Red Rock Alameda
2023-2024 Season
11/12,13,14s GIRLS TRYOUT
OCT 13, 2023
Coaching Team Bio - Alameda
Alex O'Sullivan
(Girls Assistant Coach)
Alex is entering her 4th year coaching with redrock. Alex was born and raised in the bay area and played 4 years of indoor and beach volleyball at Saint Mary’s College of California where she earned her BA in exercise science and MS in sports management.
Alex has been coaching volleyball since 2016. She believes in developing the player as a whole, physically and mentally. While at SMC she learned a lot about what skills athletes can learn from playing volleyball and/or sports Such has accountability, growth mindset, time management, and how to work well with others. Alex likes to teach these same lessons to her players while also encouraging them to have fun while improving their skills.
When she is not coaching, Alex enjoys eating out with friends and attending concerts.
Allan Nguyen
13 Allan (Girls Head Coach)
Allan has grown up in the Bay Area his whole life and spent most of it in Oakland. After graduating from Oakland High School in 2016, he continued his education at Diablo Valley College and attained 2 associate degrees in Allied and Natural Health. He then later transferred to San Jose State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Health with the Dean’s Scholar award.
Having coached 7 teams in the past 4 years with Red Rock, Allan has gained a lot of experience working with children of all ages. This last year, Allan coached the 16-1 boys who finished in gold, the 16-1 girls who nearly went undefeated in Power League, and head coached for Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School who made it to NCS.
Alvin Saelee
Assistant Coach
Alvin was born and raised in the Bay Area, watching his dad play street volleyball at the local parks. He attended Oakland High school, were he led them to the first OAL championship in 2016 and won the league MVP.
He’s been playing volleyball for over 10 years and just finished his first season as an assistant coach for Redrock. He is very passionate about the game and looks forward to sharing his knowledge of the game with the players.
Alvin spends his free time going on hiking trips, bike rides, photoshoots, and playing volleyball.
Amber Meza
Assistant Coach
Amber was born and raised in a beautiful beach town named Manzanillo located off the pacific Mexican coast. She began her volleyball career as early as she could walk, playing in middle school, high school, and college for the Mills College Cyclones — an NCAA DIII team, playing outside and opposite hitter.
Amber wants to give all her players the skills to be the best that they can be. She is a very positive and encouraging coach and looks forward to working with the players.
Ashia Joseph
12 Ashia (Girls Head Coach)
Ashia Joseph was born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii. In her early years, Ashia played volleyball while attending Waiakea High School, earning first team honors her sophomore through Senior year and an honorable mention honor her freshman year. While maintaining a 3.5 GPA and managing a successful high school athletic career, Ashia became the East Division BIIF Player of the Year her senior year in 2010. In addition to volleyball, she also lettered in water polo for 3 years and canoe paddling for 1 year. Her senior season on the water polo team she earned first team honors and was named Goalie of the Year.
After being recruited to the College of Southern Idaho, Ashia premiered as the starting setter for 2 consecutive seasons from 2011-2013 earning Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC) second team honors her freshman year. Also during her time at CSI, Ashia helped her team to two SWAC Conference Championships, as well as an NJCAA National Championship in 2012. Ashia went on to attend college at California State University, East Bay from 2013-2015, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. While there, Ashia was again the starting setter for 2 consecutive seasons, during 2013-2015. She is ranked 6th in the Career Top 10 List for the Most Career Assists at California State East Bay.
Following her collegiate athletic career, Ashia began club coaching at Core Volleyball Club in Dublin, California, where she would go on to coach for 5 years. She has also coached at Mills College, a Division III school in Oakland, California. Ashia is currently the first assistant coach at her alumni, California State University East Bay, where her team became CCAA North Division season champions in 2018 and competed in the NCAA West Regional that same year. Additionally, two of her players were awarded the All-American Awards in 2018. In 2020, Ashia began coaching club volleyball at Red Rock and is now the head coach for the Red Rock Alameda 17’s.
Ashia is incredibly thankful for all the opportunities the game of volleyball has given her and hopes to provide these same opportunities back to other young and aspiring athletes. Through her many years of playing and coaching, Ashia has grown to realize and appreciate how incredibly important it is to create an environment that players can grow in. With her background in team sports and active involvement in the California volleyball community, Ashia serves as a mentor and friend to athletes of all ages and skill levels. As a coach, she feels it is her job to facilitate a space for athletes to grow and improve, not only as players but also as people. She knows the importance of working hard, commitment, and sacrifice, and has experienced the life-long connections and relationships the game of volleyball can bring to athletes and coaches alike. She is passionately focused on the betterment of her players and strives to improve her coaching methods in ways that serve both on and off the court. With her commitment to quality and talent for balancing work and play, Ashia hopes to instill confidence and determination in the players she works with.
David Lin
Assistant Coach
David is a native of southern California and attended University high school in Irvine, where he was Eight-time letterman in soccer and volleyball. In volleyball, he was a two-time First-Team All Pacific Coast League player and as a senior he was MVP and captain of the volleyball team. He started playing club volleyball as a junior with Balboa Bay Volleyball Club and as a senior continued playing with Surf City Volleyball Club, helping the team advance to the open junior national tournament in 1997. He received his BS in Biology from UCLA, where walked on to the varsity volleyball team as a DS/Libero and won a NCAA Division I National Championship in 2000.
