North Star Volleyball Club

KaSandra Gehrke - 12's Head Coach

Hello! My name is KaSandra Gehrke. My athletes usually call me “Coach K”. I am currently a student at MATC. This is my last year at MATC and then I’m going to UW Madison for the Physical Education Bachelor’s degree. I have coached volleyball for four years now. I coached two years of 7th grade volleyball for DeForest and I also coached one year of 8th grade volleyball for Waunakee. I also coached freshman basketball for Sun Prairie last year and JV softball for Waunakee.

In high school I played all three sports. I was on varsity for three years for volleyball. My specialty was left-side hitting. I was MVP, offensive player of the year, and captain my senior year of volleyball. I still play during the week on a women’s league for MSCR. Volleyball has been a big part of my life and I look forward to coaching for North Star!

Expections:

1. Please try to come to every practice and be on time. If you are going to miss a practice or a game make sure you let me know right away.
2. Always ask me if you have any questions or concerns about something. I have an “open door” policy and I’m always willing to talk to an athlete when they need to.
3. A good attitude is a must! You will always play better when you are not upset. So please leave your attitude/outside issues behind when you step into the gym!

Mike Miller - 12's Asst. Coach

Hello volleyball enthusiasts! My name is Mike Miller, I am a director with North Star VBC and an assistant coach for our 12s & 15s teams. I am from Southern California and grew up near the beach, so it was natural that my friends and I started playing sand volleyball. I Played varsity in high school as a OH & DS and followed with many co-ed leagues over the years.

I have coached 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th grade girls volleyball for the past 5 years and have really enjoyed seeing the kids continue to make new milestones in their volleyball careers.

I want every player this season to realize their potential - to be able to look back at the end of the season and say... "wow, I've improved alot!".

To do this players need to :

• work hard for the entire practice
• get plenty of rest at night
• eat healthy foods & hydrate - fuel your vball game
• keep a positive frame of mind - improving your skills take time
• stay in the moment - focus on the next play not the past
• don't worry about mistakes at practices or tournaments - let the coaches fix that
• give it 110% and leave the rest on the court

Ali Waller - 13's Head Coach

Hello everyone, my name is Ali Waller. I am originally from Abbotsford, Wi. I have been playing volleyball since the 7th grade. I played throughout high school both regular season and club volleyball. I’ve played club volleyball with Medford Storm VBC and Central Wisconsin VBC. I continued to play volleyball at Madison College in 2008 and 2010 as a defensive specialist.

This is my third season with North Star volleyball club, I previously coached 13s & 14s teams.  I also coached Monona Grove’s freshman volleyball team this season. I continue to play volleyball recreationally and have a tremendous passion for the sport. I look forward to sharing my passion and love for the volleyball with young athletes.

Kris Hoffman - 13's Asst. Coach

 Hello! My name is Kris Hoffman. I am assistant coaching the 13's team this year. I played volleyball for West Grant High School in Patch Grove, Wisconsin. I have continued to play in tournaments and in women's and co-ed leagues. I have passed my love for the sport on to my daughter who is now on the North Star 13's team.

I am looking forward to helping the girls develop knowledge and skills of the game. I want to encourage them to not only work hard and be competitive, but to also have a lot of fun!

Scott Weigmann - 14's Head Coach (White)

Hi my name is Scott Wiegmann. I grew up in Illinois and have lived in DeForest since 2001. In high school I lettered in football, wrestling, and track. I coached 5th / 6th grade wrestling and also was a referee for 3 years. Since high school, I continue to stay active by participating in marathons and triathlons including Ironman Wisconsin in 2013. As far as volleyball is concerned, I have played in many sand and indoor volleyball leagues and tournaments for the past 20 years.

Laura Rader - 14's Asst. Coach (White)

Hello, I'm Laura Rader assistant coach with the 14s White team. I have enjoyed playing volleyball for about 20 years. This is my first year coaching. I am looking forward to being a  part of the team now in the role in which I can share my knowledge and love for the game.

Katie Poch - 14's Head Coach (Pink)

Hello Volleyball enthusiasts!! My name is Katie Poch and I am from Beaver Dam, WI. I played volleyball throughout high school along with playing six years of club volleyball at the regional and national levels. I coached YMCA and middle school volleyball teams throughout my high school and college years. I continue to play volleyball recreationally in many different leagues.

I am very excited to be spending my first year with the North Star Volleyball Club as the U-14s Pink team’s head coach. I am motivated to help the girls improve this season as much as they possibly can in all the different skills of a volleyball player. I hope to instill the love and passion for volleyball that I have for the sport in all of my players and to teach them the skills to be able to play volleyball at the next level!

Bri Schultz- 14's Asst. Coach (Pink)

Hi everyone! My name is Brianna but I usually go by Bri. I'm an assistant coach for the 14's Pink Team this year. I am originally from DeForest and I am now attending Madison College for Liberal Arts. I played volleyball throughout high school, as well as track and field, and I also played for North Star as a middle blocker and my senior year of volleyball, I played as a right side hitter! Now that my volleyball career is over, I've decided to pursue my love for the game by helping girls who were just like me! I hope that I can help the girls learn this great sport and bring out their full potential.

