MEET OUR COACHES
Nikelle Armstead
Co-Head Coach - 14 Extreme
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Kenan Brod
Head Coach - 12 Stars
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After a year of JV, I joined Varsity as a sophomore playing middle blocker. I played in the Indiana All Star Game and represented the South of the state. I immediately joined Ball State University's Women's Club Volleyball Team where I played outside hitter and left back. I became the team's vice president for my last two years, working with my teammates as we planned practices, coached, scheduled matches, met with representatives regarding club funds, etc.
Nowadays, I bring my passion for the sport to my elementary students in PE class and during after-school clubs. I would carry those best practices into my club players to further their love for the game.
Abby Campbell
Assistant Coach - 15 Vanguard
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Brian Chang
Head Coach - 16 Adrenaline
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Kelly Cochran
Floater Coach
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I played 3 years HS Volleyball as an outside hitter, winning Districts my Junior year of HS. I played 3 years travel volleyball and attended training camps at Penn State each summer to train as a setter and outside hitter. I was offered to play DIII at several Colleges but decided against playing collegiate volleyball.
I have 5 years of coaching experience (ranging from Elementary Recreation level to Middle School travel level) with a majority of my coaching focused on Middle School. I continue to coach 14U girls volleyball as I enjoy the middle school age and teaching the foundations of volleyball. A majority of players at 14U are new to travel and we focus on mastering skills and building confidence on the court. Our season will focus on: Rotations/Serve Receive Positions/Utility Player, Skills & Technique & Ball control.My core values in coaching are good sportsmanship, teamwork, and confidence. These values not only improve our team, but are valuable life lessons. We like to work hard and have fun.
Brittany Connaster
Assistant Coach - 17 United
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Brittany Connatser has 13 years of volleyball experience playing as both a middle blocker and outside hitter. She started her college career at Lindsey Wilson College and was part of their 2017 NAIA National Championship team. After two years playing for NOVA Volleyball and leading them to their second NJCAA DII Region XX Championship, she transferred to The Catholic University of America to finish her college career. Brittany also has three years of club volleyball coaching experience, where she focuses on helping players improve their skills and grow as athletes.
Lauren Connolly
Assistant Coach - 17 United
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Lauren Connolly has a background in both playing and coaching volleyball. With more than 8 years of competitive playing experience, some as a six rotation outside hitter, including playing at the collegiate level as a Defensive Specialist/Libero for The Catholic University of America.
In addition to playing in college, Lauren has led numerous private lessons and club clinics, working with athletes of all ages and skill levels.
TJ Fahie
Floater Coach
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I have been playing volleyball since my junior year in high school. In 2006 I played for the junior men’s national team in the Virgin Islands. I then went on to play for the senior men’s team in 2007-2015 as a primary middle blocker. I also played for the University of the Virgin Islands as a pin hitter and a middle blocker.
As a coach, I have been coaching for over 6 years. I was an assistant coach for the junior varsity boys at Antilles School. Coached at Charlotte Amalie High school as an assistant for the junior varsity girls. Coached at Evolution volleyball club as a head coach for their 13u and 17u. I was the hitting coach at Nova community college.
Some of my special and unique interests are that I love watching Anime. I am a family oriented type of person. I like helping people out. The satisfaction at the end of helping someone gives me joy.My coaching philosophies are: “Faith without work is dead” & “wishful thinking doesn’t grant you, your wish”.
Lisa Franklin
Head Coach - 16 Impact
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A former Division III collegiate middle blocker from New Jersey, Coach Lisa led her team in blocks with a career-high 114 during the 1994-95 season. After earning her BA in Literature, she served 20 years in the U.S. Army as a Finance Soldier, where her love for volleyball grew into a passion for coaching.
She began coaching youth players during her time at Fort Campbell and introduced the game to her three daughter, each of whom went on to play at the high school, club, and collegiate levels. After retiring from the Army with a Master’s in Education (Summa Cum Laude), Coach Lisa began coaching at Garfield Senior High School in Woodbridge, VA, where she’s been since 2017.
Now joining X-Factor Volleyball, Coach Lisa brings her trademark intensity, discipline, and love for the game. Her focus is on defense, movement, and helping players bring out their inner beast, giving 100% on and off the court.
Vince Guerrero
Floater Coach
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Alicia Hawks
Co-Head Coach - 14 Extreme
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Coach H.
Head Coach - 15 Vanguard
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Coach H. is entering his third season with X-Factor Volleyball, where he currently serves as the 15U Head Coach. He is also in his second year as the Junior Varsity Girls Volleyball Head Coach at Robinson High School.
