NVVA Divisional Coaches

David McCandless (Head Coach): Dave McCandless has been involved in youth sports in Loudoun County for over 10 years. He began his volleyball career as a coach in the middle school league that is now known as Loudoun Youth Volleyball (LYV), one of the largest youth volleyball leagues in Northern Virginia. Dave has served as LYV’s administrator for the last four years and has coached in the middle school league for eight years.

Dave has coached many different age groups in NVVA’s Girls Juniors Program. In 2005, his 15s captured silver medals in both the CHRVA Regional’s Gold Division and the East Coast Championship’s Silver Division. His middle school rec-league teams won the 2002 SYA Fall Classic and the 2004 Boys Division Championship. Dave also runs an after-school volleyball program for 4th- and 5th-graders and serves as a volleyball clinic instructor for PRCS. Dave has completed his IMPACT training and is also a USAV CAP 1-certified coach. Dave is eagerly making the jump over to the Boys Division of NVVA this year, hoping to increase the presence of boys volleyball in our area.

Dave is both thrilled and honored to be able to share his love and knowledge of the game with the youth of Northern Virginia.

Larry Spieler (Assistant Coach): Larry coordinated the Seneca Ridge Middle School volleyball teams for the past three years. During that time he coached both the Select and the Boys teams. Currently he has his IMPACT certification. In addition, he has attended several coaching clinics put on by nationally renowned coaches or players. He has played on USVBA teams for six years, which included a second place regional finish in the men's "A" division. Larry has been playing doubles on the beach or in local grass court tournaments for over 26 years. He has won numerous titles along the way, including one with his thirteen-year-old son this past summer.

Derek Leiter (Head Coach): Derek discovered volleyball about seven years ago at the Sterling Community Center. Since then, he’s played dozens of AA grass and beach doubles tournaments, and won a few of them. He's also played in several AA leagues each year at the Dulles Beach Volleyball Center, and has won several of those. His Mens’ USVA BB indoor team is in its second season. Derek plays OH and MB.

Derek is entering his fourth year of coaching, his third year as head coach, and his second time teaching the game to 12 & Under girls. His teams have won several tournaments, with Derek behind the clipboard. He also assisted the 2005 Loudoun 12J team to a Silver Division 1st place in Louisville last July. He is IMPACT- and CAP I-certified as of January 2006.

Michael Janowski (Head Coach): Michael has 33 years of volleyball experience. He was born and raised in Poland, in a region with strong volleyball traditions. Michael was a member of the Junior National Volleyball Team. He played volleyball during and after college for several teams in the Polish Professional Premiere Volleyball League and in tournaments throughout Europe. After coming to the United States in 1988, Michael played on many USVBA mens' teams. In 1993 and 1994, Michael coached the Reston Volleyball Club men’s teams. The team won 5th and 4th place in the Gold Division of the U.S. Open Volleyball Championships for both years.

Michael’s dream has always been to teach his children the game of volleyball. He began coaching the River Bend Middle School volleyball team, of which his daughter is a member, in 2004. In 2005, he joined NVVA as head coach of the Loudoun 12J team. The Loudoun 12J team earned the ranking of second in the Region and won the Silver Division in the National Invitational Tournament held in Louisville, Kentucky.

Michael continues to play volleyball in recreational leagues. He is IMPACT- and CAP-I certified.

Stephanie Belella (Assistant Coach): Stephanie is assistant coach for the Girls' 13B team. She joins NVVA as a new coach in our program this year. She has eight years of youth coaching experience. Her experience with youth sports includes eight years of soccer coaching, four years of basketball coaching, and two years of volleyball coaching. Stephanie was selected to coach the All-Star basketball team both years of eligibility and was selected to coach a Select volleyball team at the middle school this past fall. She, herself, played competitive volleyball at the high school level, with her team placing 2nd in the State of Maryland.

Mary Anne Creech (Head Coach): The experience that Mary Anne brings to NVVA is unprecedented. She played her college career at NCAA Div 1 Georgetown University, then spent the next 20+ years in USAV/USVBA Women's A- and AA-level competition. She has played in 10 Adult National Championship Tournaments.

While competing, Coach Creech also earned her USAV National Referee patch and officiated over numerous NCAA matches, as well as several Junior Nationals and Adult Nationals Championship finals. Mary Anne has officiated several NCAA Tournament matches as well as the NRT Championships. She was given the honor of working as a linesperson at multiple international matches and the NCAA Women's Championship Finals. Mary Anne also holds an International Scorekeepers rating. She enters her second year as an NVVA coach, but also coached in NVVA's Northwest Youth Volleyball Program.

Mary Anne is the daughter of current CHRVA Commissioner Anne Hughes.

