2022/ 2023 Coaching staff
Boys Coaching Positions
RCVA 18 National
Head Coach
Kevin Pond
Coach Pond has played or coached in the Richmond area since 1993. He has coached high school for 24 years competing in the State Finals 7 times, winning 5. He has been named District or Region Coach of the year 5 times. For travel volleyball he has coached, directed, and owned Academy’s for the past 23 years. Besides volleyball Coach Pond also farms at the Hanover Vegetable Farm and loves spending time with his wife Elizabeth and sons Gage, Greyson, and Casey.
Assistant Coach
Christian Taylor
Taylor played collegiate volleyball at Eastern Mennonite University and Stevenson University. He finished his career 5th all time for career assists in NCAA D3 history. He is going into his second season as the head coach of the men’s volleyball team at Randolph-Macon College and is also an assistant at his alma mater, Deep Run High School.
Assistant Coach
Scott Brigham
Has Played since he was 6 years old. All tournament team at boys Nationals 16s year, co-state player of the year senior year HS at Patrick Henry, played 4 years at EMU.
RCVA 18 National Blue
Head Coach
Sam Rock
Sam is currently the English Department Chair and head boys volleyball coach at J.R. Tucker High School. He is the winningest coach in school history (I’m like 99.9% sure this is true so I’m going with it), was the 2020 region 5A coach of the year, and has sent six players in the past six years to play at the collegiate level. Sam has also coached 17s and 18s boys teams at various Richmond area clubs for the past five years.
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Sam lives in Lakeside with his wife Bailee and their two dogs and cat. When he’s not teaching or coaching, he enjoys playing disc golf and cooking delicious meats in his smoker.
Assistant Coach
Sean Luhmann
Played four years of college volleyball at king university. After graduating, I spent one season as a volunteer assistant at vcu with their women's program. Since then I have spent time in various highschool gyms helping out when I can. I work at Costco Wholesale, and I enjoy playing disc golf in my spare time!
RCVA 17 National
Head Coach
Stephanie Freer
Stephanie has coached club for the past 11 seasons. She has been the 17 Boys National head coach for the last five years. She has assisted varsity at Glen Allen for the boys program for the last 3 seasons. She still plays adult league and in the past has won a gold medal at Adult Nationals. Off the court, she is a software engineer for Capital One.
Assistant Coach
Kevin Hoy
Kevin Hoy has been coaching high school and travel volleyball in the Richmond area for 16 years. He has played volleyball for over 25 years. He is the head coach of the boys varsity team at Glen Allen High School.
RVCA 17 East Coast
Head Coach
David Calvert
David Calvert is thrilled to begin anew with RCVA for their inaugural season, and his 17th season overall. The two-time Colonial District Coach of the Year and 2012 Central Region coach of the year spent 11 seasons as the head coach of Douglas Freeman HS before returning to his alma mater, the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, as an assistant coach. Calvert serves as a medic for the Richmond Ambulance Authority and the Westmoreland County Dept. of Emergency Services. When not playing or coaching volleyball, he and his husband Clayton enjoy spending as much time as they can traveling together and exploring the great outdoors!
Assistant Coach
Micah Buller
I formerly played libero for Douglas Freeman High School and Eastern Mennonite University. Right now, I am 2 years into the pharmacy program at VCU and will be starting my 7th year of coaching. Aside from volleyball, I enjoy cycling and trying to keep my plants alive. I am looking forward to the new season!”
RVCA 16 National
Head Coach
Hilary Cassil
Hilary Cassil is a high school and club volleyball coach. For the past two decades she has shared her knowledge and love of volleyball with Richmond area youth, and she enjoys the community created by the players, coaches, and families. Off the court, Hilary is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in mathematics at VCU.
Assistant Coach
Justin Ball
I'm super excited to coach at the new River City Volleyball Academy and help grow the sport of volleyball in our area. I played 4 years of club volleyball at JMU. I am currently the head coach of the boys volleyball program at Godwin High School, and just finished my 10th year in the girls program at RVC.
RVCA 16 East Coast
Co-Head Coach
Michael Ball
Michael is the varsity head coach at Monacan High school and has previously coached at both RVC and ODVA. He played for Midlothian High school and played club at Virginia Tech.
Co-Head Coach
Adam Wajciechowski
Adam Wajciechowski spent every season of his junior club years playing with this family of coaches here at RCVA. He went on to play Outside Hitter and Middle Blocker at King University, an NCAA Division 2 program. He currently coaches at Midlothian High School, and is actively pursuing a degree in Computer Science.