With over seven years of coaching experience, Coach H has worked with youth and adult athletes across school, club, and intramural levels. His dedication to player development is reflected in his active involvement with respected volleyball organizations, including the Junior Volleyball Association (JVA), Gold Medal Squared, and Libero Academy.
Coaching Philosophy:
“My goal is to guide athletes in becoming confident decision-makers and independent thinkers through a purposeful, discovery-based coaching approach that builds volleyball skills, discipline, resilience, and team cohesion.”
Brad Lacey
Head Coach - 14 Chaos
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Coach Lacey has 29 years of competitive playing experience both indoors and on the beach. He has coached since 2009 with High Schools & Clubs at all ages and levels. He was the head coach of a NJCAA DII college team(NVCC). Qualifications and training include, CAP I, Gold Medal Square, PC360, Impact and Safe Sport. Coach Lacey retired from the US. Coast Guard in 2014 after serving 30 years on active duty. Coaching Philosophy: Winning should be a result of coaching, not a coaching goal. Our goals are to teach players the proper skills, provide the necessary knowledge, give them the tools and confidence to reach their full potential. If a coach can achieve these goals and properly motivate players, then it is the players who make winning a goal. Coaches can’t want to win more than their players.
Levi Lopez
Assistant Coach - 16 Adrenaline
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Simon Melgar
Floater Coach
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Ellen Minnich
Assistant Coach - 14 Chaos + 16 Impact
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Norman Perez
Assistant Coach - 14 Chaos
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Coach Perez has been immersed in the sport of volleyball for nearly four decades, beginning his journey at just ten years old in Puerto Rico. His early talent allowed him to compete with his high school team while still in middle school, setting the stage for a lifelong passion for the game.
Although he chose to pursue his engineering studies over collegiate athletics, his dedication to volleyball never faded. Throughout college and into adulthood, Coach Perez remained active in competitive tournaments and recreational leagues - both as a player and a coach.
In recent years, coaching his daughter’s recreational team reignited his love for teaching the sport. Drawing from his engineering background, he brings a methodical, analytical approach to coaching - emphasizing precision, mechanics, and smart decision-making. His coaching philosophy centers on measurable growth, confidence building, and helping young athletes understand the “why” behind each skill.
Coach Perez believes that volleyball teaches far more than athletic ability - it builds discipline, teamwork, and resilience. Through X-Factor Volleyball, he hopes to give back to the sport that has given him so much by inspiring the next generation of players to pursue excellence both on and off the court.
Favorite Quote:
“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” – Jim Rohn
Marcus Robinson
Head Coach - 17 United
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Marcus Robinson is in his 14th season directing the volleyball program at Northern Virginia Community College and became the first coach in the athletic department to win 100 games 2017. Robinson started the program at NOVA in 2008 as a club team before the college formally transitioned to intercollegiate athletic status in 2012 and affiliated with the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Under Robinson's direction, NOVA has made an immediate impact in NJCAA competition. NOVA garnered national recognition in its first-year of intercollegiate status earning a top-20 national ranking and finishing the season with an impressive 24-10 record. NOVA wrapped up the inaugural campaign as a semifinalist in the 2012 NJCAA Region 20 DII Tournament.
Robinson was named head coach of men's US Deaf Volleyball team in 2015 which competed in the 2016 Pan Am Games and World Championship held here in Washington, DC. In 2017 the team competed in the Deaflympics in Turkey. Robinson has been coaching women’s volleyball for over a decade in the Northern Virginia region - directing both college and high school programs. Reaching the 20 year mark of coaching, he has helped guide West Springfield (Springfield, Va.) to the district championship in 2007 and he also led Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Va.) to the ISL A Championship in 2004. At the intercollegiate level, he served as head coach at Trinity University, an NCAA D-III institution in Washington, D.C. in 2005. Robinson served as the assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator for the University of the District of Columbia (NCAA DII) program in 2006. He has also coached for some of the top clubs in the area for a number of years.
Coach Robinson is certified CAP I & II, Impact, Safe Sport, Positive Coaching Alliance, Gold Medal Squared, Art of Coaching, BLS/CPR and Vertimax
Rosarin Robinson
Assistant Coach - 12 Stars
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Rosarin ‘Rose’ Robinson has been playing volleyball since the age of 10. She has been playing competitive club travel volleyball for multiple local volleyball club. She played for her JV high school team when she was in the 8th grade and played all four years of varsity as a setter. She also played DS/Libero as well.
Rosarin will start her coaching career at X-Factor Volleyball as an assistant coach and she will also specialize in being a setter coach as well. She brings a wealth of court and training experience to the team and understands it is the ‘Heart’ that matters and not always the ‘Height’. Rosarin currently plays for the Northern Virginia Community College as a setter.
