Director Trina Smith

 
In 2011, Trina Smith enters her seventh season and continues to build Wright State volleyball into a contender with the same fervor and enthusiasm as the day she was hired to lead the program. The 2010 season, middle blocker Shaunda Sandifer led the Raiders and was named All-Midwest Regional by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. The Illinois native was also selected All-Horizon League for the third straight season. Ashley Heyman and Jessica Woods were named to the Fall Horizon League All Academic Team. 
During the 2009 campaign, Wright State started the year by winning seven of its first eight matches, the best start for the Raiders since going 10-1 to begin the 2001 season. WSU also won its first tournament title since 2006 in taking the Golden Grizzly Invitational crown with wins over Canisius, Oakland and North Texas. Sandifer was selected All-Midwest Region by the AVCA after being named All-Horizon League for the second straight season. 
Off the court, WSU received a Team Academic Award from the AVCA and Tina Paunicka was honored with the Dr. Carl Benner Female Scholar-Athlete Award for the second consecutive year by having the top grade-point average by a junior or senior in the entire athletic department. 
In 2008, Smith guided the Raiders to 15 victories – including ten in Horizon League play – with wins over Dayton, Indiana State and Niagara. The ten league wins were the most by a WSU team since the 2001 season and was just the third time in program history that the Green and Gold topped the 10-win mark in league play. WSU led the Horizon League in blocks and was second in the league in digs. 
 2007 saw Wright State tie for third in the Horizon League standings with Valparaiso and advance to the semifinals of the conference tournament. In 2006, the Raiders improved their win total by four and finished in a tie for second in the Horizon League standings, the highest finish by WSU since joining the conference in 1994. 
In Smith’s first season at the helm in 2005, Wright State nearly pulled off the unthinkable as, despite being the seventh seed in the Horizon League Tournament, the Raiders advanced all the way to the championship match, knocking off #6 seed Butler, #4 seed and host UIC and then #2 seed Cleveland State in the process. WSU was then just one win away from making the NCAA Tournament and battled Loyola down to the wire before falling to the Ramblers in five games in the finals. 
Named the fifth head coach in program history on April 21, 2005, Smith came to WSU after an eight-year stint as an assistant coach at the University of South Carolina, where she was involved with all aspects of the Gamecock program. Her duties included overseeing the team’s academic progress, serving as the recruiting coordinator and coaching the middle blockers. 
 During her tenure there, the Gamecocks posted a record of 144-84 with five seasons of 20 wins or more and made five appearances in the NCAA Tournament, three times advancing to the second round. Along with her duties at South Carolina, Smith also worked as a coach for the Irmo Juniors club program in 1999. 
Before joining the South Carolina staff, Smith spent three seasons as an assistant coach at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California. There she was responsible for recruiting, scheduling and preparing practice plans. She also served as the interim head coach for the Gaels in early 1996. 
Prior to St. Mary’s, Smith coached a year at Catalina High School in Arizona and coached Cactus Juniors, a club team in Tucson. 
Smith graduated from the University of Arizona in 1994 with a degree in communications. A middle blocker, she lettered all four years for the Wildcats in volleyball and earned three letters as a small forward in basketball. 
During her playing days at Arizona, Smith was selected to the Pacific 10 Conference’s All-Freshman Team and finished her career ranked in the Wildcat top 10 in solo blocks, block assists and digs. In 2000, she was selected to the conference’s All-Decade Team. 
As a senior in 1993, Smith led Arizona to a final #16 ranking and an appearance in the NCAA West Regional finals as the Wildcats became the first Pac-10 team to ever defeat UCLA and Stanford in the same season. Arizona overall made two trips to the NCAA Tournament during Smith’s career.
 In 1990, Smith participated at the U.S. Olympic Festival in Minneapolis, taking home the silver. 
A native of Maywood, Illinois, Smith attended Proviso East High School. She won MVP honors her senior year and was selected to the West Suburban and all-conference teams her junior and senior campaigns. She also played on the West Team at the 1990 Sport Festival, winning a silver medal. Smith also lettered in volleyball all four years and in softball and basketball three times. 
Smith is a graduate of the Women’s Coaching Academy and of the Sports Management Institute. She is active in the American Volleyball Coaches Association in the selection of the all-region team and in the top 25 coaches poll voting. Smith also was part of the selection committee in the hiring of Bob Grant as Wright State’s new athletic director. 
The daughter of S.L. and Alma Smith, Smith has three brothers and three sisters.
 What They Are Saying About Trina Smith 

“Trina Smith’s ability to lead was clear the day I was hired at Arizona. She captained a team that was 10-14 her first year and then led us to the Sweet Sixteen the next. Her willingness to work hard and lead will be an advantage for her rebuilding the Wright State program.” — Dave Rubio, University of Arizona head coach 

