What is the most rewarding thing about coaching college athletics?

Watching young athletes mature and grow into adults. Being a part of that whole process is truly something special.

What is some advice you could give someone who is interested in becoming a volleyball head coach?

I would tell this person to go out and get as much experience as you can by coaching your own club level teams or by getting involved in whatever coaching opportunities present themselves. Then I would say to find a great head coach to act as their mentor. Of course, don't rush into being a head coach until you have spent several years learning all aspects of being a head coach at whatever level you'd like to be at.

What is the most difficult part of being a head coach at a big-time university?

Of course with the good, there's always some bad. At a high-profile place, you are held accountable by a large number of different groups, more than you would be at a smaller school. From administrators to boosters and to parents of players, there's always someone that you have answer to in some way. And of course, there are also your own high standards to reach all the time. Sometimes, that can be perceived as pressure but the trick is to not let it become a negative thing. Difficulties can help serve to make us all better in the end.

Who was one of your biggest influences when you were learning the coaching ropes?

The first coach I actually worked for was Taras Liskevych at University of the Pacific. He was a master of program building and he used many innovative techniques and strategies. He taught me more than just how to go into a practice or game plan. He was certainly a large part of who I am as a coach today.

Aside from volleyball, what other activities do you enjoy and participate in?

I enjoy the outdoors. Hiking and biking take up a good part of my "active" down time. When I am truly relaxing, I enjoy watching good movies or listening to a book on tape.

What would you say has been the reason for the teams' success this season?

I think a lot of our success this year has to be attributed to the fact that we have a mature team with a lot of pure physical talent. The fact is that most of these girls have worked together for more than one year and have now developed a chemistry that has led to winning and success on the court.

The team has not lost more than three games in a row this season even when they endured a three-match losing streak. What was it about those matches that gave the other teams the victory?

You have to remember that like many other sports and perhaps even more so, volleyball is a game of momentum. Within the Pac-10 Conference, there are so many good teams that if one team is off by even a little or loses momentum even slightly, it can make the difference. I think in some of those games, that's what happened to us. This league is so competitive that any team can beat any other team on any given night.

In matches that were decided early this season, you've played your bench liberally, not allowing some of your stars to perhaps feast on lesser defenses and rack up impressive statistics. Is that a philosophy you hold to or just a time you'd like to give your stars a rest?

I think it's a little bit of both. We have a very deep team this year and players on the bench have contributed every day in practice in helping us become better as a team. There are certainly times over the course of the season that playing time is strictly an earned right. Other times, starters need some rest. Both of these schools of thought have been true this year.

Cal leads the conference in service aces. How do you coach or have a hand in the development of that part of your players' games? Or do they simply have their own serve and you just hope that they do well?

We practice serving every day. All of the coaches give instruction for technique and allow the players to work on velocity and location. Before each of our matches, we scout our opponents very thoroughly and I come up with a serving game plan. Some of our aces are a result of the location of the serve and some are a definitely a result of out-and-out velocity. I think our team does a marvelous job of taking advantage of both of those strengths when they hit the court.