SINA AGHASSY

Club Director | Boys 18-ELITE Head Coach

sina.aghassy@gmail.com | 818-523-2650

Sina is the Founder & Club Director at SoCal Legends Volleyball Club.  He is a San Fernando Valley native who attended Taft High School where he played under Head Coach Arman Mercado who he considers a mentor.  Sina played Libero at the Division 1 level at the University of Hawaii & at Cal State University of Northridge under coaches Charlie Wade & Jeff Campbell.  He is also the Head Coach for the Girls & Boys Varsity Program at Chatsworth Charter HS where he has won 3 City Championships & been named Coach of the Year 3 times!  Most recently, Sina has been named an AVCA Thirty Under 30 Award Receipent awarded to the top coaches under the age of 30 in the nation!

After playing he began coaching and discovered a new understanding & passion for the game.  His commitment to doing things the right way, in life and in volleyball, makes him an excellent role model for aspiring young athletes. His coaching career began at Poly HS, guiding his teams to the Playoffs every year since he started in 2012.  He then moved onto assisting at Taft HS in 2014, helping guide the Toreaders to a CIF LA City Championship with the girls.  Sina was hired at Chatsworth HS in 2015 as the Boys & Girls Varsity Head Coach.  He helped lead Chatsworth to City Championships in both 2015 & 2016 becoming the first coach in school history to ever win both a Girls & Boys Championship within the same year.  He then lead the Chatsworth Girls back to a City Championship in 2017 & 2019.  Aghasst most recently led the Chatsworth boys program to the 2021 CIF LA City Open Division Championship marking his 5th championship at the school.  Now he steps into a new chapter of providing an innovative and progressive volleyball club to the San Fernando Valley area... and couldn't be more thrilled about it! 

Theo Edwards

Technical Director | recruiting Coordinator

Theo Edwards joins SoCal Legends VBC as the Technical Director overseeing coaching development, practices & college recruitment for the club.  He is currently the Head Coach at Cal Satate University of Northridge while coaching 10 years as an assistant for the Matadors.  Edwards, who played for the Matadors from 2006-2010, earned a Silver Medal as an assistant with USA Volleyball at the 2014 Pan Am Cup and also served as an assistant for USA Volleyball's Youth National Team at the 2017 World Championships in Bahrain.  Theo has also spent several seasons coaching club volleyball, most recently with Bones Volleyball Club in Thousand Oaks from 2015-18. 

A 2010 graduate of CSUN, Edwards had his finest season as a senior in 2010 as the Matadors reached the NCAA Tournament semifinals.  He led the team with 379 kills and a 3.32 kills per game average as the Matadors finished the season 23-10.  A five-time Dean's List honoree from 2006-2010 as well as a CSUN Varsity "N" academic recipient from 2006-2010, he earned his bachelor of arts degree in Behavioral Sciences in 2010.  He and his wife Kate have two children, Oliver and Rain and reside in Northridge.  Theo brings a depth of experience, knowledge & ability into the gym.  We are so excited to add a coach of his caliber into our club & family  as he will be such a valuable addition to our entire club & family! 

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Jana Harper

Administration

admin@Sclegendsvbc.com

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​Jana Harper brings efficiency and accuracy to her role as the primary administrative figure for SoCal Legends VBC.  Jana's impressive background in the world of education & organization, combined with her knowledge of all things club volleyball after more than ten years experience brings so much value to our club.  ​​​ She has many years of experience with both her children playing both high school and club volleyball, as she offers a unique perspective on communication for our parents within the club.  Her attention to detail is unparalleled as she does her best to take as much off the plates of our families and coaches so they can focus on the game the love! 

