JASON COMPANION
Director of Operations
2021 Associate Head Coach and College Recruiting Coach:
IMUA 17 National Veronica
Coach Jason enters his 33rd year with IMUA Volleyball Club from player, team captain, coach, and director.
Certifications: USAV Impact, Safesport, Shield the Vulnerable, NFHS-Fundamentals of Coaching and Fundamentals of Volleyball, Injury and Concussion, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, AED, and First Aid Certified.
Considered by many as the hardest working and well-respected club director that this Peninsula has to offer! He has his finger on everything that encompasses volleyball and always finding ways on how it will be benefit the IMUA program. He is involved in all aspects of IMUA Volleyball Club from athletics, special events, graphic design, accounting, sales and marketing, sponsorships, branding, college recruiting, and recruiting.
He is growing the game in all avenues of volleyball from indoor to grass and beach volleyball. He is the Director of Operations for IMUA Volleyball Club and IMUA Beach Volleyball Club, Director of Operations for the popular Monterey Beach Open, Monterey College Invitational, Monterey USAV High Beach Performance, and Founder and Key Organizer of the Monterey Beach Sportsfest.
Monterey Beach Open and Monterey Beach Sportsfest are two premier sporting beach events in Monterey attracting athletes and spectators all over the world. His Monterey Beach Open features a junior beach challenge is the fastest and largest junior beach volleyball competition on the Central Coast! His partnership with world-renown National Volleyball Leagueis proof that “Growing the Game” in Monterey Bay is a TOP PRIORTY!
Monterey Beach Open: www.montereybeachopen.com
Monterey Beach Sportsfest: www.montereybeachsf.com
Outside of volleyball, Jason, was the Director of Operations for Island Fever Enterprises and Hoahele Designs. Island Fever Enterprises produced the largest most creative outdoor Pacific Islander Festival and Concerts in the country attracting over 65,000 people at Laguna Seca Recreational Park. Jason was the Director of Operations for Hoahele Graphic Designs for over 20 years. He was also a Creative Marketing Design and one of the Founders for Cali HU. Jason created the signature Lil Jordan golf swing logo that featured on TV shows including The Golf Channel, Nickelodeon. ESPN, Good Morning America, The Best Damn Sports Show Period, CNN, Univision, Filipino Channel, Sharon Osbourne Show, Fox TV Japan for golf and music.
In the last decade, Jason has helped more local high school athletes to go to college than all of the club and high school coaches in the Central Coast combined. Imua Volleyball Club continues to prosper with success. He has built Team IMUA to become a powerhouse traveling volleyball club for both boys and girls both indoor and beach. IMUA Beach Club was the first organized beach club in all of the Central and Northern California and is respectively one of the best beach clubs in the Central Coast of California.
From the beginning of his volleyball career back in 1988, he was trained and mentored by the finest volleyball mentor that this Monterey Peninsula has to offer, Coach Vince Rosa. Uncle Vince continues to help Seaside High School boys’ and girls’ program this very day. Jason is one of the original IMUA Volleyball players when the club first started back in 1988.
He has thirty years of combined volleyball playing and coaching experience. He has been the captain for IMUA Adult Open men’s team for the past 15 years and is one of the top NCVA Open teams year after year.
Coach Jason coached two years of the varsity level at Notre Dame High School in Salinas. Both years the Notre Dame varsity team were ranked in the top 3 Division 5 teams in the state of California. He completely redeveloped the women volleyball varsity program at Trinity Christian High School a small private Christian high school in Monterey with only 80 students enrolled. A feat not most coach in the area can compare with. His first year at Trinity Christian High School was the start of his redevelopment for the volleyball program. That year his varsity girls lost almost every match during the season. His fourth and last year with the Trinity Warriors he led them to a league championship title taking down league powerhouse rival Pacific Collegiate High School and earning a CCS playoff bid. He took the Trinity Warriors from worst to first under his four-year tenure.