RVCA 16 East Coast Blue
Co-Head Coach
Joey Joback
Joey has been coaching volleyball for 7 years, has 21 years of coaching experience and is entering into his 3rd season at Clover Hill High School. He is a graduate of Liberty University and pursuing a second Masters Degree from Regent University. After being a financial advisor he has transitioned to a Marketing teacher at Clover Hill and is in his second year. The most money he ever won from a lottery ticket was $7. Joey lives in Midlothian with his wife and three kids and his English Bulldog Cosmo.
Co-Head Coach
TBD
RVCA 15 East Coast
Head Coach
Ron Fitch
Coach Fitch has been on the sidelines since 2014 at Hanover High School. He has coached at RVC, East Coast Power, and ODVA. In 2022, he won USA Nationals with his ODVA 15’s team. As a player, coach Fitch played at Monacan High, and briefly for the club team at Virginia Tech.
Assistant Coach
Brian Stephens
Playing experience included being All-State libero in high school and two year captain of the Randolph-Macon men’s inaugural volleyball team. This will be my fourth season coaching club volleyball!
RVCA 15 East Coast Blue
Head Coach
Kody Tingler
Assistant Coach
Carter Riddle
RVCA 14 East Coast
Head Coach
Tony Steiner
Assistant Coach
Jessica Rienhart
Jessica is currently a senior at Randolph-Macon College and a volleyball referee for high schools in Virginia. She has played volleyball since 2nd grade and has experience coaching camps, middle school, and travel. When she isn’t coaching, she enjoys going to different sporting events or playing pickup games of volleyball with friends.
Academy Position Coaches
Middle\ OPP
Josh Forbes
Thomas Dale Head Varsity Boys Volleyball Coach for 9 Years. Club/Travel Head Coach for 2 Rivers Volleyball Academy and Richmond Volleyball Club for ages 16-18. Former Director of Boys Volleyball at 2 Rivers. Has worked multiple Collegiate Camps. Played College Volleyball at Stevenson University for 4 years as a Middle Hitter. Currently live in Chesterfield with his wife Sarah. Teaches 7th grade Social Studies at Tomahawk Creek Middle School.
Pin Hitters
Tony Steiner
Liberos and Defense
TBD
Assistant to all teams
Greg Knight
I competed at the collegiate level at Eastern Mennonite University for 4 years. Upon arriving to Richmond, I began my coaching career with the boys at LC Bird and after a couple of seasons started coaching the girls at Hanover High School. Meanwhile coaching club in the off season since 2014. Fun fact: my high school mascot was the Hawk, LC Bird are the Skyhawks, and Hanover are the Hawks.
Assistant to all teams
Travis Williams
Involved in Richmond area volleyball since he started playing in 1999, Travis Williams has 12+ years coaching in high school and club leagues; and 4 years coaching Division III volleyball at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland.
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In that time, Travis has been a part of 4 state champion teams, and most recently coached a club team that won the National championship for the boy's 15s age group.
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Travis is a graduate of Patrick Henry high school, and Virginia Tech; and works full time as a GIS Analyst for Comcast.
Assistant to all teams
Brandon Ayers
I am heading into my second year as the Boys Varsity Head Coach at Cosby High School. I have coached Boys and Girls 16-18s travel volleyball in the Richmond area since 2012. I spent two years as the Girls Varsity Assistant Coach at Collegiate.
When I’m not coaching you can find me spending time with my 4 favorite people! My wife Ariel and our three kids: Corey, Autumn, and Dawson!
Assistant to all teams
Tyler Jones
Assistant to all teams
Jack Wilson
I played 5 years at George Mason as a right side and outside, helping to win their first EIVA championship in 28 years. Coached college ball for 5 year at the division 1 and 3 level. Most recently as the Head Coach for Rutgers-Newark where we won the 2022 CVC Championship and I was named AVCA East Regional Coach of the Year in 2020 & 2022. I currently work at CoStar and Randolph-Macon as an assistant coach.
Girls Coaching Positions
RCVA 18 National
Head Coach
Justin Rastberger
Justin graduated from Atlee High School and attended The Ohio State University to play Libero on the Men’s Varsity Volleyball team. Along with his passion for indoor,
Justin enjoyed competing in the AVP Next and Sunshine State Beach Volleyball Tours in Florida.
Justin began coaching at 19 years old for a 13’s Regional girls volleyball team along side his father, Steve, and realized his passion to teach and create a positive environment for youth athletes. Since then, Justin has coached at the National level for travel club volleyball and as a volunteer coach for multiple Collegiate camps and programs over the last 18 years. Justin looks
to begin his 12th season coaching, as the 18’s National Assistant for River City Volleyball Academy. He is also currently the Head Coach for the Girls Varsity Volleyball Team at Hanover High School, bringing the same passion to the high school athletic experience for his student athlete
Assistant Coach
Sarah Kimbrell
Sarah is the head coach for St. Gertrude’s High School.