CJ Suarez

BOYS 17-ELITE  HC | GIRLS 18-ELITE HC 

sclegendsvbc@gmail.com

(818) 635-7735

CJ Suarez continues his role as the Girls 18-Elite Head Coach along with the Boys 17-Elite Head coach too.  CJ is currently the Head Girls Volleyball Coach at Chaminade High School in West Hills as of 2022.  Most recently, he was an Assistant Coach for both the Cal State University Northridge Women's & Men's Volleyball team.  Before stepping into the collegiate ranks coaching; CJ was played professionally in the VLA for Phoenix Ascension and RUKKUS as a libero, coached the CSUN Mens Club Team, along with being a PT Aide too.   CJ was a former standout at the Division 1 level where he played Libero at CSUN from 2014-2017 for the Matadors.  He has a wealth of knowledge from playing professionally, Division 1 volleyball and now from his different coaching experiences. 

A 2012 graduate from Verdugo Hills HS, Suarez earned three varsity letters in volleyball for the Dons. He played outside hitter for coach William Reinhart as he earned first team All-East Valley League honors in both 2011 and 2012. He was named league MVP in 2012 as his team won the East Valley championship.  CJ brings a depth of commitment, knowledge & experience into the gym.  He is going to be a very valuable piece for our club and the Legends family!

Alex Sanchez

BOYS 16-ELITE HEAD COACH | GIRLS 17-ELITE HEAD COACH

alexesanchez43@gmail.com | ​(213) 324-0582 

Alex Sanchez has been playing & coaching the game of volleyball for over 12 years now.  After playing for Head Coach Cooper Chavez at Notre Dame HS & at the Santa Monica Beach Club (SMBC), he moved onto play collegiately at Pierce College & Ottawa University.  After playing collegiately, Alex began his coaching career at Elite VBC in Chatsworth along with assisting & doing JV at Chatsworth HS.  He has helped assist the Chancellors to 5 Championships in the CIF LA City Section, while developing players skills throughout the years. 

Since 2019, Alex has coached the Boys 16-Elite along with the Girls 17-Elite teams guiding them to top finishes in the SCVA.   He has seen success bringing home the first BJNC medal to SoCal Legends when he brough home Silver with his Boys 16-Elite in 2022! 

He absolutely loves the sport & was taught by great coaches and players who have given him the tools and inspiration to teach the game of volleyball.  Now after coaching for Chatsworth HS for the few years, he will now be continuing that legacy of success at SoCal Legends!

Gabriel Ylo

Boys 15-Elite Head Coach

​Coach Gabe Ylo joins the SC Legends staff after playing as a setter at University High School.  He then became the Head Coach at Vaughn High School where he led the boys program to a City Championship in 2019 in Division 3.  He was also selected as the Division 3 Coach of the Year that same season.  He brings an approach that is enthusiastic, energetic, and creates great relationships with his players. 

​Coach Gabe graduated from the  University of La Verne where he got his Teaching Credential.  Previously, Coach Gabe coached at Exult VBC where he was the Boys Club Director leading their top high school teams.  He is currently a Special Education Teacher at Vaughn High School where he still coaches the Boys Volleyball Program.  He is excited to join the SoCal Legends Staff this season on the girls side as he hopes to bring his enthusiatic passion for the game to the players to create a positive environment to the club!
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Omri Azarly

Boys 18-Gold HC | Girls 16-Gold HC

​Omri Azarly has been with SC Legends VBC since 2020 where he has been a valuable piece to the coaching staff.   Currently, he is the JV Coach for the Chatsworth High School Volleyball program.  Before that, Omri was the Girls & Boys Head Volleyball Coach at Van Nuys HS from 2018-2021, where he was helped guide the Wolves to the 2021 CIF LA City Boys Division 1 Championship.  In 2021, he was also selected as the Boys Division 1 Coach of the Year adding another award to Van Nuys historic year.  His club coaching expriences also include two seasons coaching at California Blue Volleyball Club, two seasons at West Edge Volleyball Club & one season at Supernova All-Stars most recently.  

He began his volleyball career as a player at Van Nuys HS lettering 4 years on Varsity under Head Coach Mike Del Homme as a libero while also playing a season of club volleyball at Bones VBC.  He then transitioned into coaching the JV volleyball at Van Nuys before being promoted as the Van Nuys Wolves Head Coach in 2018.  ​ His passion for the game fuel him, as he’s such a student of the game & teaching the game to others.   We are excited to bring that fuel to SoCal Legends!