He also assisted with coaching at Monterey High School, Seaside High School, Watsonville High School, and Monte Vista Christian High School in his volleyball career on the Peninsula. He has worked with numerous volleyball training camps at Monterey High School, Seaside High School, Monterey Peninsula College, Monte Vista Christian High School, Team Next Level Inc., and The Monterey Sports Center. Jason has mentored both junior girls and boys to excel at the next level from Division I and II colleges and ultimately to the National and Professional level.
During Coach Jason's club volleyball career, he has successfully achieved awards for winning the Boys 18 & under NCVA Regional Championship; lead Team IMUA to 3 straight years at the 6' and under NCVA Open Division, and every Adult NCVA Regional and Far Western Division Championships thereafter. In 1991, Team IMUA 18-under Junior Boys was ranked #1 in all of Northern and Central California and #13th in the country. That year he was named All FAB 50 volleyball players coming out of high school and arguably one of the top pin hitters in the country. He was known as the “Fly in Hawaiian” with a vertical leap of 50” + and vertical touching over 11’.
Jason achieved an Open-AAA Outdoor rating. Coach Jason continues to mentor and teach the new generation of indoor, grass and beach athletes throughout the Monterey area. During his non coaching days if any researching ways to continue to grow the game. You’ll also catch him training both indoor and beach with his wife Veronica and keikis.
Coach Companion graduated with high honors from Heald Business College with a degree in Computer Business Administration. A Native of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Coach Companion now resides in Marina with wife Veronica Companion and their son Nakoa Josiah Kimokeo Companion, daughter’s Nohea Sharon Ka'imilani Companion and Nanileialoha Janet Makaio Companion and dog Anemone. Jason also has an older daughter, Janelle Companion, who graduated as a certified athletic trainer from George Mason University and in the process of attending medical school to be a physiatrist.
VERONICA COMPANION
Director of Coach and Player Development
2021 Head Coach: IMUA 17 National Veronica
Certifications: NAIA Certified, USAV Impact, Safesport, Shield the Vulnerable, NFHS-Fundamentals of Coaching and Fundamentals of Volleyball, Injury and Concussion, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, AED, and First Aid Certified.
Coach V’s passion as a coach for IMUA is very well recognized year after year for both boys’ and girls’ programs! Coach Veronica is arguably the most successful female coach to achieve high accolades for both boys’ and girls’ volleyball high school and club programs in all of the Central Coast of California. In the last decade, both Coach V and her husband Jason has guided and developed IMUA indoor and beach athletes to earn college scholarships than all of the high school and club coaches in the Monterey County combined!
She is highly known to develop raw athletes in every aspect of their game. Her primary role for IMUA Volleyball Club is the Director of Coach and Player Development. She is very active all year around the year with all aspects of IMUA Volleyball Club from the summer’s Imua beach club, private training athletes, and indoor girls and boys programs. Coach V is currently her third head junior varsity coach tenure at Notre Dame High School in Salinas. Her first two years she has accomplished back to back undefeated seasons for the program. Coach V also runs the San Benito High School varsity boys program where she led her team to the second round of the 2013 CCS Division 1 championships. That year her boys team lost against powerhouse Archbishop Mitty who eventually won the Northern California State Championships. Prior to Notre Dame she was an assistant volleyball coach at Hartnell Community College. She was the assistant athletic director at Monte Vista Christian High School and in charge of the girls’ volleyball varsity program for four successful seasons. While living in Watsonville she also head coached the Watsonville Boys Varsity Volleyball program for two seasons. Veronica also coached the Monterey Vista Christian varsity girls’ program where she led the Mustangs to 2 consecutive CCS play-off and while achieving an undefeated record in 2007 in the Monterey Bay League. That year Coach V was voted Coach of the Year by her coaching colleagues. After losing 10 seniors the year before the Mustangs still finished 2nd in MBL in 2008. Coach V has also coached at Salinas Valley Volleyball Club and Main Beach Volleyball Club. Prior to Monte Vista, Coach V was interim Head Coach at Bethany University in 2005 and Offensive Coordinator for Bethany from 2002-2004. Before Coaching at Bethany, Coach V played on the Bethany women’s volleyball team from 1999-2001 as setter and was named Cal-Pac Setter of the Year in 2001. Coach V currently holds the all-time season assists/game record (11.59) and assists single/game record (82) for Bethany College. Coach V attended Bethany University and acquired a degree in Church Leadership-Youth Ministries.
