Coach and Alumna

Coach Tameka is currently a student-athlete at William Peace University as a Junior Middle Blocker.  She was named captain for 2024-2025 season.

Originally from Maryland, Tameka's family now lives in Cary, NC and she played volleyball for Panther Creek High School. 

Competed with NC Elite Volleyball Club for 4 years and played with Liberty Elite prior to moving to NC.

Coahc Tameka is in her second season coaching with NC Elite Volleyball Club.

Coach and Alumna

Scarlett Becker is entering her second season on the coaching staff of NC Elite in 2020. Becker is transitioning to a coaching role after playing volleyball at NC Elite for multiple seasons and originally starting her volleyball career through the VolleyU program. Scarlett has developed her skills at many levels of club having played on regional plus teams and ended her career on 16 White. She is quite versatile in positional skill having played as both a setter and an outside hitter, but her most recent and favorite position is as a libero/DS. In her first season, Scarlett coached with our VolleyU team and she looks forward to all that the 2020-2021 season has in store. Off the court, Scarlett is involved with many different community outreach programs and takes great pride in her academic extracurricular. She is currently a senior at Fuquay-Varina High School and serves as an after school counselor at the Poole Family YMCA in Garner, NC. She is also currently the Vice President of the National Honor Society and Secretary of both the National English Honor Society and HOSA. Scarlett is also an A Honor Roll student and is a member of six other honor societies. During the 2019-2020 academic year, she was honored as a junior marshal and represented the top 7% of her junior class this past Spring. After graduation, Scarlett plans to attend a four year university while majoring in biology and neuroscience with a minor in Spanish. 

Coach and Director

Tiffany Brooks is entering her 6th year on the staff of NC Elite Volleyball Club in the 2024-2025 club season.  Her love for volleyball first started in middle school when she got her first experience of  what it felt like to play.  This love continued to grow and in her 8th grade year, her team won the OPAC champions. Afterwards, her journey continued to the high school and club level. After high school, she attended Shaw University where she graduated may 2017 as a dual sport athlete participating in both volleyball and softball. Tiffany  reached over 1,000 digs as Shaw's Libero and was named to the 2015 volleyball ALL-Tournament team, led the 2016 CIAA Championship Team, 2016 Southern Division Champions and 2017 Southern Division Champions. After graduation, Coach Brooks became the Assistant Volleyball and Softball Coach at her alma mater - where she led the 2018 CIAA Championship Volleyball Team. In addition to coaching with NC Elite, Tiffany is also assistant volleyball coach at Riverside High School in Durham.  

Coach and Alumna

Coach Emma is from Raleigh, NC and attended Sanderson High School where she played Middle Blocker for the Spartans.

Emma competed with NC Elite for 5 years.

Emma is now an Engineering student at NC State University, serves as an Engineering Ambassador for the NCSU College of Engineering and played on the NCSU Beach Club team.

Coach Emma is heading into her 3rd season coaching with NC Eite Volleyball Club.

Coach

Coach Jeremy is entering his 6th year as a licensed physical education and health teacher and has 15 years of experience in coaching various sports (volleyball, tennis, basketball, baseball), including 2 years with NC Elite Volleyball Club.  Jeremy is also the head JV volleyball coach at Ravenscroft School.

Coach Jeremy received a B.A. at University of Massachusetts and an M.A. at Manhattanville College. He previously taught and coached at the Charter School of Educational Excellence in Yonkers, N.Y., where he instructed K-12 physical education and coached volleyball, basketball and baseball.

Coach Jeremy is originally from Nyack, N.Y., and grew up a huge fan of the Yankees, Giants and Knicks. His hobbies include board games, yard games and various competitive sports. He loves traveling and has been to all but two continents, which he hopes to check off his list soon.

Coach and Alumna

Coach Rebecca is from Raleigh, NC and attended Sanderson High School where she played Outside Hitter and Setter for the Spartans.

Rebecca competed with NC Elite for 4 years.

Rebecca is now working toward her Bachelor of Fine Arts - BFA, Interior Design at UNC Greensboro.  