He recently returned to California after finishing graduate school in Texas, where he completed his Ph.D and Postdoctoral training in Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Texas at El Paso(UTEP). During graduate school, he remained involved in the volleyball community as volunteer assistant coach and as graduate assistant coach for the UTEP women’s volleyball team. On the junior’s scene, he coached for several years in Texas as head coach for the Extreme Force volleyball club 18-1, 16-1, and El Paso Wildfire 16-1. Since arriving in the Bay area, he has coached in San Francisco at Slainte Volleyball club (boys 17-1 and girls 18-1) and was the head coach for the Sacred Heart Convent girls JV team.
David is currently the Chief Science Officer at Global Footprint Network, a non-profit thinktank in the field of sustainability. During his free time, he enjoys the outdoors and is an avid rock climber.
Eddie Chen (Club Director-Indoor & Beach)
14 Eddie
(Girls Head Coach), Boy's Assistant Coach & Beach Coach
Eddie loves the game of volleyball and has a passion for coaching and developing players and teams. He believes that along with effort and commitment that players bring to the sport, they should always remember to play with joy as well, as volleyball is the best sport on the planet.
Originally from Southern California and has been playing volleyball for most of his life and coaching for over fifteen years. He is currently the Red Rock East Bay Director and Coach of the girls and boys indoor programs. He is also the Varsity Women's Volleyball Coach at Encinal High School where he currently teaches. Prior to Encinal he was previously at St Joseph Notre Dame High School for 8 years as a teacher and a coach. His team took 2nd place in NCS and CIF Nor-Cal Finals in 2013, just one win short of the CIF State Championship.
Eddie is also an incredibly experienced beach volleyball coach. He is BCAP certified and was the former NCVA High Performance Beach Coach and director of SandLegs Volleyball Club. Many of his former players are now competing at the Division I colleges including Stanford, LMU, USF, Cal Berkeley, USC, Oregon, Long Beach and Cal Poly.
He is currently a Physics and Math teacher at Encinal High School in Alameda. Prior to becoming a teacher, he graduated from UC Berkeley and worked as an Engineer and Program Manager in Silicon Valley, but then changed careers when he wanted to have a more meaningful impact on today's youth, through education and volleyball.
Eddie is married with two children, believes in positive coaching, and is excited about growing the sport of volleyball.
Geena Serles
14
Geena
(Girls Head Coach)
This is Geena's 6th season with Red Rock. Geena is born and raised in Alameda and has played volleyball since the third grade. She attended St. Joseph Notre Dame High School, and in college played for the University of San Francisco's club volleyball team. Geena graduated from the University of San Francisco in 2014 and works for a marketing agency in the Bay Area.
Geena has coached ages 11-15 and is passionate about developing volleyball skills in players that are just starting to play the game. She believes that players can learn valuable life lessons through sport and that being part of a team will give players a positive space to foster friendships and learn lifelong skills. Geena coaches her players with a positive and supportive mindset and encourages them to have fun while also working hard.
When Geena is not coaching, she is traveling, trying new restaurants, and cheering on the Golden State Warriors and Las Vegas Raiders.
Jeremy Benin Yap
13 Jeremy (Girls Head Coach) 17 Jeremy (Boys Head Coach)
Jeremy is a native of Southern California and attended Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in Palos Verdes.
Having played at the 18’s level for three out of his four years of high school, he has played with Beach Cities Volleyball Club, the Huntington Beach Club, and Southern California Volleyball Club, tying for fourth at junior nationals two years in a row. In high school, he learned from and briefly coached alongside several olympians at Peak Volleyball Academy, Sinjin Smith Beach Volleyball Camp, and The Field House Society.
He is currently a junior in college pursuing a BA in Comparative Literature with a double minor in Early Learning & Development Science and Creative Writing at UC Berkeley, where he is a practice player for the NCAA Division 1 women’s volleyball team.
Since arriving in Northern California, Jeremy has coached for Golden Bear Volleyball Club (head coach 14-1) and Korematsu Middle School but is currently the Head Coach of Piedmont’s freshman girl’s volleyball team.
Currently en route to becoming a professional in the field of education, Jeremy is a sponsored musician specializing in Hawaiian Folk, Jazz, Funk, Neo Soul, and R&B.
In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing, gardening, farming, and street skateboarding.
Jhunel Abellon
16 Jhunel (Girls Head Coach), (Boy's Head Coach)
Jhunel Abellon began playing volleyball during his middle school years with grass-outdoor ball then transitioned into indoor where he developed his love for the sport. He joined his high school team as an opposite/outside hitter. After he graduated high school, Jhunel continued to play at open gyms and competitive adult leagues where he would develop as a Setter.