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Arnel Skillman

Boys 14-Elite Head Coach | Girls 16-Elite Assistant Coach 

Arnel Skillman joined the SoCal Legends Staff in 2021 as an assistant on the Boys 16-Elite & Girls 17-Elite team!  Arnel is the current JV Head Coach at Granada Hills Charter HS, where he has had tons of success in the West Valley League.  He has won a handful of league championships at the junior varsity level, while helping develop a lot of players at the Varsity level.   He has helped guide the Highlanders to a couple Runner-Up finishes in the CIF LA City Section since starting in 2019. 

Arnel  was also a standout as a libero at Moorpark Community College before moving to CSUN to study Kinesiology.  Arnel prepped at Granada Hills Charter HS where he played libero for Head Coach Tom Harp.  He also played club volleyball at Westedge where he earned a Gold Medal from the 2018 USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships!  From playing and coaching in high school along with club, he is so pumped to bring his perspective of enthusiastic coaching style to SoCal Legends VBC! 

Haress "BARS" Malal

girls 16-Elite Head Coach

​Haress Malal, also known as Coach "Bars, has been with SoCal Legends VBC since 2019.  He is no stranger to the sport of volleyball, combining for almost 15 years of playing & coaching experience.  He started off playing at Taft HS where he was selected as the City Player of the Year in 2007 as a Runner-Up his Senior year.  After playing for Coach Mercado, he continued his education at Cal State Northridge receiving a Biology Degree while still playing & coaching at Taft.  He was the Boys JV Coach from 2010-2015 before focusing on his career.   In 2019 he was the Boys 16-Elite Head Coach before moving to coach Boys 18-Elite in 2020.  In 2021 he has moved to help out on the girls side where he becomes the Girls 16-Elite Head Coach.  Now he is making a comeback towards coaching with SC Legends and creating a culture of attention to detail & spreading the love for the game he shows every time he is in the gym! 

Emily Rizzi

Girls 15-Elite Head Coach

Emily Rizzi grew up near Detroit, MI and was a dedicated volleyball player at Eisenhower HS and participated in the national club circuit with Michigan Elite Volleyball.  She started her volleyball career as a setter and ended as a decorated Libero earning first team all defense for her Region. Emily took a break from playing volleyball in college while perusing her degree in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan, but her passion for volleyball did not diffuse and she had a goal to continue with the sport coaching.

She was able to do so when starting her career in Wisconsin. Coaching a season as JV Coach at West Depere High School, and Freedom High School, as well as being head coach of 15-1s (2018-2020) for Wisconsin Blaze Volleyball Academy. Emily’s career with P&G Operations took her across the country to the LA area in 2021 and she joined the SoCal Family! 

Emily is a high energy, passionate, and focused coach. She values mental and physical toughness and focuses on building both of those skills with her teams. She also believes a strong understanding of fundamental skills is critical for all players to be their best beyond their position on the court!  We are so excited to have her on board at SC Legends VBC!!

Kelly Landsman

girls 14-Elite Head COACH

​Kelly has been around the game of volleyball since as long as she can remember.  After picking up the sport at the young age of 10 years old, she has had an illustrious playing career throughout club & high school.  She began at Elite Volleyball Club while moving on to LAVA-West where she won a gold medal at Junior Nationals during her 2018 Season.  More success followed her at Chatsworth HS, where she was a starter on Varsity under Club Director Sina Aghassy since her Freshman year.  She is also the only Chancellor to win a CIF All-City Selection in all 4 years playing at Chatsworth.  She has also brought home 2 City Championships during the 2015 and 2017 Seasons.  She was also her Class Valedictorian while now moving on to study Interior Design at Cal State University of Northridge. 

Since inception in 2019, Kelly has been with SoCal Legends.  She has seen time coaching Girls 13-Elite and Girls 14-Elite as she is now beginning her professional career into interior design.  She continues to grow her coaching career in the club ranks at SoCal Legends VBC as she continues her commitment to excellence!