Coach Rebecca is heading into her 1st  season coaching with NC Eite Volleyball Club as a Camp, Clinic and Resource Coach.

Coach

Cassie Crumal joined NC Elite following her tenure as a NCAA Division I Assistant Coach at Liberty University, in Lynchburg VA.  Cassie began her time at Liberty in June, 2015, when she was hired to serve as an assistant volleyball coach under head coach Shane Pinder.

Focusing primarily on instructing Liberty's setters, she helped guide sophomore Anna Willey to a breakout season in 2015. Willey was named to the Big South All-Conference honorable mention team, leading the conference with 11.29 assists per set in conference play. She posted a team-high 12 double-doubles, also adding 12 40-assist matches, seven 50-assist contests and one 60-assist match.

The next year, 2016, saw continued development from Liberty's setters, Willey and freshman Hannah Morris. Willey was named to the second team for both Big South and VaSID All-State. She ranked second in the Big South in assists, and Willey entered her senior year ranked eighth in program history in career assists. Morris dished out a career-high 51 assists against USC Upstate, becoming the first Liberty freshman setter with a 50-assist match since Jade Craycraft in 2010.

Crumal brought four seasons of collegiate coaching experience with her to Lynchburg. She spent the 2014 campaign as an assistant coach at Northwood University in Midland, Mich. While at Northwood, she served as recruiting coordinator. She also was in charge of opponent scouting using extensive film study. In addition to her on-court coaching duties, Crumal was responsible for day-to-day operations.

Prior to her time at Northwood, she was an assistant coach at Buffalo during the 2013 season. She helped with the organization of team practice, while also assisting with day-to-day operations and opponent scouting. Crumal aided the Bulls as they posted an 18-12 record, tying the program record for single-season victories.

She spent the 2012-13 academic year as interim head men's and women's volleyball coach at Lees-McRae. During that season, she obtained head coaching experience, being in charge of practices, scouting, game day management, budget management and on-court instruction. Crumal was the youngest head volleyball coach in the nation at that time.

Crumal was a four-year member of the William & Mary volleyball program. A three-time CAA All-Academic Team member, she served as co-captain for the Tribe in 2010. 

Upon her graduation in 2011 with bachelor's degree in psychology, she was ranked sixth in program history with 1,826 career assists. She earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Liberty in 2014.

Throughout her tenure in college coaching and as a student-athlete, Cassie has coached numerous camps, clinics and club teams.  Cassie now lives in Raleigh, NC and works as a Customer Success Advisor with Onna.  

Founder and Master Coach

Gary is Co-Founder of NC Elite Volleyball Club, and serves as Executive Director, Master Coach and Board Member.  Gary has been involved in coaching club volleyball in the Carolina Region since 2001, during which time he coached his teams to 10 Carolina Region Championships victories and competed in 11 USAV National Championships. He has also coached at numerous high schools in NC including Saint Mary’s School in Raleigh, Sanderson High School in Raleigh, Broughton High School in Raleigh and Cresset Christian Academy in Durham, and was named Cap-6 Conference Coach of the Year in 2003 (Sanderson High School) and Carolina Christian Conference Coach of the Year in 1998 (Cresset Christian Academy) . Before moving to the Carolinas, Gary coached boys’ high school and JO volleyball in Buffalo, New York. Gary has been playing volleyball for over 25 years and has won numerous outdoor and indoor events, including a 1st place finish at the 2005 USAV Men's Adult National Championships, where he was awarded All-Tournament Team honors. 

Gary is a graduate of SUNY Buffalo where he earned a BS in Health and Wellness, minor in Coaching, is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (NASM -National Academy of Sports Medicine), and currently works for Milliken & Company as the National Field Sales Director for the Healthcare Division (LinkedIn).  