Originally from the Sacramento Area, Coach V resides in Marina with her husband Jason Companion their step daughter Janelle Companion, son Nakoa Josiah Kimokeo Companion, daughter’s Nohea Sharon Ka'imilani Companion and Nanileialoha Janet Makaio Companion and dog Anemone
STAN PHILLIPS
Head Developmental League, Fall Clinics, IMUA Beach Camp
2021 Head Coach: IMUA 16 Stan
Certifications: USAV Beach Certified, USAV Impact, Safesport, Shield the Vulnerable, NFHS-Fundamentals of Coaching and Fundamentals of Volleyball, Injury and Concussion, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, AED, and First Aid Certified.
Coach Stan Phillips is entering his 13th season with IMUA Volleyball Club and one of IMUA's most decorated coaches. Most people know him as the walking volleyball encyclopedia.
He holds a Master of Arts in Kinesiology, Fresno State. He played his college career for Fresno State College volleyball club team. Relocated back to Salinas and competed with our Monterey Volleyball Adult Club Team (aka Imua Adult VBC) through the years.
His coaching resume is lengthy with over twenty-five years of experience with Hartnell College (Assistant Coach), Monterey Peninsula College (Head Coach), Monterey High School (Head Junior Varsity Coach) and Salinas Volleyball Club (Head Coach). He founded the Peninsula Junior Volleyball Club and the Men’s Volleyball Club at Monterey Peninsula College.
Ranked AVA National Champion, AAA Outdoor/Grass, and AA California Beach Association. His knowledge of the game provides depth to our coaching team. Stan is was employed with the City of Monterey Recreations Department for over 20 years where is responsible for all youth, junior, adult sport camps and leagues. He is currently teaching in the Greenfield School District.
During is non coaching days you will catch Coach Stan strumming his Kamaka ukulele, at the beach or grass volleyball, golfing, pickle ball, or playing tennis. Coach Stan resides in Salinas.
GARRETT WILSON
IMUA Beach Elite Head Coach and Guru
Certifications: USAV Impact, Safesport, Shield the Vulnerable, Injury and Concussion, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, AED, and First Aid Certified.
(BIO COMING SOON)
JANELLE COMPANION
BOC Certified Athletic Trainer and Player Rehabilitation
Certifications: BOC Certified Athletic Trainer, USAV Impact, Safesport, Shield the Vulnerable, Injury and Concussion, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, AED, and Mental Health First Aid Certified.
In 2018, Coach Janelle graduated from George Mason University with a BS Degree in Athletic Training. She received the Janet Lozar Commemorative Award for the Outstanding Student in Athletic Training, Golden Scepter Distinction Award, and National Athletic Training Association Bolstering Excellence Award. She has almost a decade of athletic training experience in all sports including the USAV Girls' Junior National Championships in Minneapolis and USA Beach High Performance A2 Training Camp and Pacific Zonal Championships in Monterey. Coach Janelle will continue her passion in the medical field to be a physiatrist in the future.
FELIPE HERNANDEZ
Head Coach: 2021 IMUA 18 Felipe
Certifications: USAV Impact, Safesport, Shield the Vulnerable, NFHS-Fundamentals of Coaching and Fundamentals of Volleyball, Injury and Concussion, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, AED, and First Aid Certified.
This will be Coach Felipe’s 5th year with IMUA Volleyball Club. He is a young but very ambitious and eager to coach at a higher level with IMUA Volleyball Club. Felipe is currently an assistant coach for the Hartnell College women’s program and has coached at Alisal High school and Diamonds Volleyball Club programs.
Felipe is impressed with the level of players that Team IMUA attracts as well as the professionalism of the Team IMUA staff. He was drawn in to their culture of excellence immediately. Felipe had the pleasure of meeting top level coaches and seeing them in action which ignited my passion of coaching. He hopes to make a positive impact to the IMUA program. Felipe’s coaching style brings real world competitive spirit, is engaging and encourages a balance of a players self and team reliance. He is excited to mentor and coach with IMUA.