Carlos Salas
Floater Coach
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Rachel Sherman
Assistant Coach - 13 Nitro
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Alli Tharp
Assistant Coach - 14 Extreme
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Denis Vasquez
Head Coach - 13 Nitro
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Denis Vasquez was born in Washington, D.C., and has been a proud Arlington native for over 50 years. A lifelong athlete, Denis grew up playing baseball through Little League and high school, and basketball in middle school. In the mid-90s, he discovered his passion for volleyball and has been deeply involved in the sport ever since.
Denis began playing outdoor doubles (2-on-2) volleyball during the summers, competing in tournaments on the weekends, and later transitioned to indoor leagues, where he joined a USAV team. Over time, he developed into a skilled setter — a role he embraced for every team he played with — and went on to enjoy more than 20 years of competitive volleyball.
During the non-club season, Denis dedicates his time to coaching high school volleyball, currently leading the freshman team. This marks his fourth year as a coach, where he continues to share his passion for the game and commitment to developing young athletes.
Coaching Philosophy:
“Work hard for what you want. If you want to be good, practice, practice, practice.”
Diego Veizaga
Assistant Coach - 15 Valkyrie
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Henry Wharton
Assistant Coach - 15 Vanguard
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Taylor Witherspoon
Floater
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Mariah Yaggi
Head Coach - 15 Valkyrie
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Mariah "Murr" Yaggi is a California Native that has recently joined the NOVA volleyball scene. She played club volleyball at Chino Ballers in Chino, CA and was a varsity setter for 4 years in High School. As a college athlete, she was utilized as a setter and a serving specialist for Division I college California Baptist University. During her time in college, she coached for 3 years following her girls club team from 15's-17's. She specializes in setting and serving, but is also knowledgeable in all other positions, as well as technique and court etiquette. Once finishing her Bachelor's degree, she completed her Master's in Exercise Science and is pursuing her PHD. In her time outside of college, she captained several D1 league teams in Southern California and hosted weekly open gyms for open play and refining performance. While in Virginia, she plays in different tournaments and participates in several of the area's open gyms- you just might run into her! Some of her outside skills include being a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist as well as having First Aid/CPR, BLS, ALS, and Bloodborne Pathogen certifications.
Coach Murr's philosophy is that it takes equal skill to win and lose gracefully, she is notorious for saying "as long as we did better today than we did yesterday."
Mindset Coaches
Miranda Heffelfinger
MA
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Coach Heffelfinger brings a strong background in sports leadership and psychology to X-Factor. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Sports Science with a focus in Sports and Performance Psychology at West Chester University. During her undergraduate years, Miranda studied Psychology while competing as a Division I rugby player at Penn State University, where she served as team captain.
Her athletic career includes representing the U23 USA Mid-Atlantic All-Star team and competing in the 2023 World Rugby 7’s Tournament in Grenada. These experiences have shaped her understanding of high-performance culture, teamwork, and mental toughness.
Miranda’s coaching philosophy focuses on helping athletes compete with heart, play with purpose, and live with gratitude. She is passionate about developing confidence, resilience, and self-awareness in every player she mentors.
Favorite Quote:
“You don’t just turn up and perform. You earn it during the week. And you earn it for the people next to you.” – Siya Kolisi
Rohan Piple
YBRT, YOI
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Coach Piple is a Behavioral Health Specialist and former collegiate champion with a Master’s in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown University. Drawing from his background as both an athlete and researcher, Rohan developed AŠVA - a performance wellness system that helps athletes align mind, body, and emotion for peak performance and lasting personal growth.
He has led global studies on athlete behavioral health, introduced AŠVA protocols across the U.S., Europe, and East Africa, and works extensively in neuromuscular re-education and mental resilience training. His experience includes collaborations with Team Durant, the Washington Nationals Youth Academy, the NCAA, and the Kevin Love Fund.
Rohan’s philosophy centers on harnessing the power of self - helping athletes cultivate emotional awareness, discipline, and balance both on and off the court.
Favorite Quote:
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.”
Jeremy Rahn
MA, LPC, M.Ed.
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Jeremy Rahn is a mental health counselor and performance coach specialized in working with athletes and high performers. Jeremy is currently the mental performance coach for the Baltimore Orioles in the MLB and the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL. He began his career coaching for the Washington Wizards in the NBA and contributing to the NBA Referees Association. He is a graduate of Boston University, obtaining a master’s degree in mental health counseling with a specialization in sport and performance psychology.
X-Factor Trainers
Robby Cable
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Carlton Furman
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Mark Johns
Assistant Coach - 15-2
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