Board Member and Master Coach

John has over 25 years of volleyball experience both as a player and as a coach.  John is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he played varsity volleyball for legendary coach Bob Bertucci.  After West Point, John continued playing adult USA Volleyball and became involved in coaching various junior camps, clinics and teams with former coach Bob Bertucci.  John started coaching club volleyball with NC Challengers, and continued his coaching with NC Elite Volleyball Club, beginning in the 2008 inaugural season.  John currently serves as NC Elite Master Coach, leveraging his 20+ years of experience in coaching to mentor and develop NC Elite coaches.  He also remains engaged in coaching NC Elite camps, clinics and programs, and specializes in setter training.  Professionally, John is CEO/President and Owner of Keystone Transport.  

Coach

Coached NC Elite 17 Black in 2022-2023 Season.  Originally from Ohio, in 2021-22  at Jacksonville University: Played in 26 matches as MB ... Recorded 126 kills, 21 blocks (two solo), 15 digs, five aces and one assist ... Reached double-digit kills in four matches, including a season-high totals 15 spikes and four blocks against Bellarmine ... Her 126 total kills was tied for third best for the Dolphins, which averaged to 1.62 kills per set

2020-21 (Jacksonville University): Played in 12 of 17 matches during a shortened season that played in the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic ... Accumulated 78 kills, 27 digs, 27 blocks (eight solo), three assists and two aces ... Tallied 10-plus kills in three matches, including a season-high 15 against Florida Gulf Coast ... Netted a season-best eight blocks against FIU ... Ranked second on the team with 0.60 blocks per set 

2019-20 (Chicago State): Played in 30 matches ... Logged 93 kills, 71 blocks (11 solo), 35 digs, four assists and oce ace ... Named to the Windy City Invitational All-Tournament Team ... Season-highs of nine kills (St. Francis) and six blocks (x2)

2018-19 (Chicago State): Played in 12 matches ... Contributed 29 kills, 19 digs, two assists, two aces and one block ... Reached double-digit kills in two matches, including season-highs of 12 kills and 10 digs for a double-double against Stetson

HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year letter winner at Cardinal Mooney HS, where she helped the team to a 17-7 record in 2017 ... Two-time honorable mention all-state ... Two-time first team all-region honoree ... Played six seasons for the Infinity Volleyball Club ... Also ran track for three years ... National Honor Society

Coach

Has coached for NC Elite Volleyball Club Volleyball U Program for over 10 years.

Originally from Bluffton, Ohio, Kali coached the JV volleyball coach at FVHS for the 2014-20215 season. Prior to that, she coached the 7th grade volleyball team at BMS while receiving her BA in Middle Childhood Education at Bluffton University. While in college, she coached ages 14-17 with the Golddiggers Volleyball club.

Kali's playing experience involves high school play and intramural teams in college. She takes great interest in volleyball and basketball, but particularly enjoys watching The Ohio State Buckeyes. 

Kali taught ESL at FVHS for 10 years and was counselor at Broughton HS until 2022 when she began nursing school at Duke Unoversity.  . 

Coach and Alumna

Coach Molly is from Raleigh, NC and attended Saint Mary's School where she played Setter for the Saints under coaches Sandy Merkel-DeJames and Gary DeJames.  Molly was a 4-year varsity starter, 3-year captain, earned all-conference honors multiple years, received the Coach's award her Junior year and earned team MVP her Senior year.  

Molly competed with NC Elite for 4 years.

Molly is now a student at NC State University

Coach Molly is heading into her 3rd season coaching with NC Eite Volleyball Club.

Coach and Alumna

Coach Cece is from Cary, NC and attended Green Level High School where she played Setter for the Gators.

Cece competed with NC Elite for 5 years.

Cece is now a student at NC State University

Coach Cece is heading into her 2nd  season coaching with NC Eite Volleyball Club as a Camp, Clinic and Resource Coach.

Photo coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Photo coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Coach and Alumna

Casey is a 2009 graduate of Wakefield High School where she was Academic All-Conference as a middle hitter. She then graduated from Western Carolina University in May, 2013 with a degree in Communication, Broadcasting. Casey continued to play volleyball for the Western Carolina University Women’s Club Volleyball team, where she was the President, Coach, and Captain her sophomore year through senior year. She also taught volleyball at Camp Kanata in Wake Forest, NC.  After coaching VolleyU for several years, Casey took over the leadership responsibility of VolleyU from its founder, Renata Fectau, who mentored Casey in both coaching and program administration.  Casey has been instrumental in building the VolleyU program and establishing one of the top youth programs and coaching rosters in the area.  