KaSandra Gehrke - 15's Head Coach (White)

Hello! My name is KaSandra Gehrke. My athletes usually call me “Coach K”. I am currently a student at MATC. This is my last year at MATC and then I’m going to UW Madison for the Physical Education Bachelor’s degree. I have coached volleyball for four years now. I coached two years of 7th grade volleyball for DeForest and I also coached one year of 8th grade volleyball for Waunakee. I also coached freshman basketball for Sun Prairie last year and JV softball for Waunakee.

In high school I played all three sports. I was on varsity for three years for volleyball. My specialty was left-side hitting. I was MVP, offensive player of the year, and captain my senior year of volleyball. I still play during the week on a women’s league for MSCR. Volleyball has been a big part of my life and I look forward to coaching for North Star!

Expections:

1. Please try to come to every practice and be on time. If you are going to miss a practice or a game make sure you let me know right away.
2. Always ask me if you have any questions or concerns about something. I have an “open door” policy and I’m always willing to talk to an athlete when they need to.
3. A good attitude is a must! You will always play better when you are not upset. So please leave your attitude/outside issues behind when you step into the gym!

Mike Miller - 15's Asst. Coach (White)

Hello volleyball enthusiasts! My name is Mike Miller, I am a director with North Star VBC and an assistant coach for our 12s & 15s teams. I am from Southern California and grew up near the beach, so it was natural that my friends and I started playing sand volleyball. I Played varsity in high school as a OH & DS and followed with many co-ed leagues over the years.

I have coached 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th grade girls volleyball for the past 5 years and have really enjoyed seeing the kids continue to make new milestones in their volleyball careers.

I want every player this season to realize their potential - to be able to look back at the end of the season and say... "wow, I've improved a lot!".

To do this players need to :

• work hard for the entire practice
• get plenty of rest at night
• eat healthy foods & hydrate -fuel your vball game
• keep a positive frame of mind - improving your skills take time
• stay in the moment - focus on the next play not the past
• don't worry about mistakes at practices or tournaments - let the coaches fix that
• give it 110% and leave the rest on the court

Ali Waller - 15s Head Coach (Pink)

Hello everyone, my name is Ali Waller. I am originally from Abbotsford, Wi. I have been playing volleyball since the 7th grade. I played throughout high school both regular season and club volleyball. I’ve played club volleyball with Medford Storm VBC and Central Wisconsin VBC. I continued to play volleyball at Madison College in 2008 and 2010 as a defensive specialist.

This is my second season with North Star volleyball club, I previously coached one of the 14s teams in 2011. I also coached Monona Grove’s freshman volleyball team this season. I continue to play volleyball recreationally and have a tremendous passion for the sport. I look forward to sharing my passion and love for the volleyball with young athletes.

Liz Michelson - 15's Asst. Coach (Pink)

Hello, my name is Liz Michelsen and I am the Assistant Coach for the 15's pink team.  I am a Wisconsin native who has a strong love for volleyball.  I have been playing the game for over 25 years and my love for the game still continues through adult recreational leagues and tournaments.  

Right now I am enrolled as a full-time at Madison College for Therapeutic Massage and before this I was an Early-Childhood teacher for over 17 years.  I worked in childcare centers and with the School District of Poynette 4-K program.  This shows that working with children and the youth is really second nature to me.  

Anna Williams - 17's Head Coach

Hi, my name is Anna Williams!  I am currently working on my PhD in astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  I grew up in Northfield, MN where I started playing volleyball in 6th grade.  When I got to high school, I became a 3 season athlete.  I played volleyball in the fall, weightlifted competitively in the winter, and did both pole vaulting and ultimate frisbee in the spring.  I got my bachelors degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, and was a defensive specialist on their DIII varsity volleyball team all 4 years. 

Dan Szafir - 17's Asst. Coach

Hi! I'm Dan Szafir, a Ph.D. student working with robotics at UW-Madison. I grew up in Essex, Vermont, mainly playing hockey, baseball, and tennis, because sadly there wasn't any volleyball in the area :( I got my bachelor's degrees in History and Computer Science from Boston College, where I first started taking up volleyball, while also doing some triathlon training.

Since moving to Madison, I've gotten more and more involved in volleyball and I play in a number of leagues around Madison and the University, primarily as a middle hitter. I also occasionally play in the San Francisco Bay area during work travels. This will be my first year coaching with the North Star Volleyball Club, and I am very excited to work with the players to build skills, knowledge, and love of the game!

Randi Brown - 17's Asst. Coach

Hi all! My name is Randi Brown. I am originally from Cottage Grove, WI.
I am married with three children and I share my volleyball passion with my husband. Together, we play volleyball three to four nights a week. Our daughter is playing volleyball with North Star VBC this coming season.

I have been playing volleyball since 7th grade and continue to play in tournaments and on Co-ed and Woman’s leagues. I will be an assistant coach on the 15’s team. I am excited to continue coaching with North Star VBC and look forward to sharing my knowledge and love of the game!!