He resides in Salinas and on his non coaching days you can find him playing often on both sand and indoor courts.
MIRANDA HOLTZ
Assistant Coach: 2021 IMUA 18 Felipe
Certifications: USAV Impact, Safesport, Injury and Concussion, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, AED, and First Aid Certified.
This will be Coach Miranda’s third year coaching with IMUA Volleyball Club. Coach Miranda is very excited to head coach her team this upcoming season. She has a proven record among her peers, athletes, and parents as a well-respected coach and mentor. Miranda possesses strong work ethic, and her passion for volleyball and ability to connect with players provides a positive coaching environment, where players are supported and encouraged to cultivate their skills while elevating their game to their maximum potential. Miranda’s enthusiasm, passion, motivation, and positive coaching foster an environment promoting growth for players as a teammate and individual, ultimately allowing players to thrive.
During her club playing career, Coach Miranda played for Amador club volleyball a year, Team Sierra for 4 years and last two years for Club Prime which is based out of Lodi, CA. She was the captain on the varsity high school volleyball team during her junior and senior years. Coach Miranda also played for the CSUMB club volleyball team three years and was on the team executive board during her junior year. She will be graduating from CSUMB this upcoming spring of 2021.
During her non coaching days Miranda enjoys beach volleyball and outings with her friends. She currently resides in Marina.
ELLIE MITCHELL
Assistant Coach: 2021 IMUA 17 National Veronica
Certifications: USAV Impact, Safesport, Shield the Vulnerable, NFHS-Fundamentals of Coaching and Fundamentals of Volleyball, Injury and Concussion, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, AED, and First Aid Certified.
Coach Ellie is eager to gain more extensive volleyball knowledge through our Imua coaching philosophy and system. Coach Ellie moved from Oklahoma about four year ago. She has coached club volleyball in Oklahoma and coordinated volleyball related special events.
She is the current varsity coach at Monterey High School.
Her positive attribute other than coaching volleyball is her mentorship and leadership which is a very important attribute for Imua Volleyball Club. She has the connection with her student athletes and enjoys sharing her love of the sport with players eager to learn and work hard. She feels there is no greater joy as a coach than to see the “lights come on” for a player in a specific skill, to know you had a hand in equipping them for success in volleyball and in life; she looks daily for ways to inspire others towards greatness and living up the standard of excellence of what IMUA is all about. You have coaches that have years on top of years of experience but have no aspirations in building athlete's morale. Her desire to establish and foster a coach and player relationship is a recipe for success. Our goal for Imua is not only building successful athletes within Imua, but preparing them for success as young women in life. At the end of the day this should be the main reason why we coach. It is not the money nor self-gratification, it's the heart for helping others succeed.
During her non coaching days Ellie enjoys beach volleyball and outings with her friends. She currently resides in Monterey with her husband Bill Mitchell and four children.
VERONICA LAMPREDA
Head Coach: 2021 IMUA 17 Veronica
Certifications: USAV Impact, Safesport, Shield the Vulnerable, Injury and Concussion, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, AED, and First Aid Certified.
(CHECK BACK SHORTLY)
SHARON LAMPREDA
Assistant Coach: 2021 IMUA 17 Veronica
Certifications: USAV Impact, Safesport, Shield the Vulnerable, Injury and Concussion, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, AED, and First Aid Certified.
(CHECK BACK SHORTLY)
MAXINE TENNANT
Assistant Coach: 2021 IMUA 16 Stan
Certifications: USAV Impact, Safesport, Injury and Concussion, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, AED, and First Aid Certified.
Coach Maxine grew up in the Salinas Valley where volleyball was a way of life among her father who played as well. In high school, she was a starting setter for North Salinas High School under Coach Maggie Barrera and Bill Ashen.