Coach and Alumna

Currently in her 5th season with NC Elite, Kristen is an elementary school teacher in the Wake County School System.  Kristen attended Meredith College where she was an Outside Hitter / Defensive Specialist for the Avenging Angels. She majored  in Psychology and was a member of the Teaching Fellows Program. Kristen attended Grace Christian School in Cary, N.C. where she played Outside Hitter for the Eagles. She earned All-Conference honors for multiple seasons and received the Coaches Award her senior year. Kristen also played club volleyball at NC Elite for five seasons and is excited to continue being a part of the NC Elite Volleyball Club as a coach. 

Coach 

Carla Lunday has spent nearly a decade as a member of NC Elite Volleyball Club. She is a successful professional currently working for a new construction home builder, Taylor Morrison, as a Purchasing Agent. Lunday is graduate and alumni of Meredith College where she received a Bachelor's of Science in Interior Design. She played collegiate volleyball at Meredith College as an outside hitter and DS/libero balancing the work-life balance of student-athletes to set herself up for a successful career beyond the court. Prior to earning a position on the team at Meredith College, Coach Carla was a force at the high school level. At Eastern Alamance High School, she earned Mid-State 3A All-Conference Honors during her junior and senior years, was named into the Mid-State 3A All-Tournament Team her senior year and also served as team captain. 

The 2020-2021 season marked Carla’s ninth year with NC Elite and the NC Elite VolleyU Program. 

Director and Coach

Originally from California, and arriving by way of Seattle, Joe has lived in Apex, NC for the past 9 years.  He has 3 children, 2 of which have played with NC Elite Volleyball Club, one now also coaching. 

Professionally, Joe has over 15 years experience in Informatics and Technology, primarily in new product development and data solutions development and commercialization with Verizon Wireless, Verizon Enterprise Solutions, and Duke University School of Medicine.   

Joe has been coaching youth athletics for 10+ years, including coaching volleyball at the recreational, developmental, regional, regional+ and national team levels.  In his inaugural season at NC Elite, Joe had the privilege of serving as Assistant Coach for the NC Elite15 Black Team, who qualified for, and competed at, USAV Nationals in Indianapolis.  Joe is also the Head Varsity Coach at Sanderson High School in Raleigh.

Joe is passionate about player growth, both in sport and in life.  He is a firm believer in former UCLA Coach John Wooden’s philosophy that love is the most powerful 4-letter word, and Joe aims to ensure that every player he interacts with knows unequivocally that they are valued, that their effort matters and is recognized, that hard work pays off, and that win or lose, there is opportunity for growth that will carry far beyond the court.

Coach and Alumna

Coach Kieran is from Apex, NC and attended Apex High School where she played Defensive Specialist  for the Cougars.

Kieran competed with NC Elite for 4 years.

Kieran is now a student at NC State University, working toward her degree in marketing

Coach Kieran is heading into her 2nd  season coaching with NC Eite Volleyball Club as a Camp, Clinic and Resource Coach.

Founder, President and Master Coach

Sandy is Co-Founder of NC Elite Volleyball Club, and serves as President, Master Coach and Board Chair. She has been involved with club volleyball since 2000, and in the Raleigh area since 2003. While coaching, Sandy successfully led her teams to qualify for the USAV Junior Olympic National Championships in every season she coached, and won several Regional and Divisional Championships.  In addition to her club volleyball coaching experience, Sandy has coached numerous collegiate camps throughout Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, and coached junior high school volleyball in her hometown, Cincinnati OH. 