Kelly Roth (Head Coach): Kelly Roth grew up playing beach volleyball in Southern California. As an adult, she's played on club teams in the U.S. and Australia and currently plays A Co-Ed 4s at Worldgate. Her volleyball coaching experience began at ACS Hillingdon High School in England and she currently coaches at Herndon High School. This will be her third season with NVVA, with last year's team notching 100 game wins, placing second in the Silver Division at Penn State, and taking a Silver Place Medal at the CHRVA 15s Regionals in the Gold Bracket. Kelly is currently IMPACT-certified. She just finished a three-year stint coaching freshman volleyball for Herndon High School. Due to policy changes in Fairfax County Public Schools, Kelly will be unable to return to Herndon Volleyball, a policy change that she does not like very much.

Jim Truxel (Head Coach): Jim has been coaching youth sports for over eight years, working with both male and female athletes. While coaching with NVVA, his expansion Loudoun Division team finished 17th in the Chesapeake Region, right behind the other two Loudoun 15 teams. Jim has continued his volleyball education by completing USA Volleyball’s CAP I Certification Program, which expanded his knowledge of coaching practices, philosophies, conflict resolution, organization and athletic training. CAP I certification is typically one step below most NCAA coaches. He plans to continue his coaching education by completing that next step, CAP II certification. Jim's goals as a coach are very simple — to provide a safe and positive environment, enhance players' skills, and help players develop new skills, exercise sportsmanship, and have fun.

Jim's Coaching Philosophy — Attitude is an essential building block for athletes who want to become the best possible player they can become and the best possible teammate. Effort is the result of the player's attitude toward their game and is the one single element that the player alone determines and controls. Effort is a choice. Sacrifice is the commitment each athlete makes to become the best at their game as possible. Loyalty toward yourself, your team, your club and to your sport. Approach everything you do with passion, don’t settle on mediocrity, and accept nothing less than the best that can be accomplished at the time.

Pat Smith (Assistant Coach): Pat has coached for NVVA for three years. First as coach of the Loudoun 15s for two years and then as head coach of the Select 15s. She led the 2004 Select 15s to a Bronze Division finish at the USAV National Invitational Championship in Austin, Texas. For the last six years, she has been at the helm of Herndon High School's girls’ varsity team. Pat has been named Concorde District’s 'Coach of the Year' in three of those six years. Outside of her coaching duties, Pat serves as president of NVVA’s Northwest Youth Volleyball program.

She has been married for 30 years to Deke Smith (an avid Hokie’s fan) and has three children — Sandy and son-in-law Justin Farmer, married and living in Seattle, Megan Smith, who attends NOVA, and Scott Smith, who's attending Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, and current president of the ASU Men’s Volleyball Club team.

Pat teaches a multi-age kindergarten/first-grade class in Fairfax County and is a Sunday School teacher at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church.

Still playing volleyball in recreational leagues, outdoors, and at the beach, Pat continues to compete in adult USAV Volleyball and most recently, with her current 50s & Over team, won the gold medal at the 2005 Salisbury Games.

Susan Hero (Head Coach):  For the past six years, Susan has been the JV coach and assistant varsity coach for the Langley Saxon High School girls' team. She also coached a boys' 14 & Under club team for the past three years. She has attended many volleyball coaching clinics and is IMPACT-certified. Susan helps to run the Langley Youth Volleyball Camp every summer and an after-school volleyball program at the local elementary school.

Susan started playing volleyball in junior high and high school and has played club volleyball since that time. She practiced and scrimmaged with the men’s club team while attending Indiana University. She currently plays on the Women’s Cavaliers USAV team. Susan is very excited about helping the younger group to develop a true love for the game while learning basic skills.

Susan and her husband, Greg, have four children — Andreas, Nikki, Devon and Keenan. Her son, Andreas, plays for NVVA's Boys 14s team.

Amy Dean (Assistant Coach):  For the past two years, Amy has been the Langley High School freshman coach and assistant varsity coach. Last year she was the assistant coach to a 16s NOVA team that went to Nationals. For the past two years, Amy has helped run Langley's summer volleyball camp. Amy played competitively through high school and played some intramurals in college. Now she plays volleyball in her yard with her husband and their three children. She is new to NVVA and is very much looking forward to working with the 12s.

Phil Beaver (Assistant Coach):  Phil is in his third year as an NVVA coach, having coached 13s and 14s the past two years, and is working with the 12s and 15s this season. He has served as the head coach of McLean Youth Athletics Volleyball for the past five years, and has been its director for two years. He started as a beach player, earning a AA rating on the sands of Santa Barbara, Monterey, and Santa Cruz in the '70s and '80s. From 1991 to 1994 he was the faculty representative for the West Point women’s team under Coach Bob Gambardella. He is IMPACT-certified and a provisional junior referree. Phil coached the West Point cycling team from 1998 to 2001, and he was a nationally-ranked (top 20) tennis player as a junior.