During the course of her club volleyball career, Maxine competed with IMUA Volleyball Club. Her last club season, she was the starting setter for IMUA 18 National team that competed in the Power League Gold Division and one of the top teams in Northern California Association. Coach Maxine has assisted in Hartnell youth camps and IMUA fall clinics at every age level.
After her high school career, Maxine continued on to play competitively for Hartnell College under Coach Jamie Pedroza as their starting setter. After two years of competing at Hartnell and coaching two seasons with IMUA, Maxine will be moving onward to the next level on a volleyball scholarship to University of Saint Katherine.
Coach Maxine is very excited to head coach her team this upcoming season. She thrives on watching her players grow and develop many skills that will help them in their volleyball career and life goals. She see's coaching as an opportunity to share her passion, knowledge, and experiences with those who wish to play at a higher level and hopes that volleyball will be a positive driving force in her players' lives as it has been in hers.
During her non coaching days Maxine enjoys beach volleyball. She currently resides in Salinas.
ALBERT VELASQUEZ
2021 Head Coach: IMUA 14 Al
Certifications: USAV Impact, Safesport, NFHS-Fundamentals of Coaching and Fundamentals of Volleyball, Injury and Concussion, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, AED, and First Aid Certified.
This will be Mr. V's 10th season with our Team IMUA. Mr. V has a golden heart for the youth! He was the founder and club director for Salinas Valley Volleyball Club. For twenty-one year’s his travel volleyball program has jump started many successful volleyball careers with student athletes in the Monterey County. He has an impressive track record with coaching volleyball for over thirty years in Monterey County. In 1976 he started the elementary volleyball program for the City of Salinas. Thereafter, he played an important role with implementing the elementary volleyball program in the City of Salinas parks and recreation department. During the mid-80’s he coached at the Washington Middle School volleyball program. In the early 90’s he was an assistant coach at Gonzalez and Greenfield High Schools and is currently the principal and boys’ and girls’ volleyball head coach at Fairview Middle School in Gonzales.
In addition to club directing, he has either head coached or assisted in every age category from 12’s to 18’s years old. Coach Al has received the City of Salinas volunteer of the year award in 1990 with his achievements for the sports programs in the Salinas Valley. He has won the City of Salinas 6th grade volleyball league championships for 15 consecutive years. “I want to provide young players to love the game of volleyball."
I want to teach the fundamentals of the game, but also the true teamwork it takes to make a team successful. Volleyball is the true team sport of all the sports I have coached. It takes all players working as one. “They must become a family of trust to be successful as a team.”
During his non coaching days you will definitely see Mr. V at any local college, high school, or junior high school volleyball matches supporting our local student athletes. Mr. V resides in Salinas.
JANELLE MATURINO
Assistant Coach: 2021 IMUA 14 Al
Certifications: USAV Impact, Safesport, Shield the Vulnerable, NFHS-Fundamentals of Coaching and Fundamentals of Volleyball, Injury and Concussion, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, AED, and First Aid Certified.
I feel that as a coach, there is always more to learn. It is one thing to have played on the court and another to coach a group of young athletes. All you can really do, is share the skills/tips you have learned over the years and hope to inspire as many athletes as you can.
I have played volleyball since the 7th grade, right up to my second year of college. During that time, I also played for Salinas Valley Club and found no greater joy than playing competitively. In addition to IMUA Club, I have coached at: Robert Louis Stevenson High School, Gonzales High School, and most recently Fairview Middle School.
I feel there is no greater feeling than stepping onto a court and knowing you have the support of a team behind you. Something that is very important in any group setting. I feel very blessed to have witnessed the friendships that have developed between athletes and the important life skills they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Our jobs as coaches do not begin and end on the court. As coaches, it is up to us to model respect, hard work, teamwork, and compassion towards each other in everything we do. It is our job to ensure these young group of athletes push themselves to do the best they can in anything they want to pursue. I can only hope my best will inspire these young women, to do their best and never give up. I can only feel humbled that I have been given the opportunity to take part in their journey towards success.
During my non coaching days I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading, playing volleyball, and listening to music. I currently reside in Soledad, Ca with my husband Justin Maturino and black lab, Loki.