NAVC U15 Griffins Coaching Staff

For anyone who knows Coach G, they would have to agree with the fact that Volleyball is not just a sport for her, but it is necessity of life. Therefore, it would not be an understatement to say that Grachella is passionate about Volleyball! 

From the early age of 10, she fell in love with the sport in her native Philippines.  Upon arriving in Canada with her family, she continued to hone her volleyball skills and has achieved great success as a player; college & university volleyball scholarships in Canada and the U.S., Captain of her teams, All-Star, MVP, Athlete of the Year Awards. Despite transitioning her playing career from the court to the beach, she has come out of retirement more recently to compete in two World Masters Games in both Australia and Italy.

It did not take long for Grachella to recognize that her enthusiasm for the sport transcended playing and thus she began to coach.  Her credentials include being an NCCP Level II coach, serving multiple years as an Assistant Coach at Cambrian College and also at the University of Guelph.  She also had a couple of stints as the Director of Gryphon Volleyball and Beach Volleyball camps in Guelph. She also coached Ontario Summer Games Teams in Beach Volleyball, where her teams earned silver and bronze medals.   In 2009, she moved west and quickly entrenched herself in the Edmonton volleyball community.  She has coached girls volleyball at the U13, U14, U15 and U17 age groups since arriving, plus spends countless hours running training sessions for Aspire Volleyball and has also dedicated her coaching talents to several athletes who play Beach Volleyball, during the summer months.  During her time her in Alberta, Grachella's teams have been on the podium more often than not.

As a coach, Grachella takes an immense amount of pride in developing her athletes.  Stressing leadership, hard work, discipline and the technical fundamental skills are at the forefront of her coaching philosophy.  What sets her apart is her adaptability, her ability to teach and communicate but above all else, her affinity to build strong relationships among her coaching staff and players.

Grachella is looking forward to her fourth season with the NAVC program.

Brittany is a level one certified coach and is entering her fourth year as a coach with NAVC. In the last three seasons she has coached with the U13 and U14 Pandas and is looking forward to working with the U15 team this season. Brittany has also spent the last five years coaching with Crestwood Junior High where she has experienced a lot of success with her teams both in league play and at tournaments, including Tier 1 Premier Championship in 2012. Brittany played volleyball through high school before starting University and transitioning into coaching.  Brittany is very excited to pass on her love of the sport to upcoming athletes and can’t wait to get the 2016 season underway!

Riley is entering his fourth year of coaching, his first with NAVC program. He was a coach with the U13 FOG boys this past season, winning bronze at Provincials, and was the associate coach for two years with the senior boys at Hunting Hills High School in Red Deer. Riley is currently working on completing his level one coaching certification.

Riley played volleyball throughout high school for Hunting Hills High School in Red Deer, as well as club volleyball in Red Deer.  He decided to pursue hockey after high school and transitioned into coaching volleyball as he began university. Riley is still a competitor in EVA men’s league and beach tournaments.

He is looking forward to working with the players to continue their development and to pass along my passion for the sport. Riley is also very excited to work alongside Grachella this coming season as she has a wealth of knowledge in the sport.

This is Kayle's first year with NAVC, but he's no stranger to club volleyball. Kayle played his club seasons in Parkland County and continues to play in leagues in Edmonton. He has helped coach at both the high school and club level. Kayle's excited to share his knowledge and passion for the sport with the athletes during the 2016 season.