level expectations and training into working with LAVBC athletes.

Strength & Performance Director Louis Jones

Coach Jones (Coach Lou), come from the world of football where he won a 2 National Championships and a Rosebowl playing for the University of Washington. Coach Jones went on to play professionally in the NFL and CFL and today he continues his life-long passion for sport by training some of Southern California’s most elite athletes.

As an ISSA Certified trainer, coach Jones has a way of making the most rigorous and challenging workouts fun for everyone as he brings not only his knowledge of training the body but training the emotional and mental aspects of his students toward a Championship Mind-set.

Operations Director Riley Varner

Riley Varner, is a biology student with face-to-face experience building strong relationships with colleagues and clients. He is also an avid sportsman. Riley is eager to leverage his scientific background and experience to contribute to LAVBC’s dynamic culture of value-driven success.

From managing player-family onboarding to supporting the coaching staff in-season, Riley brings service-orientated, professionalism to LAVBC’s Operations.

Travel Coordinator Kandi Olive

Kandi Olive, was born in Nuremberg, Germany, was raised in Arizona and spent time in Colorado before moving to Los Angeles at the age of 18. Since that time she has lived in New York, Long Beach, Venice and Mar Vista. During the summer months she spends time visiting her family in Coast Rica and the town of Ostia, on the coast outside of Rome. There is little wonder why she makes for such a fantastic Travel Coordinator.

Kandi’s attention to detail and service-oriented approach to leadership, helps our Player-Families have the peace of mind that comes with knowing their family’s travel arrangements are in good and capable hands.

Club Director Jason Olive

Coach Olive Jason (Coach JO), was born and raised in the heart of Los Angeles, California where he competed in soccer, golf football and volleyball. Soccer was coach Olive’s first love but after getting trounced by Real Madrid in Spain coach Olive realized American ‘soccer’ was at a different place in its maturity than Spanish ‘fútbol’ and decided to try volleyball….

Success! By learning how to break down the game, wins came fast. Within 2 years coach Olive was playing in the State Finals for St. Bernard's Highschool and had qualified for his first professional tournament - The Manhattan Beach Open. 

Jason, then played on a full scholarship at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.  While at Hawai'i Jason set many school volleyball records, was awarded the inaugural Governor's Award for Academic Excellence, was named the University's top Scholar-Athlete, received the Jack Bonham Award for academic excellence, athletic accomplishment and community service all while being a member of the Deans List every year and leading The Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors to their first ever appearance in the NCAA Final Four while being named to the Outrigger All Tournament Team, First Team All MPSF and a First Team All American. His team was ranked #2 in the nation in 1995 and behind the charismatic play of the team set the world-wide attendance record for the entire sport at over 10,000 people a game en route to becoming the MPSF Pacific Division Champions. Many of coach’s records still stand within the top 10 all-time in University of Hawai’i history.

Along the way Coach JO was trained by some of the best volleyball coaches in the world from California, Hawai'i and Japan. He has also has trained in other forms of movement like Budokon (former VP of New Business) and Brazilian Jiujitsu. He uses this knowledge of body mechanics to inform the unique way he approaches the sport. In this way the learning-curve for young players is greatly shortened.

Coach JO is a USA Volleyball IMPACT, Safe-Sport and Virtus certified coach. He has also completed the Peaceful Parenting Program at Play Mountain Place, the Protect The Children program through Notre Dame Academy as well as the LA 84 Positive Coaching Alliance Program and holds an Amateur Athletic Union Double-Goal Coaching certificate. He is the founder of the Jayo Foundation which has welcomed over 2,000 children from impacted areas to free beach clinics since 2002.