Sandy played high school volleyball for nationally recognized Cincinnati Seton as a setter and outside hitter, leading her team to several GGCL Conference, Regional and Ohio State Championships, while earning all-conference, all-region and all-state honors.  Collegiately, Sandy was a 3 sport NCAA Division 1 scholarship athlete; a 4-year letter winner and three-time all-conference setter and MVP with the UNC Charlotte Women’s Varsity Volleyball Team, MVP of the Women’s Varsity Track Team (4 varsity letters), and starting midfielder for the 1995 Conference USA Championship UNC Charlotte Women’s Varsity Soccer Team (1 varsity letter).  She completed her collegiate career holding career and single season school records in assists, digs and service aces, as well as a NCAA Division 1 national ranking of 14th in all-time career assists. 

Sandy has held various executive and leadership positions in the applied biotechnology and life sciences industries primarily focused on strategy, innovation and technology development, has founded 4 companies, and is currently Founder and President of Harmonize Strategy Group, and Co-Founder and CEO of Acclivity Technologies, Inc., an early-stage health technologies company (LinkedIn).  Sandy has also served on various boards and advisory committees, currently serving as Board Member and Governance Committee Chair for the Institute For Emerging Issues at NC State University, a preeminent think tank that brings together individuals and groups to pursue solutions to North Carolina's challenges and strengthen the future competitiveness of the State of NC.

Coach

Zach grew up in Asheville, NC and has had a passion for outdoor sports all his life in including soccer, basketball, mountain biking and kayaking. His passion for volleyball began more than 10 years ago and he has been playing sand, indoor, and grass volleyball ever since.

Zach has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Technology and a Master of Science degree in Forest Biomaterials.  Zach has completed his Doctorate degree in Forest Biomaterials at NC State University and is a Graduate Research Associate determining the mechanical, chemical and anatomical characterization of altered lignin black cottonwood trees and high-density loblolly pine trees.    He is also Co-founder and Board Member of Urban Orchard Cider Company. 

Zach has coached for 4 years with NC Elite Volleyball Club and is in his second year of coaching with Ravenscroft School.

Board Member, Coach and Alumna

Grace Patton is a Raleigh native, entering her second year as a coach on the staff of NC Elite Volleyball and her fifth total season as part of the program after transitioning from player to coach in 2019. Her love for volleyball started in middle school at St. Timothy’s School, where she played on the varsity team all three years. After middle school, Grace attended Saint Mary’s School where she graduated from in May of 2019. While at Saint Mary’s, Grace earned a position on the varsity team all four years in attendance, and received the MVP award her junior year. Grace played club volleyball for five seasons, the last three of which were for NC Elite. She is currently attending North Carolina State University to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management with a minor in Coaching Education. Grace has also returned to St. Timothy’s School as the Head Coach of the Junior Varsity Volleyball team and is also CPR Certified. Grace enters her second club season with this exclamation, “I am excited to teach young athletes the sport I love so much and be able to model the influential coaches I have had throughout my years at NC Elite”. 

Coach

Coach Ramel is Middle School social studies instructor Ravenscroft school. She previously taught secondary social sciences for 18 years, most recently at Saint Mary’s in Raleigh.

Coach Ramel graduated from the University of San Diego with a B.A. in history and a single-subject teaching credential. While at USD, she played four years of Division I basketball. Additionally, she holds a master's degree in educational technology from Grand Canyon University. 

Coach Ramel has coached basketball and volleyball for several years and currently serves as head middle school volleyball coach at Ravenscroft School.  

Coach and Alumna

Coach Cristina is from Roxboro, NC and attended Person High School where she played Defensive Specialist and Outside Hitter  for the Rockets.

Cristina competed with NC Elite for 4 years.

Cristina attended NC State University where she earned a BA in Psychology and a BA in Spanish Language in Culture.  Most recently Cristina is a College Advisor with College Advising Corps, serving low-income, first generation and underrepresented populations in rural communities.  

Coach Cristine is heading into her 5th  season coaching with NC Eite Volleyball Club. 

Coach and Alumna

Coach Carly is from Durham, NC and attended Saint Mary's School where she played Middle Blocker for the Saints under coaches Sandy Merkel-DeJames and Gary DeJames.  Carly was a 4-year varsity starter, 3-year captain and received the Coach's Award.