Alex Barr

Boys 13-Elite Head Coach

Alex Barr is thrilled to join SoCal Legends for his second year with the club. After playing at Thousand Oaks High School, Alex continued his playing career at Moorpark College, where he was a part of the 2017 Western State Conference Championship Team, where he earned the Coaches Award. 

Alex started coaching at Thousand Oaks High School working with FS and JV boys teams, and working with the Boys Beach Team who has won three straight Marmonte League Beach Championships. Prior to joining Legends, Alex has coached at a couple clubs, earning Open Bids in four out of five seasons. Additionally, Alex has spent time as an assistant coach for the Moorpark College Men's Team, which was successful in reaching the state playoffs and helping multiple players transfer to continue their careers at four year universities. 

Currently, Alex is entering his second year as a Special Education Teacher at Grover Cleveland Charter High School in Reseda, where he teaches English, World History, and Environmental Studies. He also coaches both the girls and boys Junior Varsity Teams at Cleveland. Alex is excited to be a part of the Legends' Family and continue to watch the club grow and succeed both on and off the court. 

Romeo Carballo

Boys 18-Gold Assistant Coach

​Romeo Carballo joins the SC Legends VBC  in 2021 after tons of experience playing and coaching the sport of volleyball.  Romeo prepped at Birmingham Community Charter School where he played as an Outside Hitter.  After playing at Birmingham, Romeo moved on to study at CSUN where he majored in Kinesiology and also playing for the CSUN Mens Volleyball Club Team.  While in college, he transitioned into coaching the JV team at Birmingham High School, where he has helped guide the Patriots to 2 Championships in the CIF LA City Section.  During the past few years, he has helped the development of players skills throughout the years.  He has playe a very key role in the growth of the program at Birmingham.  His passion for the game fuels him, as he’s such a student of the game & teaching the game to others.   We are excited to bring that fuel to SoCal Legends and add him to the Coaching Staff!

Nicole Nevarez

Girls 15-Gold HC | ​Girls 18-Elite Assistant Coach

Nicole Nevarez joins the SC Legends Staff this season as an assistant on the Girls 18-Elite team.  Nicole is a standout Outside Hitter at the Division 1 level playing at Cal Sate University Northridge under Jeff Stork.   Before playing at CSUN, Nevarez competed in both volleyball and track and field at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.   Nicole lead the Grizzlies to a 20-12 record as a senior in 2017 and led the team with 357 kills on .293 hitting in 2017. She was an All-Inland Valley second team selection and earned first-team All-Baseline League honors as an outside hitter following the 2015 and 2016 seasons.  Nicole was also named team MVP in 2015 and 2016 and graduated in 2018 with a 4.33 grade point average, earning California Scholastic Federation honors. Coach Nicole looks forward to bringing all her experiences from high school, club and college to the Girls 18-Elite as a coach this season!

Juan siliezar

BOYS Assistant COACH  

​​Coach Juan is entering his second season as coach for SoCal Legend VBC.  Juan started off as a player at Chatsworth HS playing all 4 years at Chatsworth and 2 under Coach Sina Aghassy. He was apart of the 2016 Boys City Championship Team as a Senior.  He  then moved to Pierce College where he played under coach Lance Walker for a year.  Juan began his coaching career coaching the 2018 Boys Chatsworth JV team to a (28-9) Overall Record & a (7-3) WVL Record.  In 2019, he helped out on the girls side as an Assistant as the Chancellors won the 2019 CIF LA City Section Division 1 Championship.  He was a pivotal piece in scouting and helping prepare Chatsworth for their 5th Championship on the Girls Side.  He has coached at Chatsworth HS, SMBC, Exult VBC and looks to bring all those experiences to the Legends coaching staff as a valuable addition!