Jill Fitzgerald (Head Coach): Jill was a high school All-American in Colorado and played Division 1 college volleyball for Drake University and then Colorado College. She was also a college pentathlete and played one year of college basketball. Following college, Jill played four years of USVBA and then focused on beach volleyball, getting her AA-rating in professional beach volleyball. Jill has coached several sports over the past seven years at several levels, coaching both boys and girls, house league and select, soccer, basketball, and volleyball. Jill has coached championship teams as well as recreational teams, and believes that most of her players and parents would say that they learned a lot about how to enhance their skills, compete, and build character though sports.

Len Palashchak (Head Coach): Len Palaschak is currently in his first year as head coach at W.T. Woodson H.S. He was awarded Liberty District and Northern Virginia Region Coach of the Year. He is Impact certified and has over 20 years of combined coaching and playing experience. Coaching experience includes Military Post teams - Men and Women's program (Heidelberg, Neu Ulm and Augsburg, Germany), River Ridge High School (Lacey, WA), Evergreen Volleyball Club (Olympia, WA), and recreation leagues (school, college, community/children at risk). Playing experience includes U.S. Military Post Teams and German Club (Bundesleague and Oberleague) where he was the starting setter.

He is married with 4 children and resides in Annandale.

Mike Barnett (Head Coach): Michael has been involved with volleyball since 1990 when he began playing and officiating. In 1991, he began running clinics at the YMCA in St. Charles, Missouri, for 3rd- to 8th-graders and discovered not only a coaching vocation but a desire to teach, which led him to become a science teacher. He couples the two by teaching chemistry and physics at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, where he is also the head coach of the varsity volleyball team. In his fifth season at Bishop O’Connell, his Lady Knights finished third in both their conference and state tournaments.

Coach Mike is in his fourth year with NVVA and has high expectations for his team this season, hoping his 15U team can repeat the stellar performance of his 15-2 team last year, which qualified for the gold division of the regional tournament. Mike is an IMPACT-certified coach and plans to complete his USAV CAP I certification this season. He is also a regionally-certified referee and scorekeeper.

Mike has coached both boys and girls and has worked with every age group. He believes his strength lies in teaching fundamental techniques and strategies to novice players.

Don Hinton (Head Coach): Don is in his third year with NVVA, having coached 13s and 14s the past two years. He first started playing volleyball by breaking into the high school gym with three of his friends and playing doubles. At the United States Military Academy, he played for one year but a broken thumb ended his college volleyball career. During his 23-year military career, Don played on military-unit and community-level teams, as well as three years on a German Club team. While serving as an Arms Control Inspector in the former Soviet Union, he played many heated matches with Russian military officers.

He is Increased Mastery- and Professional Application of Coaching Theory (IMPACT) and Coaching Accreditation Program (CAP) Level I-certified, and will begin CAP Level II training this December. He is also a certified high school volleyball official and regional USAV referee. During the fall, he can be found coaching volleyball for the Fairfax Police Youth Club (FPYC), when he isn’t officiating a match or watching his daughter play.

Don and Barb live in Fairfax, Virginia, with their two daughters, Laura (17) and Jackie (14).

Peter Germanis (Head Coach): Peter played volleyball at George Mason University, where he received a number of awards — Team MVP (1978, 1979), NAIA All-American (1978), NCAA All-East (1979), and ECAC Student Athlete (1979). He also competed at the national level indoors with the Washington Volleyball Club, finishing in the top 10 nationally. Germanis was an assistant coach for George Mason University's men's team in 1981. More recently, he coached in the Southwestern Youth Association and was the freshman coach at Fairfax High School in 2005. Peter lives in Fairfax with his wife, Penny, and two children, Krista and Johnny. He works for the Department of Health and Human Services.

When asked about his hobbies, Peter replies, ”There isn’t enough time in the day!”

Edgars Sturans (Assistant Coach): Edgars ("Edz," pronounced "edge") has been playing volleyball for most of his life. He was coach and player for Western Michigan University's men's club program. Later he played for Dana Construction, a midwest club team that was a top regional and national indoor team. Sturans started coaching in South Haven, Michigan, where he coached in the South Haven school system as well as at the club level for girls U-12, U-14, and U-16. After moving to Burlington, Vermont, in 1990, Sturans began as assistant coach for the University of Vermont women's team and assistant coach for the men's club team. In 1992, he took over as head coach for the women's team until 1998, when he moved his family to Fairfax, Virginia. Volleyball runs in the family, as his wife, Julie, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, is a past collegiate volleyball athlete and Canadian National Team player.

Edz and Julie live in Chantilly, Virginia, with their two children, son Andris (9) and daughter Mara (7).

