2022-2023 Girl's Volleyball Coaches & Staff
Looking for great coaches that will take you to the next level? Whether that is from making the high school team or obtaining a scholarship to college, the Core Volleyball Club coaches are here to help you obtain your goals. Our Head Coaches have either college coaching or playing experience or have played at the D1 level and Pro Levels. Below is the Core Volleyball Club Coaching Lineup for the 2020 Season.

Gabby Cowden
Group Lessons Coach
2019 Assistant Coach Of The Year
Gabrielle Cowden was a four-year starter for the University of the Pacific, an NCAA Division I program. She was named team captain in both her Junior and Senior seasons and led the Big West Conference in Aces in the 2012 season. As a starting middle blocker she consistently hit over .300 and shifted in her senior year to the outside hitter position where she was named MVP of the Idaho Invitational Tournament at the start of the year.
Gabrielle was an all-star club player and with her team qualified to compete in the elite Open division of the USA Junior Nationals at the 15s, 16s, 17s and 18s years. She ended her club play at 18s by winning a bronze medal at the Open Junior Nationals championship in Miami.
In addition to her club play, Gabrielle also participated in the regional and national USA High Performance programs. Her USA regional team won a bronze medal at the European junior championships in Maribor, Slovenia and as a rising junior she was invited to play middle blocker on the USA Youth National team (A2) and competed in the championships in Ft. Lauderdale.
Gabrielle has coached youth players throughout her playing years as both a club coach and instructor at college youth camps. Now a college graduate, Gabrielle has returned to the local area and is extremely pleased to join her former high school coach Prima Elam and become part of the Core Volleyball family. She brings a great deal of playing and coaching experience in addition to her boundless enthusiasm for the sport. She will be assisting her father Jack Cowden in coaching the 16-1s team during the 2014 season and will be an integral part of the training and developing of future college players.

Jack Cowden
Director of College Development Program
Jack Cowden has been involved with Women’s and Men’s youth sports for over 25 years. He was an NCAA athlete in college and has also coached multiple sports at all levels and ages. He has assisted many athletes over the years in reaching their goal of “playing at the next level”.
For the past 12 years Jack has focused his athletic associations primarily with women’s volleyball. He has helped train his two daughters from a recreational to a highly competitive level. Both his daughters were division 1 volleyball scholarship athletes at top universities. Both Jacqueline and Gabrielle played four (4) years respectively.
He has coached all ages of athletes. Presently, he coaches girl’s youth volleyball at the club level and at a four year NCAA Division 2 University. Previously, he was the first assistant at Foothill College where they won conference championships from 2009 -2011. He coached in the regional girl’s High Performance program for four years. Recently, he assisted in the start up of the national women’s professional league (PVL) through USA volleyball and the NCVA in 2012 and had a final four finish in the National Championships, Louisville, Kentucky 2013 as head coach. He is closely associated with many collegiate coaches and has participated in numerous training and coaching seminars. Jack has been trained in the Gold Medal Squared System and has multiple coaching certifications. He is CAP lll certified as well as holding an impact Instructor certification from USA volleyball.
Jack brings a great understanding of the “trinity of coaching” (the balance of mind, body and spirit.) He has a great ability to incorporate sports with life skill lessons. His long term experience with youth sports and knowledge of the game is invaluable in teaching and coaching volleyball.

Kaitlin Ecabert
Spring, Summer, Fall Ball, Private Lessons Coach
2018 Season Coach Of The Year
Kaitlin has eight years of playing and coaching experience which includes middle school, high school and club. Kaitlin returns for her 4th season with Core and will be coaching the 12 Elite Team. Last season her 12 Elite team finished 6th overall. Kaitlin looks to continue the success of the 12’s age group by developing players and instill the love of the game. Kaitlin’s certifications include Safesport and Impact.