She has been coaching
club volleyball in the area for 6 years. Sarah was the 17 Nationals coach for ODVA last year.
RCVA 17 National
Head Coach
Laura Marcuson
Laura has been the head coach at Deep Run High School for 7 years. She
has been coaching national teams for 18 years. She played volleyball at Radford University.
Head Coach
Travis Abele
Assistant Coach
Clarke Tyler
Tyler has been a staple at Atlee High school. She played at Atlee and has been the JV and Varsity Assistant in her tenure there. Clarke also played at Norfolk State for four years. For ODVA she started at 16 East Coast and her latest coaching assignment was 14 National assistant.
Travis has been an 18 Girls National for two years with ODVA. He also took the
reins as a head coach of the 16 Girls East Coast ODVA team. He was an assistant coach for the Women’s Volleyball team at Eastern Mennonite and Richard Bland College. Well before his coaching career started he played four years at EMU
RCVA 17 East Coast
Head Coach
Anders Wheeler
Assistant Coach
Kylie Tuxford
RVCA 16 National
Head Coach
Sherman Chung
Assistant Coach
Kendall Johnson
RCVA 16 East Coast
Head Coach
Karli Suber
Assistant Coach
Diamond Wells
RCVA 15 National
Head Coach
Kasey Ogden
Assistant Coach
Brett Ragland
RCVA 15 National Blue
Head Coach
Lisa Rodriguez
Lisa has been the head coach for multiple 17/18N club teams for 5 years.
She was the 18N head coach for ODVA last year. She played at Averett University and continues to
play high level grass doubles.
Assistant Coach
Carlos Rodriguez
Carlos was the assistant coach for high school and club in Lynchburg for 5 years. He was the assistant coach at Randolph College for 3 years and the boys’ assistant coach at Liberty for 2 years. He played at Liberty University.
RCVA 15 East Coast
Head Coach
Kayla Pfalzgraf
Assistant Coach
Ayana Clayton
RCVA 14 National
Head Coach
Elizabeth Ellinger Pond
Elizabeth has been coaching club volleyball for over seven years. She
has run and owned a volleyball club for six of the seven years. Elizabeth was the head coach at University of LYnchburg College for 12 years. She also served as the USA high Performance coach for Virginia where both years she had teams with historic finishes in top two in Gold.
Head Coach
Whitney DiFrischia
Whitney has been coaching since the early 2000’s not all in the same state.
She has coached club for ten plus years on the boys and girls national levels. Age group ranges from 14,16,17,18. She has also coached high school for 12 years in total and four as a varsity head coach.
Assistant Coach
Christine Frank
Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, Christine began coaching while attending UR. Her experience includes developmental leagues, middle school teams and a range of travel levels. Christine currently heads the Girls Varsity program at Glen Allen High School.
RCVA 14 East Coast
Head Coach
Sarah Just
I studied recreational therapy and graduated with my bachelors degree from Old Dominion University. I have played in the Virginia Beach club scene from 12s to 17s. I played club volleyball at ODU. I’ve also been coaching for 5 years. This will be my 6th season, three with SERV at ages 14s & 16s, RVC at age 15s, and Grand Strand Juniors at age 13s.
Assistant Coach
Katie Arrington
I began playing volleyball in 4th grade and continued through high school and college, where I also played sand volleyball. I played travel from 13’s to 18’s at the East Coast level and have been coached by over 25 different coaches, each with new lessons to teach me. I am excited to get to share that knowledge with others.
RCVA 13 East Coast
Bob Gaston
Bob Gaston is one of our 13U coaches. Bob has played volleyball for over 25 years and has coached for 12 years. Bob worked with ladies in the Mechanicsville High School volleyball program for 6 years and with younger ladies for 6, teaching in the age ranges of 8 to 13 years. Last year Bob had a successful campaign with the 13U program, working to get several National AAU bids over the course of the season.
Jason Newcomb
Coach Jason has been in the sport of volleyball for over 35 years. He played extensive beach tournaments when he was younger and moved to indoor after high school. He still plays in adult leagues today. While he's been coaching on and off in camps and city league, middle school, and travel teams since he was 17, his biggest success was coaching a 13's team in 2022 that won two bids to AAU nationals, never finished in the bottom half of any tournament, and most importantly, every player improved. He serves as an assistant coach for Midlothian High School's Girls Volleyball Team, lives in the Short Pump area with his wife and two teenage kids, and is a Regional Manager for the Interstate Logos division of Lamar Advertising.
Academy Coaches
Scott Freer
Curtis Carpenter
Molly Jarvis
Elizabeth Ellinger Pond
Liz Newton