Ken Moser (Head Coach): Ken has been involved in volleyball for 25 years now, mostly as a player and, for the past seven, as coach. Ken is CAP 1-certified and is working on CAP 2 at this time. Ken has been head coach at Centreville High School since 2000. He has compiled a 109-45 record over that time. Ken has won four Concorde District titles and two Northern Region titles. He was also the first coach to advance to the State Semifinals in 2001. His teams made five straight state tournament appearances from 2000 to 2004. He was named AAA coach of the year for Virginia in 2001. Ken has had four straight Washington Post All-Met players from 2001 to 2004. He currently has nine players competing at the college level who graduated from Centreville. In 2004 he had five players advance to play at the next level. He has been coaching at the club-level for five years. Ken has coached all age groups, from 14s to 18s. Most recently he coached the NVVA 14 Select Crusaders to a CHRVA Regional Title in 2005 and a trip to Nationals.

Sam Tooke (Head Coach): Coach Tooke is in his fifth year coaching at NVVA. With over 20 years of playing experience at the University of Arkansas and on various Air Force installation teams, he has coached junior volleyball since 1997 in Texas, Virginia and Germany. In 2002 and 2003, he helped lead Ramstein American High School to 2nd- and 3rd-place finishes in the European high school championships. Coach Tooke is currently head coach at Annandale High School. Coach Tooke is IMPACT-certified, VHSL-certified, and is working toward his CAP I certification.

Jim Porterfield (Assistant Coach): Jim comes to NVVA from the Great Lakes region. He and his wife formed the Maine Power Volleyball Club in 2000, where he coached boys teams at the 15s, 16s and 17&U levels and assisted his wife with the club’s girls teams at the 14s to 17&U levels. Jim is an IMPACT-certified coach. Prior to that he coached one year of junior high boys volleyball at St. Andrews Lutheran School in Park Ridge, Illinois. Jim has played volleyball for over 30 years, starting as a player/coach for the Iowa State University men’s club team for two years.

Ken Huntsman (Head Coach): This is Ken's fourth year coaching with NVVA. He has been coaching girls' volleyball for eight years. He played volleyball in the top division of Fairfax County Adult Volleyball for more than 15 years, and was an outside hitter and middle blocker on a team that finished 13th in the nation in 1995 in the USAV 40-and-over division. Currently Ken is IMPACT-certified, and has nearly completed his CAP I certification. Ken is also the girls' varsity coach for Highland School in Warrenton, Virginia, while serving as NVVA's Fairfax Division director.

John Gelinne (Assistant Coach): This season will be John’s second with NVVA. John began playing volleyball in high school, where he participated on the Hudson Valley Volleyball Club. He was selected as the starting setter for the team that eventually played in the first New York Empire State Games. John continued his playing career at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was the starting setter for two of his four years. John has coached at various levels, including Woodson High School, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Braddock Road Youth Club and NVVA 16s. John is an IMPACT-certified coach.

Elliot F. Cruz (Head Coach): This is Elliot’s second year with NVVA. He has over 30 years of volleyball experience as a player and a coach. He picked up the sport in high school, and most of his playing experience comes from playing at all levels while in the United States Air Force. There he played and coached individual unit teams, and was also a member of installation teams participating in cross-command and local tournaments while stationed both stateside and overseas. He started coaching young players about seven years ago, and has coached parochial and recreational volleyball at the different levels. He was also an assistant coach at Hayfield Secondary during the 2004 fall season. He graduated with honors from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), were he was also an ROTC Distinguished Graduate. He has been married to Yolanda Cruz for 24 years and they have two children, Gina (16) and Eva (12).

Elliot retired from the Air Force in February 2005, after over 23 years of service, and is currently a government employee with the Defense Information Systems Agency, where he serves as an information technology systems program manager.

Krystal Hermes (Assistant Coach): Krystal Hermes began her volleyball career in 1995. She continued her play at Liberty High School for four years. After high school, Krystal attended Bridgewater College where she earned the middle starting position as a freshman. Her freshman year, she was named to the Bridgewater Invitational All-Tournament Team. As a sophomore, Krystal was selected for the Bridgewater Invitational Tournament and the Christopher Newport Invitational All-Tournament Teams. While a junior, Krystal led the nation in hitting percentage for Division III Colleges and set a single season record for Bridgewater College with .446. She was named Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Player of the Week, MVP at the Christopher Newport Tournament, and selected to the All-Tournament Team at both the Emory and Henry Tournament and Guilford College Tournament. She was named Second Team All-ODAC and was selected to the ODAC Championship All-Tournament Team. In her senior year, Krystal was selected as a co-captain and was a Second Team All-ODAC selection. She was also awarded the Team Contribution Award. She currently is second in all-time kills for Bridgewater College with 1,131. This past season, she was the Head Coach for the Freshmen Volleyball team at Liberty High School. She joins NVVA for her first season this year. She will be a coach for the Fauquier NVVA 18s team during the 2005-2006 season.