MAIN BEACH VOLLEYBALL CLUB - Key Persons
Christian began his career at Santa Cruz High in 2015, where in his first year, he helped take the team to CCS for the first time in 14 years. He continues to coach for Santa Cruz High's Varsity, JV, and Frosh teams where he has had success in taking the teams to CCS and winning league. Christian also coaches 8th grade girls at Mission Hill Junior High, each year winning the pre-season tournament and placing top three in the post-season tournament. Additional experience includes four years on the PCS High School Volleyball team, one year JV, three years Varsity, winning CCS in 2014. Volleyball is the first sport he really developed a passion for and that passion has evolved from the joy of playing the game to the joy of teaching the game.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Program Director
- Director and Girls Program Manager
- Girls Director
- Girls Program Manager
- Girls' Program Director / Girls 14s Head Coach / Read Bio
- New Head
Gabrielle is currently the new head coach for the women's volleyball team at UC Santa Cruz. This is her first year as head coach for the Banana Slugs. Prior to UCSC Gabrielle coached for 9 seasons at Cabrillo College where she lead the Seahawks to 9 Coast Conference Championships, five final-four appearances, 2 State Championships and a State Runner -Up. Gabrielle was voted the 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 Coast Conference Coach of the Year and the 2010,2014 and 2017 Northern California Coach of the Year. In the 2013 she lead the Seahawks to a first ever undefeated California State title for a Northern California team in the 36 year history of the CCCAA. Her record when she left Cabrillo was 239-31.
Hunter began his coaching career while attending UC San Diego for his undergraduate degree. Working as an assistant coach at the southern California powerhouse, Coast VBC, he learned not only what it takes to coach in tryout, clinic, practice, and tournament capacities, but also how a club at the highest level manages logistics, coach development, and customer experience. At Main Beach, Hunter works with competitive teams as well as the youth Rising Stars program, where he teaches fundamentals to the youngest age group.
While attending UC San Diego, Hunter received his B.S in Cognitive Science, better known as User Experience Design. He learned principles of how humans learn from the world around us, through interaction with technology (anything developed by us that evolves over time) and culture (our intangible world of rules and meanings). He applies his user experience training in his coaching, when explaining techniques and crafting drills to best prepare his players for the physical and mental battle on game day.
While Hunter has played every position on the court, he spent most of his time as an outside hitter and libero. He believes that players should develop an understanding of all skills required to play volleyball in order to succeed.
When he isn't coaching, playing, or researching volleyball, he enjoys cooking and mid day naps. Hunter is worried that young kids like himself spend too much time on their screens, so he is being mindful of that as well.
Job Titles:
- 16 National Assistant Coach
Jake Lee attended PCS where he first started playing volleyball and got inspired to continue learning the game. He remembers watching his team win CCS his freshman year and by the time he was a senior, he found himself in a similar situation winning SCCAL and coming in second in NorCals.
Jake currently attends Cabrillo College where he is majoring in criminal justice. In his free time, he can be found playing some basketball or rock climbing, but volleyball is his main pastime. What Jake hopes to instill in his players is love of the game, hunger to get better, and most importantly to not be afraid to make mistakes while doing so.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Managing Director
- Executive Director and Youth Program Manager
- Youth Program Manager
Jan Furman began her teaching and coaching career in Davis Ca. where she founded and directed the Davis Volleyball Club for 10 years. While at Davis High School, Jan led her teams to 7 straight league titles, 7 Nor Cal Championships, and 9 State Championship playoffs. She left Davis with a 77-0 winning steak. Jan was awarded the National High School Volleyball coach of the Year and in 1998, Jan was inducted into the Chico State Hall of Fame for volleyball and swimming. Jan came to Santa Cruz in 1988 to teach and coach at Cabrillo College. With 10 seasons at Cabrillo, Jan led her teams to 4 Conference Championships and 9 State Playoffs. She was inducted into the Calif. Community College Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2004. Jan has coached multiple athletes receiving full-ride scholarships to Stanford, UCLA, USC, UC Santa Barbara, UOP, San Diego State and many more. Jan retired from full time teaching and coaching at Cabrillo in 2009 but continues to teach Kinesiology and Philosophy of Physical Education classes. She founded Main Beach Volleyball Club in 2002 and in only it's 2nd season sent 2 of 5 teams to the Junior National Championships. Jan takes pride in the growth of the Main Beach Volleyball Club. Starting in 2002 with 5 girls teams to a club in 2016 of 9 girls teams, 6 boys teams, a beach program with over 50 players and a youth program for 4th thru 8th graders in both the fall and the spring. Jan's passions are volleyball, photography and mentoring coaches. If she is not in the gym improving an arm swing, or meeting with a player about colleges you will probably find her working out in the yard at her home or with her family in the Napa Valley.
Job Titles:
- 17 National Assistant Coach
Luciano Jimenez is a proud alum of Main Beach Volleyball Club and began his love of the game at age 10. After having a successful high school career including a win at CCS he decided to continue his career at UC Merced where he played for four years and received a degree in human biology.
At the time UC Merced was a new school with an even newer men's team. He remembers his time in college as an amazing experience where he had the honor of creating a culture that expected commitment and to be tough competitors. By his senior year, they began defeating top 10 teams in the NAIA and had set a bar for players to come.
Luciano notes that volleyball has the beautiful quality of bringing people together. Socially, it has provided a medium for him to connect with many different kinds of people, turning some of his foes into best friends. Professionally, it taught him management, grit, and that opportunities can always be made as long as you think outside the box. Currently, he is completing a post-bacc program at Cal State East Bay and will be applying to dental school next summer!
PK McDonald began coaching at Main Beach Volleyball Club in 2013. Currently coaching the 17's, he also is the head coach of the Mount Madonna boys volleyball team. There he has won 3 SCCAL championships and 1 CCS championship with the Hawks.
PK started his love of volleyball helping out a his older brother's Team Santa Cruz practices at the age of 7. That team went on to win USA Junior Olympic Bronze Medal. He continued growing up with the game winning 3 league championships and a CCS championship in high school, and being named all NCVA setter at 16 and 17.
In College PK worked as the student manager for the UCLA Men's Volleyball team. There he was personal assistant to Coach Al Scates and was on the bench for their 2006 NCAA National Championship.
At the same time PK was a founding member of the UCLA Club Volleyball team and went on to be named SCCCV MVP in 2008 and 2009 and Second team All American in 2008.