Chris Ding brings competitive fire and real court experience as a former UC Berkeley club standout, NCCVL Division 1 Champion, 2025 9-Man NACIVT Finalist, and current Varsity Assistant Coach at Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton. Chris knows what it means to compete at a high level and he brings that standard to every athlete he coaches. Together, Elise and Chris bring Division I experience, championship pedigree, and a genuine love for developing the whole athlete.

Elise Agi comes to Encore as a two-time Second Team All-Big West honoree, the No. 1 ranked serve-receiving Outside Hitter in the country in 2025, and current Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Saint Mary's College in Moraga. She played two seasons at Oregon and three at Long Beach State. She is also an Encore Alumni, which means she knows exactly what it takes to develop an athlete in this program because she lived it herself.

Nile Minn is entering his 5th season at Encore Volleyball and his second year as Co - Director for Encore. A trained libero and setter with over 10 years of volleyball experience, Nile has served as Manager of UC Berkeley's Division I Women's Volleyball program, coached Berkeley's Women's Club team, and has been a cornerstone of what Encore is building here on the Peninsula. He knows this program inside and out because he helped build it. Highlights: 5th season at Encore Volleyball, 2nd year as Director of Operations Former Manager, UC Berkeley Division I Women's Volleyball 10+ years of volleyball experience as a trained libero and setter.

SoCal native, indoor and grass volleyball competitor Jill Mangawang is a DS and Libero with a decade of playing experience and a coaching record that speaks for itself. In her first season as Freshman Head Coach at Burlingame High School she went 9 and 0. Undefeated. She holds a degree in Politics and Psychology from UC Santa Cruz and has been developing young athletes in this community since 2022. Highlights: 9-0 Freshman Head Coach record at Burlingame High School, 2024 Volunteer Coach, Burlingame Intermediate School UC Santa Cruz graduate, Politics and Psychology 10 years of playing experience as DS and Libero

Tara played Division I beach volleyball at Stetson University, won conference, and made the Sweet 16. At CSM she competed as a Lib and DS on both the indoor and beach programs, served as the number one beach pair, and finished with the highest pair win record on the team. Now in her third year at Encore she has already proven she wins here, leading 15-3 as Head Coach and contributing to 17-1 as Assistant Coach.

Daria Gusarova just completed her career at Stanford University as a beach volleyball player, finishing her final season with a 24-6 record, 13 wins over ranked opponents, and a 2025 MPSF Championship. She is a member of the Cyprus Women's National Team, has competed internationally since 2017, and has won three National Championship gold medals representing her country. She holds dual degrees in Biology from Stanford. A seven-year ballet background. A 24-6 record. A National Team athlete. And now she is your Coach.

Bryant is entering his 11th season at Encore Volleyball with 20 years of coaching experience behind him and a resume that commands respect at every level of this game. 10th season at Encore Volleyball, 20 years of coaching experience Current Varsity Head Coach at Sequoia High School Former Assistant Coach at Menlo College Women's Volleyball Helped lead Menlo-Atherton High School to a CCS Division I Championship in 2021 Here is the number that stops you in your tracks: 20 years. Two decades of showing up for athletes across the Bay Area at every age, every level, every program. Boys. Girls. High school. College. Club. Bryant has done it all and he keeps coming back because he genuinely loves this sport and the athletes in it. A Conference Championship at the collegiate level. A CCS Division I title at the high school level. And now he is bringing all of that to 16 NAVY at Encore for his 11th season in this program. Eleven seasons at one club. That kind of loyalty and consistency does not happen by accident. It happens when a coach believes in what is being built and wants to be part of it for the long haul. That is Bryant. That is Encore. Tryouts are coming. Your athlete deserves to be coached by someone who has been doing this for two decades and still shows up every single day with everything they have.