Ryan Deweese

Boys Assistant Coach

Ryan DeWeese joins as the Boys 18-Elite Assistant Coach this season on the SC Legends staff.  DeWeese prepped at Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep in Sacramento, Calif. where he was named to the All-Tournament Team at the High Performance Championships in 2017.  He graduated in 2017 with a 3.4 grade point average.  Ryan also played club volleyball at Northern California Volleyball Club where he was selected as a "Fab 50" player which highlights the top 50 prep players in the nation.  He then moved on to play Division 1 volleyball at Cal State University Northridge under Jeff Campbell from 2018-2022 as an Opposite.   He is currently in his Senior Year at CSUN as he is currently on track to earn a Political Science degree in 2022 at Cal State Northridge.  Club Director Sina Aghassy adds that Ryan is a true vocal leader that has a huge impact on the court as a coach and he is excited to add him to the SC Legends VBC staff and family! 

Donaldo "Donny" Morales

Girls 17-Gold HC |  Boys 16-Gold HC | GIRLS 14-GOLD HC

​Donaldo Morales joins the SC Legends VBC staff in 2021, as he moves over from Valley Volleyball Club.  Donaldo, otherwise known as Coach Donny, is currently the head coach of the Boys and Girls program at John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills.   He was also the founder and creator of Valley Volleyball Club where he developed players across the San Fernando Valley.   Morales is one of the youngest tenured coaches in the valley, as he started coaching at JFK since the age of 18.  While at Kennedy, Morales has helped guide the Cougars to success, winning 2 CIF LA City Section Championships, while also having his teams compete at the highest division in the City Section.  Coach Donny brings a technical mindset and a level of physical and technical understanding on the court.  From all his success at the high school level, it will be valuable to have Donny in the gym with SoCal Legends Volleyball Club! 

Oscar Catalan

Boys 16-Black HC | Girls 16-Black HC 

Oscar Catalan joins the SoCal Legends VBC staff after playing for three seasons at Chatsworth High School.  He was CIF Los Angeles City Runner-Up in the Open Division during the 2018 season under Club Director Sina Aghassy.   He is currently a student at Pierce College studying Foreign Language. 

Most recently, he has been the Chatsworth High School Freshman/Sophomore Coach and has helped assist on both the Junior Varsity and Varsity side of things for the Boys & Girls.  He is currently the Varsity Beach Coach at Chatsworth HS.  While learning a lot during his experiences, he is exctied to bring that to our club and continue to grow as a coach! 

Nate Merren

Boys 15-Gold Head Coach

Nate Merren joins the SoCal Legends VBC staff as a current opposite at California State University Northridge where he is currently majoring in marketing.   Before getting to CSUN, he was recruited by UCLA, Pepperdine, Loyola-Chicago, Lewis and Ball State.  Nate graduated from Quartz Hill High School where he competed in both volleyball and football.  He was a four-year starter for the Rebels volleyball team, earning MVP and all-league honors.  His team finished 14-0 in league all four seasons as he was also named to the Dos Pueblos All-Tournament Team along with the BJNC 10-Open All-Tournament Team.  Merren also played club at Legacy Volleyball Club. 

Nate most recently has coached at Supernova Volleyball Club before joining us at SoCal Legends where he coached Boys 16-Gold as an assistant in the past and currently coaches Boys 15-Gold as the head coach.  We are looking forward to watching Nate grow on the court at CSUN along with on the sidelines with us with our SoCal Legends family!!

Stella Hochberg 

Girls 13-Elite co-Head Coach

Stella Hochberg joins the SoCal Legends VBC family as a current student at California State University Northridge as a Sociology major.  Stella prepped at Bishop Alemany High School where she played both Libero and Defensive Specialist.  She played club volleyball at Supernova Volleyball Club where she has over 9+ years of experience playing. 

Most recently, she attended Moorpark College where she just finished up her Associates Degree.  This season at SoCal Legends, she joins us a Co-Head Coach on Girls 13-Elite where her team has grown a ton in just a short period of time!  Stella is a very patient and caring coach that is very supportive of all her players.  We are so excited to add her on our staff, as we can't wait to continue to watch her grow into a phenomenal coach! 

