Coaching Staff
Coaching Philosophy:
“Commit to the process of becoming 1% better everyday, as a player and as a person. As you show up as the best version of yourself, others around you will be empowered to do the same. Be grateful for your opportunities, be fearless in your efforts, and always play with love for the game.”
AARON WEXLER
WESTCOAST VBC FOUNDER & BEACH DIRECTOR
- BCAP 1 Certified 2018 (USA Volleyball Beach Coaching Accreditation Program)
- Harvard-Westlake School Beach Volleyball Head Coach - Present
- Crossroads School Varsity Girls Head Coach 2013-2017
- Crossroads 2016 CIF Champions, D3 State Regional Champions, D3 State Finalists
- CIF 2016 D6 Coach of the Year
- UCLA ’11 Volunteer Assistant for UCLA Women’s team under Mike Sealy WON D1 CHAMPIONSHIP
- B. A. in Geography/Environmental Studies ’06
- UCLA Libero for Mens team under Al Scates ’01-’05
- SAMOHI ‘01, Setter/OH
- Competitor on beach circuits: 20+ years of competing on the beach – 4 CBVA Open Titles, 2 AVP Main Draw appearances, 1 NVL Main Draw appearance
- Gilberto Classic Champion x6, ’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20, '23 (Venice CA)
- Maccabiah Games 2005 Silver Medalist, (Israel)
- 14 years of indoor girls club coaching: WestCoast VBC ’14-’17, Sunshine VBC ’10-’14, Sinjin Smith Volleyball Academy ’08-’09, Palisades VBC ’06-’08
- National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. CPR/First Aid certified
- 20+ years of private training for players 8-50 years old
Coaching Philosophy:
“I believe in proper preparation. This starts with mindset training for our athletes. I run progression-based practices sessions that focus on proper technique, fundamentals, and game preparedness.”
Travis Schoonover
WestCoast VBC Founder & Beach Director
- BCAP 1 Certified 2018 (USA Volleyball Beach Coaching Accreditation Program)
- Crossroads School Girls Varsity Volunteer Assistant (2014-2018)
- Crossroads 2016 CIF Champions, D3 State Regional Champions, D3 State Finalists
- Thousand Oaks ’01, Setter
- Pierce College, SMC college, B.A. – Business (In progress)
- Competitor on AVP, NVL, & CBVA tours: NVL Competitor & SmackSportswear Sponsored Athlete, NVL top 10 player ’14 & BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER ’15
- CBVA 10x Open Champion, Gilberto Classic Champ ’17 & '23, Moonlight Beach Champ ’17
- 13 years of club coaching: WestCoast ’14-present, Sunshine VBC Head Coach ’11-’14, Gene’s Team Head Coach ’08-’11, Reef VBC Head Coach ’06-’08, Spectrum VBC Head Coach ’05-’07, Mustangs VBC Head Coach ’03-’05, Zuma Bay Head Coach ’01-’03
Coaching Philosophy:
“With the right motivation, will power, and effort, anything can be achieved in this sport.”
Dylan Maarek
WC Beach Coach
- First Open win Age 21 (2014), CBVA Open Champion x8
- 2nd Place Finish NVL Long Beach 2017 (coming out of qualifier)
- First FIVB Event Representing France 2018
- 3 AVP Main Draws
- P1440 Main Draw 2018
- Coached Mens Beach Team to a Silver at 2017 USA U19 trials
- Coached Women’s team to Gold 2017 USA U19 trails
- Coached Mens team to Silver in 2016 USA U21 trials
- Head Coach Paul Revere boys and girls 2017 & 2018
- Paul Revere Boys Delphic league Champions 2018
- Head Coach at Pac6 2015: 16s team
- Head coach at Pac6 2016:16s team, 3 silver medals
- Head coach at Pac6 2016: 14s team
- Head coach at Pac6 2016: 14s team
Coaching Philosophy:
“Being an athlete is important for the developing mind of a young person. Through sports they learn teamwork, overcoming obstacles/adversity, communication, troubleshooting, picking yourself up from a loss, or making a mistake, and staying physically healthy. Everyday you show up on the sand you will learn, change, grow, and evolve into a smarter, stronger, and more confident player.”
