Volleyball Coach for 5th & 6th Grade Team

My name is Wes. I played Varsity volleyball in my home state of Pennsylvania, where we went to the state tournament and finished in the semifinals my sophomore year. I love the sport, the speed, the excitement, but also the gender equity of it. It's a sport with a lot of girls and women playing. I helped found the women's soccer team Minnesota Aurora and I'm a huge advocate for creating more opportunities for girls playing sports.

Volleyball Coach for 5th & 6th Grade Team

My name is Larisa Ozols, I live in Minneapolis with my husband and 2 goldendoodles. We have 2 daughters, one is a junior at the University of British Columbia, the other a freshman at Creighton University.  By profession I am a realtor.

I am a first generation Latvian and am active in the local Latvian community. I studied for a year at the Lettisches Gymnasium in Munster, but my German is a bit rusty.

I love the game of volleyball, I played throughout my youth, still play a bit and my daughters played throughout  high school and also played club volleyball. Our youngest continues to play club volleyball at Creighton. I also referee volleyball for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation league. I have friends whose children attend TCGIS and one mentioned that the school needed a coach and otherwise may not be able to offer the sport. I believe sports are very important for kids and teach many lessons beyond the court. I look forward to coaching at TCGIS!

Volleyball Coach for 7th & 8th Grade Team

Hello, My name is Lahna, I began playing volleyball in 3rd grade and have now been playing for 10 years. I am a senior in high school at Saint Paul Central high and live in Saint Paul. I was on both my school team, various club teams, and currently playing. In volleyball I love to focus on the heart and the team community that comes with playing volleyball with others, I also love the competition and fire that this sport brings. I have coaching and early elementary experience, I have a lot of volleyball experience as well as knowledge on the sport. Even though I am young, I am excited to share and encourage these players on the 7/8 grade team.

Volleyball Coach for 7th & 8th Grade Team

Hi my name is Evelyn, and I am currently in my junior year at Central High School. I have been playing volleyball for five years now, including time on club teams, at TCGIS, playing for my high school, and coaching with my mom. I love to exercise, sing in my choir and go shopping with my friends. I am very excited for the season, and to get to know everyone!

Head Volleyball Coach for 7th & 8th Grade Team

I started volleyball in 8th grade. After watching my friends rave about it all season, I was so envious and I couldn't wait to join the team.  It did live up to my expectations, and I remember having so much fun and doing a lot of laughing during practices.  I played all through high school, and made captain my senior year.  Despite being on a small team that had a different coach each year and wasn't particularly good at winning, I had so much fun and I made some great friends. 

In college, I managed to grab a coveted spot on the Trinity University volleyball team, but life on the bench didn't really suit me. My sophomore year, I started playing many different intramural sports at Trinity instead, including volleyball, flag football and soccer. This was super social and a great way to meet new people. I was able to play for my college in Brisbane, Australia on my study abroad trip, which proved that sports can be a universal language. After college, I played in a few adult leagues in both Madison, WI and New York, NY.  This past summer, I got to play some really fun/low key beach volleyball by the ocean while visiting my brother in Saipan. I truly believe that playing sports, trying new things and staying active should always travel with you!

More recently, I have deeply enjoyed watching my own kids play and improve in the sport of volleyball. Thanks to my daughter playing at Central and for Impact Club team, I've logged countless hours of watching her play in the last few years and have truly enjoyed every minute.  I'm so excited that Evelyn, a TCGIS alumni, will be assisting me with coaching this year! 

Volleyball is such a fun and dynamic game to play and to watch. I can't wait to share my love of this sport with the 7/8 team this season!