In 2015 to 2018, he would begin his first coaching position as the Head Coach of Oakland Military Institute’s Co-ed Middle School team. Jhunel would stay with the Grizzlies for four seasons, and would defend their record as First and Second places. Along with coaching middle school, Jhunel would become the Assistant Coach for One Volleyball Club in Alameda for three seasons. He would assist the team by helping them defend their Gold Division status in the Premier League during his second year of 2017.
Jhunel has been coaching at his alma mater Encinal High School as the Head Junior Varsity Coach from 2016 to the present day. In 2018 Jhunel would assist in the development of Skyline High School's inaugural men's volleyball team. Coach Abellon would join the coaching staff at Red Rock East Bay Volleyball club in 2019 and became the Assistant Coach for the 15s Power Team.
The summer of 2019 Jhunel would coach and develop Red Rock East Bay's fledgling Beach program, where he guided various pairs to playoffs in the CBVA league. Coach Jhunel still enjoys playing volleyball at the competitive level in multiple leagues and open gyms. Coach Abellon is currently studying Kinesiology and hopes to pursue the rehabilitation aspects of the field. Lastly, Jhunel enjoys working out weekly, as he believes in an active lifestyle, and enjoys spending time with family and friends over a cup of bubble milk tea.
Mariah Cardenas
15 Mariah (Girls Head Coach), 18 Mariah (Boy's Head Coach)
Cardenas is originally from Ripon, CA but currently resides in Oakland, CA. Cardenas played collegiate volleyball at a private school in Oklahoma. After finishing her bachelors degree, Cardenas went on to coach mens and women’s volleyball at Holy Names University in Oakland, CA; while completing her masters in Forensic Psychology. This will be Cardenas’ 4th year at Red Rock. Cardenas is currently on year 2 of running the Piedmont High School Volleyball Program. During the day, Cardenas works as a youth advocate for youth in the Foster Care system.
I have always wanted to pay it forward and instill in young athletes what I have learned over the course of my life. I could never repay the game of volleyball for all the opportunities it has brought into my life. I do what I do for the youth that I get to cross paths with. My coaching philosophy is that every moment on the court is a coaching opportunity. Whether it be an affirmation for something positive that a player does or a critique that an athlete may need to help perfect their craft
Phillip Saephanh
(Girls Assistant Coach),
(Boy's Assistant Coach)
This is Phillip 5th season with RedRock and secured a position in high silver/ low gold with his 13'1s team during 21-22 season.
Phillip was born and raised in the Bay Area. Phillip attended De Anza Senior High School in El Sobrante in which he trained under Beltran Lazaro of Cuba's Men's National team. Phillip has played amongst division I,II, III & NAIA athletes. He plans on continuing his volleyball career in the future, which potentially includes moving to SoCAL to play in college.
Phillip loves finding ways to bring happiness and positive space for people around. He firmly believe that creating a safe and positive space for players to grow heavily translates into a higher probability of success as an athlete.
He believed that he is not only here to teach young individual how to become a good volleyball players, but also how to be a good person.
Phillips coaching style and approach to life pertains to facilitating positivity and creating a safe space. His coaching philosophy focuses on honesty, good communication, hard work, accountability and integrity.
Sam Howard
15 Sam (Girls Head Coach)
This is Sam’s second full season with Red Rock and his first as a head coach.
In the past he has assisted in coaching the boys’ program at his alma mater Gilroy High School and a brief stint with Absolute’s 13s before the pandemic. He is still an avid player and competes in grass and indoor adult tournaments around the Bay Area. His coaching style is direct, holistic, and seeks to impart in his players the confidence and skill to play anywhere on the court.
Sam graduated from CSU Chico in 2013 and works as a paralegal in Oakland. When he’s not working or coaching, he loves to play indoor or grass, play Dungeons & Dragons, and is constantly reading two or three books at once
Savannah Robinson
Assistant Coach
Savannah grew up in Alameda and started playing volleyball in 6th grade. Quickly falling in love with the sport, she began playing competitive Club volleyball. She attended Bishop O'Dowd Highschool and traveled to Santa Cruz to compete in beach tournaments when she could. She then attended UC Santa Cruz where she studied Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, focusing on wildlife and conservation.
Savannah continued to play volleyball through adult leagues, open gyms, and pickup games. She is excited to pass down her knowledge, experience, and love for the sport to the players she coaches. Besides volleyball, she loves to stay active through running, hiking and backpacking, rock climbing, and surfing.
Tori O'Sullivan
(Girls Assistant Coach)
Tori was born and raised in the Bay Area and has played volleyball at a competitive level for over 10 years. Tori played 4 years of Division 1 indoor volleyball at San Diego State and finished playing her last year at Long Beach State in Fall 2022. While playing, Tori also earned her BA in Journalism & Media Studies and Communications.
Having played at a high level, Tori is very eager to share what she has learned through her previous coaches and experiences with the next generation of volleyball players. Tori is very passionate about sharing her knowledge for the game and the life skills that go along with being a student-athlete. Tori wants to be able to inspire the younger generation to set goals and aid them in taking the necessary steps to achieve them.
When she is not coaching or playing volleyball, Tori likes to spend time with friends and family, go to the beach, and read.