Kristian Howard
WC Beach Coach
- Accomplished beach volleyball coach with a proven record of developing competitive athletes, and building successful programs. Specializes in skill development, strategic game planning, and fostering a positive, growth-oriented team culture. Successfully coached four student-athletes
who earned college scholarships through personalized training, mentorship, and competitive exposure. Known for turning underperforming teams into playoff contenders and cultivating a strong pipeline for collegiate-level play. Competitive player since age 11 with experience across all levels from 12U to A-rated tournaments by age 15.Experience
Head Coach, Notre Dame High School– Varsity & JV Women’s Beach Volleyball
Aug 2020 – Present | Remote / Los Angeles Based-Collaborated with the Athletic Department to coordinate and execute team tryouts
-Designed and implemented drills to develop cardiovascular endurance, technique, and
game-time decision-making
-Evaluated and selected athletes for JV and Varsity rosters based on performance and
potential
-Created and communicated practice and competition schedules
-Developed individualized feedback to support growth in a positive, motivational
environment
-Determined seeding and pairs for league and playoff competitions
-Key Achievements:
-Elevated team from last place (2023) to 3rd in the Mission League (2024)
-Led 1st-seed pair to 3rd place out of 16 teams in the 2024 Single Pairs Tournament
-Guided 1st-seed pair to 10th place in CIF SS Single Pairs Championship—the best in
program history at that time
-Coached JV to an undefeated 2025 season and led Varsity to a Mission League Championship
-Advanced to the 2nd round of CIFSS D2 playoffs (2025)
2025: 1st-seed pair won the Single Pairs Tournament represented the Mission League as the top seed at the CIF Single Pairs Championship in MayEducation
Los Angeles Valley College – General Business Studies
Concentration in Leadership Extension Certificate, 3.9 GPA
Notre Dame High School – Diploma with Honors
Coaching Philosophy:
"I believe great coaching is rooted in a balance of hard work and playfulness. When athletes are able to stay focused while having fun, it creates a powerful environment for growth. I also believe in the importance of going for it, playing boldly and embracing mistakes as part of the process. Fear of failure can be one of the biggest mental blocks for athletes, but mistakes are inevitable; what matters is how we respond, learn, and grow from them. My goal with every practice is to foster that mindset, to push athletes to challenge themselves, stay present, and enjoy the journey. I strive to create a space where players not only improve their skills, but also build confidence, connection, and a true love for the game."
Kylin Loker
WC Beach Coach
Playing:
- I started playing beach volleyball at age 12 and entered my first AVP qualifier at 17, quickly developing a passion for competing at the highest level. As a senior in high school, I was named to the AVCA Beach All-America First Team before going on to start all five years at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. During my collegiate career, I earned NCAA All-Tournament Team honors at the No. 4 flight in 2019, was named to the All-Big West Second Team once and received Honorable Mention twice. I finished ranked tied for eighth in program history with 77 dual match wins and second all-time with 136 career appearances. Since graduating, I’ve continued my pro beach volleyball dream/journey, competing in AVP tour stops like Denver, Hermosa Beach, Huntington Beach, and Manhattan Beach. I’ve also played in countless open tournaments, most recently winning Beach Bash 2025 in Colorado earning a main draw bid to AVP Denver 2025.
Coaching:
- In addition to my playing career, I’ve been coaching club beach volleyball since 2017, working with athletes of all ages and skill levels. I also was the Assistant Coach at the collegiate level for the University of Saint Katherine, where my team won Conference and made it to the National Tournament for the first time in program history. I helped guide and develop student-athletes in both technical skills and competitive mindset. With over 8 years of coaching experience, I bring a deep understanding of the game, a passion for the game and mentorship, and a commitment to helping players grow on and off the sand.
Coaching Philosophy:
Ella Dreibholz
WC Beach Coach
- Most winningest player in Cal program history with 105 career victories
Career record: 105–38 (.734 win percentage), competing across courts 1 through 5 - Holds Cal’s all-time highest win percentage on Court 4 (.795)
- Top-10 all-time in multiple Cal records:
- 9th-best single-season win percentage (.818 in 2024, with Portia Sherman)
- 10th-best career pair win percentage (.781 with Lexi McKeown)
- 2nd-most individual wins in a single season (28 wins as a freshman)
- Recorded 11 ranked wins in freshman season, including upsets over No. 1 USC and multiple Top 10 teams
- Key contributor to team’s 12-match win streak and national Top-10 ranking
- Three-time Pac-12 All-Academic Team honoree (2022, 2023, 2024)
Coaching Philosophy:
“As a former collegiate athlete, I want to help athletes love their sport, by encouraging them to focus on improving as opposed to “just winning” or achieving end-goals. For me to succeed at the higher levels, it was best to play with passion as opposed to purpose. I want to inspire young athletes to remember to play for themselves, for the love of themselves, each other, and their sport. This will cause them to enjoy their highs, and most importantly to learn from their lows.”
Tabitha Mitchell
WC Beach Coach
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UCDavis NCAA D1 Beach Volleyball Team starter in every match throughout all four years of college. Played primarily on top flights one and two. 7 nationally ranked wins in college versus teams from Stanford, Cal, Long Beach State, Cal Poly, Hawaii, Washington, and GCU. 2022 All-Conference Honorable Mention. 2024 represented the Aggies at AVCA National Pairs tournament. 2025 Team Co-Captain. Most wins in a single season for any freshman in Aggie history. Third most career wins in Aggie history. Competed in every match of college career for all 4 years.
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Has renewed and maintained her CBVA Women’s AAA Rating since age 16. First place in CBVA $2,000 Premier Annual Mich Ultra Women’s Open in Hermosa Beach.
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Silver Medal at 2019 AAU Junior Olympics for beach volleyball
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Finished top five at AAU Junior National Championships, AVPFirst Championships, AAU Best of the Beach, CBVA Cal Cup, BVNE, and USAV HP A1 Beach Championships… Finished top three in 15 CBVA Women’s tournaments including 4 firsts.
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Won over 90 medals in beach volleyball, including 40+ first-place finishes and 15+ CBVA Tourstops. Varsity beach team captain and varsity indoor volleyball for Santa Monica High School.