Hannah played Outside Hitter at College of San Mateo from 2018 to 2020, earned First Team All League honors, and captained her team. She then went on to play DS and Libero at Holy Names University while simultaneously earning her Master's degree in Business Administration. She returned to CSM as an assistant to the Women's Volleyball program and is entering her 7th season at Encore Volleyball. Seven seasons. She has been in this building growing and developing athletes since day one. First Team All League and Captain honors at College of San Mateo DS and Libero at Holy Names University, Masters in Business Administration graduate 3rd season as Co-Head Coach of the Freshman program at Sacred Heart Prep High School Assistant Coach, College of San Mateo Women's Volleyball program 7th season coaching at Encore Volleyball Here is what makes Hannah special: she did not just play the game at a high level. She earned a Master's degree in Business while doing it. She is an athlete, a coach, a scholar, and a leader all at once. That is the kind of person we put in front of our athletes at Encore and that standard does not happen by accident. 16 RED is in exceptional hands this season. We could not be more proud to have Coach Hannah back for year seven.

Cherene Cato is a Bay Area native who has played and coached volleyball her whole life, from four-year varsity standout to collegiate athlete. She now serves as Athletic Coordinator at The Riekes Center and built the Crystal Springs Uplands beach volleyball program from scratch.

Punch Puengrod is entering her second season at Encore and she is showing up with the kind of coaching philosophy that athletes remember long after the season ends. Punch played volleyball from 7th grade through junior year of high school, earned Defensive Specialist honors in 2018 and the Bulldog Award in 2017, and has built her entire coaching approach around one belief: mistakes are not mistakes, they are opportunities to grow. She coaches with relentless energy, a team-first mindset, and a genuine commitment to helping every athlete believe in themselves.

Meet Coach Torika, Co -Director, Encore Alumni, and one of the most impactful people in the building. Torika played collegiate volleyball at the University of Missouri-West Plains before transferring to compete as a Middle Blocker at Division I University of Memphis, where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Sociology and Business. She captained her teams all four years, earned Academic All-American and All-League honors, and attended back-to-back NJCAA Region Championships. She has been at Encore since the very beginning -- 2012 -- and she is now entering her 9th coaching season and third year as Director. Torika also hosted a financial literacy event for her athletes in partnership with Charles Schwab and Project Glimmer because she understands that developing a complete person matters just as much as developing a complete volleyball player. That is the Encore standard and Torika has been living it since before most programs even knew what that meant. 9 seasons in and she is just getting started. We are beyond grateful to have her leading this program. Welcome back, Coach Torika. Encore would not be what it is without you.

Janet McDowell has been training volleyball players since 2000 and her resume speaks for itself. Assistant Coach at Skyline College since 2018, developing collegiate student-athletes year after year Part of the Burlingame High School staff that won a CCS Division II Championship in 2016 and earned a CCS Open Division berth in 2017 Club coaching experience spanning Peninsula Juniors, Quake City, Aloha, and Red Rock Volleyball across 14s through 18s age groups Most recently led her Encore 14 White to Bronze in the 14u Division Varsity Head Coach at Terra Nova High School and Assistant Coach at Capuchino High School Here is the stat that says everything: 26 years. She has been doing this since 2000 and she is still here, still coaching, still showing up for young athletes every single season. That kind of dedication is rare and we do not take it for granted. Janet is known for her positive coaching style, her obsession with fundamentals, and her genuine belief that the game should build you for life. That is not just a coaching philosophy. That is the Encore standard.

Irene has been coaching volleyball since 1999 and her track record is nothing short of remarkable. She led Carlmont High School to a CCS Division I Championship in the 2005/2006 season, claimed PAL Varsity League titles, and has been developing young athletes at every level from middle school to high school to club for over two decades. She currently serves as a rep for the 1440 Kerri Walsh Jennings Foundation, coached at Lost Coast Volleyball Club as Head Coach and Assistant Director, and has been the driving force behind Borel Middle School's A League Championship program since 2023. Over 25 years in and she is still building champions.

Patrick is a trained setter and libero with 8 years of volleyball experience who relocated from Fresno to Berkeley and has been deeply embedded in the Bay Area volleyball community ever since. He brings genuine passion for fundamentals, player development, and the kind of energy that makes athletes want to be in the gym. His favorite player to watch is Tomohiro Yamamoto, which tells you everything you need to know about his volleyball IQ. Career highlights: 8+ years of volleyball experience as a trained setter and libero Active competitor in both indoor and outdoor volleyball in the Bay Area Deep roots in the Berkeley volleyball community Passionate about developing athletes on and off the court