Carly competed with NC Elite for 4 years.

Carly is now a student at NC State University

Coach Carly is heading into her 2nd season coaching with NC Eite Volleyball Club and served as camp counselor for Saint Mary's School Summer Camp.

Coach and Alumna

Graduate Student at NC State University. 

Previously coached with Garden State Elite Volleyball Club in Mine Hill, NJ. 

Played collegiately for Caldwell University
2023: CACC All-Academic... Ranks 4th in CACC with 0.89 blocks per set... Played in all 25 matches for the Cougars... Recorded 176 kills, 80 blocks, and 32 digs... Had a season high of 17 kills and 6 digs at Bloomfield (11/2).
2022: CACC All-Academic... Played in 24 matches, starting 19... Second on the team with 2.05 kills per set... Team's top blocker with 77, averaging a team-best 0.89 per set... Second on the squad with 2.69 points per set.
2021: Played 26 matches, starting 23... Second on the team with 235 kills, averaging 2.5 per set... Led the team with 68 total blocks. 
2020: Played and started seven matches... Second on the team with 60 kills, averaging 2.14 per set... Led the team with 31 blocks.

Coach and Alumnus

Brendan is a North Carolina Native, growing up in Fuquay-Varina, NC and attending Fuquay-Varina High School.  While in high school, Brendan played for NC Elite Volleyball Club, under coach Gary DeJames.  He then went on to play Libero for NCAA Division III perennial powerhouse Juniata, in Huntingdon, PA.  Highlighted by the many achievements and accolades earned at Juniata, Brendan led his team to becoming the 2013 and 2014 Continental Volleyball Conference Champions.  In his Sophomore year he led his team in digs, ultimately leading the team to become the 2014 NCAA Division III National Championships Runners-up.  On the year, Brendan led Juniata with 164 digs, averaging 2.02 per set, finished with a .952 receive percentage, the best on the team with over 300 attempts.  Subsequently, Brendan played for the Division III Men's National Team that toured Brazil.

Brendan has over 10 years of club coaching experience, having coached players from 7 - 18 years of age, serving as head and assistant coach for multiple 14U - 17U teams.  Brendan has also served as assistant varsity and head JV coach at Saint Mary's School and Ravenscroft School. 

Program Director and Coach

Madi Smith has proudly represented NC Elite’s VolleyU program for over a decade. In addition to her previous coaching position, Madi has more recently assumed additional administrative responsibilities in support of VolleyU Director - Casey Laing. Madi’s love for the game continues in her personal playing career spanning over 20 years. She got her start in volleyball by serving as both a defensive specialist and a setter for Athens Drive High School along with various club organizations around the region. Her hard work at Athens Drive did not go unnoticed. The 2008 graduate received Academic All-Conference recognition three consecutive years along with All-Conference awards her junior and senior years. Madi capped off her Senior season with the honor of being selected to play on the Tri-8 All-Star team. 

Beyond the volleyball court, Madi continued her education at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her undergraduate studies in 2012, graduating with Bachelor’s degrees in both Spanish and Global Studies. She earned her Master's in Public Health from UNC in 2020.  

Coach and Alumna

Coach Heather is from Willow Springs, NC and attended Fuquay Varina High School where she played Defensive Specialist for the Bengals.

Heather competed with NC Elite for 4 years.

Heather is now a student at NC State University working toward a Bachelor of Business Administration - BBA, Marketing.  

Coach Heather is heading into her 3rd season coaching with NC Eite Volleyball Club.

Coach

Experienced Camp and Clinic Coach with NC Elite Volleyball club.

Graduated from Cardinal Gibbons High School where she competed in volleyball where she helped her team win the 2021 state title.  Was an AVCA Academic All-American and a member of the AVCA All-America Watch List.  Earend AVCA Phenom and A&B Honor Roll.

Played for various clubs in North Carolina.

Currently plays at Loyola University, Maryland.

Coach and Alumna

Photo coming soon!

Bio coming soon!