“What Trina Smith has done in her short time at Wright State is nothing short of remarkable. Her knowledge, work ethic and passion for the game will help Wright State compete for a league title every year.” — Kathy Gregory, UC Santa Barbara head coach

Photo of Kitan Ajanaku

Coach Kitan Ajanaku

  • 2016 Atlanta Boom Volleyball Institute Head Coach
  • 2016 Nominated as NCAA Woman of the Year
  • 2015 Career High 18 Kills on .552 hitting percentage
  • 2015 Named to CoSIDA Academic All-District 4 Team
  • 2015 GSU Invitational All-Tournament Team
  • 2015 High Point Invitational All-Tournament Team
  • 2014-2015 Co-Captain Georgia State University Volleyball
  • 2014-2015 Starting Middle Blocker Georgia State University
  • 2013 USC Upstate All-Tournament Team
  • 2011-2012 Long Beach State University-Middle Blocker
  • 2011 AVCA Under Armour All American 2nd Team

Coach Joe Cummings

2007-2016
Atlanta Boom Volleyball Institute – Atlanta, Georgia Head Coach and Coaching Director

  • Bronze Medal Disney Qualifier 18 American
  • Big South Sliver Champion
  • Florida Pre-qualifier Champion
  • Junior National qualifier
  • AAU Grand Prix Champion
  • I have successfully coached the past ten teams to finish in the top ten in the region.

2014 – Present
Atlanta International School – Atlanta, Georgia Head Coach

2007-2009
Chamblee High School – Atlanta, Georgia Assistant Coach

  • Conducted drills and provided instruction for the Varsity team
  • Assisted with training the Jr. Varsity and Middle school teams
  • Regional runner-up and sweet sixteen appearances 2007.
  • Regional Champion and elite 8 appearances 2008.
  • Sweet 16 appearance

2009 Playing Experience

  • Bitburg Germany local city volleyball team
  • Bitburg Air Force Base Volleyball team
  • Andrews Air Force Base Volleyball team
  • All command champion Andrews AFB
  • Invited to the Air Force Volleyball team

Coach Kelly Gregory

Originally from Coral Springs, Florida. Born and raised. Graduated in 1993 from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. Played volleyball throughout Middle and High School, for both school and club ball. Signed to play with Stetson University, NCAA Division 1, from 1993-97 as an Outside Hitter on scholarship. Received BA in Communications in 1997.

 

Coach Kelly and her family moved to Newnan, Georgia from South Florida in March of 2015. She enjoys the comradery and the competition of the sport, and is excited to be a part of APVB.

 

2017 Assistant Volunteer Coach – Central Christian School, Sharpsburg, GA

2013-2014 Lead Instructor/Head Coach – YMCA, Girls Youth Volleyball Program, Parkland, FL

1993-1997 OH, DS – Stetson University, Deland, FL

Coach Shauntez Jennings

  • Current- 2017 Master Coach at Central Christian School- Varsity & JV
  • 2017 Master Coach at Tracey Wyatt Recreation Center – Recreation League
  • 2017 Coach for the Atlanta Performance Volleyball Youth Development Program
  • 2016-2017 Head Coach for the Atlanta Performance Volleyball College Prep club season
  • 2016 Master Coach for KPVA Training Team
  • 2015 Assistant Coach at Creekside High School
  • 2014 Assistant Coach at Atlanta Boom Volleyball Club
  • 2013 Assist Coach at COLAVOL Volleyball Club
  • 2011-2012 Volunteer Coach at Tracey Wyatt Recreation Center
  • 2007-2009 OH at Fort Valley State University
  • 2017 Central Christian School Varsity Coach– team finished first in Region

Coach Keilah Vick

 
Attends Ga State -Linguistics major 
Graduated from Eagles Landing high school 
Played for Atlanta boom and was captain all her Years
Coached for Club Savannah 15 premier, won 3 tournaments, placed 2nd in gold 4 times 
Coached for Eagles Landing we went from unranked to ranked 5th in our region

Coach Lydia Elmore

Lydia Elmore is from Stone Mountain, Georgia. She recently finished her first season as the head coach for Renfroe Middle School. Lydia is alumna of Paine College, class of 2017, where she contributed as an outside/right side hitter on the Lady Lions Volleyball team. She looks forward to preparing athletes for the college level.

Coach Adina Thrower

 
 I have three years of high school experience as a Middle Blocker. Received a walk scholarship at Grand Rapids community college. I have five years of coaching experience with basketball as an assistant varsity coach. I decided to be a volleyball coach on because I love the sport and I’m interested in assisting young aspiring athletes reach the next level and successfully compete at the collegiate level.

APVB Facility Phone Number:
331-575-5577

APVB Facility Address:
1045 Research Center Dr SW
Atlanta, GA 30331