Alma Nunez

Girls 13-Elite co-Head Coach

Alma Nunez is a veteran in both the world of educations and volleyball!  She is currently the Varsity Head Coach at Vaughn Charter High School where she is also a teacher and math instructional coach.   Alma has worked with current coach Gabe Ylo at Vaughn High School where they have achieved a lot of success on the boys side.   She prepped at Sylmar Charter High School where she played under Head Coach Soheil Mashoud for four years as a middle blocker. 

This season, Alma joins the SoCal Legends staff as a Co-Head Coach on the Girls 13-Elite team.  She brings a level of calmness and instruction to her team that is very valuable.  With her many years in education and coaching, we are so fortunate to have someone like Alma joing the SC Legends family!!

Karina Zeyrek

Girls 12-Elite co-Head Coach

Karina Zeyrek joins the SoCal Legends VBC staff a the Co-Head Coach on the Girls 12-Elite team this year!  She lettered four years at Chatsworth Charter High School under Club Director Sina Aghassy from 2013-2017 where she won a 2016 CIF LA City Championship in Division 2.  She played club volleyball at Supernova Volleyball Club where she was a standout setter! 

Most recently, Karina graduated from University California Santa Barbara as a Communications major.  She also has experience at Chaminade Middle School where she coached the 7th grade team with great success this past year.   She is one of the most positive coaches on our staff that always has a smile on her face while teaching her players how to play the game the right way.   She has been a very valuable addition to our SoCal Legends family as we've watched her help our Girls 12-Elite team grow tremendously!! 

Tsari Bermudez

GIRLS 12-ELITE CO-HEAD COACH

Tsari Bermudez is a four year letter winner at Chatsworth High School where she played under Club Director Sina Aghassy as a captain in her Junior and Senior seasons.  She was also a two-time All-City Player during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. She was a pivotal piece during the 2019 season where she led Chatsworth HS to CIF Los Angeles City Championship in Division 1!  She played club volleyball right here at SoCal Legends for three seasons before transitioning into coaching.  

Currently, she is a Business Major at CSUN while she has started coaching the Girls 12-Elite team here at SC Legends VBC.   She has been a valuable piece to the staff as she is so positive, patient and caring for all the players around her! 

Kyle Hobus

Boys 18-Elite Assistant Coach

Kyle Hobus joins the SoCal Legends staff as a player who has accomplished many things at the Division 1 level.  He is currently an Outside Hitter at CSUN who has garnered All Big West First Team, Co-Freshman of the Year and Big West All Freshman Team from 2020 through 2022.  He is currently a captain for the Mens Volleyball program at California State University Northridge while finishing up his degree in Communications. 

Hobus lettered in volleyball all four years at Palos Verdes High School in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.  He was named 2018 Bay League Most Outstanding Player as a senior in 2018.  Kyle set the school record for kills in one season with 432 in 2018 while also earning SoCal Prep Legends Boys Athlete of the Week for the Daily Breeze on April 2, 2018.  he played all four years for coach Patrick Lynch while also playing club at MB Surf.  He now joins SC Legends VBC as an assistant as the Boys 18-Elite Assistant Coach! 
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Taylan "TC" Cook

Boys 17-Elite Assistant Coach

Taylan "TC" Cook joins the SoCal Legends family as a staple in the back row at California State University Northridge.  TC was the starting libero at CSUN before transferring there from Loyola Chicago.  He was a two-year letterwinner at Sage Creek High School in Carlsbad, Calif. where he played at Coast VBC.   He was an AVCA first team All-American, an honorable mention Volleyball Magazine All-American as well as a Fab-50 selection as a senior libero in 2019.   TC was also named CIF/San Diego Section Libero of the Year. 

While being a player that has accomplished so much, he has recently been coaching at Sunshine Volleyball Club on the girls side from 2019 to current while joining the Boys Side with SoCal Legends.  He is a valuable asset to our program as he brings a wealth of knowledge from all the parts of the country he has played & coached the game!