Prima Glorioso
Club Director
Director of College Development Program
Prima has 26 years of coaching experience ranging from high school, club, college, and the Men’s Professional Volleyball League. Prima has been involved in volleyball almost her entire life. Her playing experience includes Sacramento City College. As a member of the Sacramento City College team, she played opposite and helped the team finish 4th in the State of California. Prima then went on to finish her playing and academic career at Cal State Hayward.
Prima has been involved in the NCVA Regional High-Performance Program since 2007. She is also a USA High-Performance Volleyball Camp Coach, and has worked with the top A1 athletes in the country. Prima also represented the Northern California Region as the Head Coach of the Boys Regional High Performance Team. The team competes at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships every summer where they earned back to back silver medals and competed in the International Division with two 4th place finishes. Her Regional High Performance Team won a Bronze Medal in the International Division., the year before that the team earned a Gold Medal in the International Division. Thirteen years ago she founded Core Volleyball Club to give opportunities to female athletes to have a safe, fun, and competitive environment to achieve their goals.
Prima’s certifications include USA CAP II, Gold Medal Squared, Impact, Positive Coaching Alliance, and Champions of Character (NAIA). Prima resides in Dublin with her husband Justin and her two beautiful daughters Kiana and Gabriela.

Lisa Shelton
Club Admin
Bio Coming Soon

Kathleen "Kat" Suarez
14 Black Head Coach
Kat has been playing volleyball for over 11 years and has 6 years of coaching experience. This will be Kat’s 4th season coaching with Core. She previously coached 13-14 Girls Premier teams. This is her first season coaching Boys’ and she’s very excited! Kathleen played 4 years on the San Lorenzo high school women’s volleyball team from 2008-2012. She played her freshman year at Allan Hancock college located in Santa Maria, California and finished off her junior college career at Las Positas College this past fall. In 2016 she was the assistant coach for the junior varsity girls’ team at San Lorenzo high school. She has recently taken over the varsity program at San Lorenzo High with her former high school teammate and will be going into their first year of coaching the varsity team this fall. Suarez enjoys the game and coaching the younger generations to help them with their game and develop their passion for the sport.

Ami Schelin
Assistant Club Director
17 Elite Assistant Coach
14 Elite Head Coach
We are happy welcome back Ami to the Core VBC Staff. Ami has 15 years of club coaching experience. She is currently the Co-Head Coach at Amador. Prior to Dublin, Ami was the Head Coach at Moreau Catholic for 10 years. Ami is passionate about growing the sport of volleyball and instilling the love of the game to her players. She has had great success with her teams and looking to continue that tradition at Core.

Jon Specht
Private Lessons
Jon Specht has over 20 years of Volleyball experience as a player and coach. He has coached boys, girls, and beach volleyball in middle school, high school, and club settings. He is USAV SafeSport, Beach Impact/Safesport, and CAP certified and has worked in the USAV High Performance pipeline assisting with team tryouts and camps. Jon has a B.S. in Kinesiology with a focus in clinical exercise science.

Julie Toth
14 Elite Head Coach
Julie Toth grew up in Stockton, CA playing for Lincoln High School and Delta College and continued her playing career at New Mexico Highlands University at the middle blocker and opposite positions. Julie joined the Army National Guard as a medic in 2002 halfway through her freshman year of college and served while continuing her collegiate career. She served for 8 years, completing a tour in Kosovo as a flight medic. Upon returning to the States, she went back to school at Columbus State in Columbus, Ohio with a major in Sport and Exercise Studies and began her coaching career as an Intern Assistant Coach for Columbus State. Julie has coached 11 years of club volleyball, working with all ages and skill levels, 7 years in Ohio, 3 years in Michigan and 1 year in Maryland. She also had the privilege of being part of the Lakeshore Region High Performance coaching staff in 2017, traveling the regions first Future Select team to Nationals in Florida. Julie has attended 2 High-Performance Coaches Clinics, CAP 1 level training, and the AVCA coach’s convention gaining valuable coaching skills and learning that there is always more to learn! She is excited to bring her experience and love of the game to Core Volleyball Club.

Katie Souza
15 Elite Head Coach
Bio Coming Soon

Mason Ward
15 Elite Assistant Coach
Bio Coming Soon

Owen Dawson
16 Elite Assistant Coach
Bio Coming Soon