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About the Coaches

Connie Nicholson: Club Founder, Director & Coach

Playing Experience

          Wake Forest University

Coaching Experience

          45+ years coaching experience (Collegiate, high school, junior high,
           and club)
          Coach of the Year honors at high school and college levels
          NAIA National Championships in 1989 (finished 13th)
          Founded NASA program in 1990
          15 Regional Championships
          2 top 5 national finishes

 

Holly Richards: Co Director and Coach

Playing Experience
Westminster Christian Academy
 - Multiple MVP's of tournaments
Wallace State Community College- 1yr
 - Multiple all-tournament teams
  -NJCCA Region XI All-Region team
  -All-American Honorable Mention

 

University of Alabama
 -All-SEC 2nd team
 -Multiple blocking records
 -Top 10 list of single season total blocks
 -Captain her senior season

Coaching Experience
American Christian Academy (Tuscaloosa)
 -Asst. Coach to final four

Tuscaloosa Volleyball Club
 -Board member and coach

Assistant Coach at UAH- 2yrs
Assistant Coach at Mississippi State University- 2yrs
McGill-Toolen Catholic High School
 -Won the 2004 Class 6A AHSAA State Championship

Westminster Christian Academy
 -2010 team had a Class 2A 3rd place finish in the state tournament
 - Multiple Area Championships and Runner-Up finishes
 -Huntsville Metro Coach of the Year

NASA Volleyball Club
 -Multiple top 10 finishes in National Qualifiers and top 25 finishes in the USA Volleyball National Tournaments.
- Multiple tournament wins across varying age groups
- Lead coach for positional training

24+ years of experience coaching
Multiple camps during the summers such as University of Alabama, Louisiana State University, University of Kentucky, University of Tennessee and UAB as well as hosting her own

Certifications: CPR & First Aid, IMPACT, SafeSport, Positive Coaching Alliance I, II, III and Erin's Law

 

Kelly Emerson: Co Director and Coach

Playing Experience
NASA Volleyball Club - 5-years
Grissom High School
            
- 4-year varsity starter
             - 2 AHSAA State Championships
             - 2-time AHSAA All-State

Mississippi State University - Setter

Coaching Experience
NASA - since 2002, with 9 regional championships, 1 top 5
national finish
Randolph School - High School Volleyball Coach  
(2010-2014)
(2018- Current)

 


NASA Coaches are listed in alphabetical order:

Laney Ashcroft

Playing experience: 

NASA Volleyball Club - 4+ years

RCVC - 2 years 

Huntsville High Volleyball - 4 years 

7A All Area (2020-2021)

Best Defensive Award (2020-2021, 2018-2019)

 

Coaching Experience: 

Huntsville High School clinics - 3 years 

NASA clinics - October 2020

 

Certifications/Organizations:

Currently attends the UAH College of Nursing 

CPR/ Basic Life Support

Kayla Belser

Playing Experience: 10+ years

Cordova High School (2003 – 2007)
Middle Hitter
All Area (2007)
Eagle Elite Player of the year (2006 & 2007)
MVP 2007

Judson College (2007 – 2008)
Middle Hitter
Ranked 10th in the state for blocks NAIA (2007)

HVBA (2010 – 2011)

Coaching Experience: 6 years

Lakewood Recreational League Head Coach (Assist. 1yr – Head Coach 3yrs)
County Tourney Champs 2007

Cordova High School JV & Varsity Head Coach (2016 – 2017)
Area runner – ups
Regionals 2017

Sparkman Middle School Head Coach (2018 – Present)

Certifications:
Erin’s Law
CPR/First Aid
Positive Coaching

Hannah Glasgow

Assistant varsity coach at Huntsville High School
Special education teacher at Huntsville High School

Previous coached at: Gardendale, Clay Chalkville, and Mountain Brook Jr. High.

2nd year at NASA

Shelby Fox

Playing Experience:

Sparkman High 2009-2013

Starting Varsity Setter all 4 years

 All Area 2011 and 2012 

 

Faulkner State CC 2013-2015 

Starting setter / and Opposite hitter/ blocker 

2013 - 2nd conference team  

          - Most assists record 

 

Coaching : 

Buckhorn High Assistant Varsity Coach (2017-2021) 

RCVC (2020-2021) 

 

“You can’t always be the most talented person in the room, but you can be the most competitive.” - Pat Summit 

 

Skylar Holmes

Playing Experience
NASA Volleyball Club (HSV)
Smith Lake Juniors
Arab High School:

All-Area Team
All-Region Team
All-State Team 

Coaching Experience

NASA Volleyball Club since 2019
4 years high school clinics
1 year youth club volleyball

Jamiee Freeman Moran

Playing Experience
NASA -  6 years 

Sparkman high school varsity - 2005-2008 
While at Sparkman all metro honorable mention, all county and all area, led team in kills and digs


Georgia State University:

  • Starter all 4 years
  • Defensive player of the week and member of all rookie team (09)
  • All tournament team Wisconsin cowgirl tournament (11)
  • All team Georgia State tournament (12)
  • 2Led team in aces
  • Ranked 7th in school history in digs and 10th for attack attempts

Coaching Experience:
2 years assistant coach for Tsunami Volleyball club (2011-2012)
1 year assistant coach Alabama Elite (2013)
2 years assistant coach at Wallace State (2014-2015)
JV coach for James Clemens High School (2015-2018)
Arab High School Varsity Head Coach (2019-2020)

Current Decatur High School Varsity Head Coach (2021)

Certifications: 
Positive Coaching  
Erin's Law
CPR & First Aid

Currently plays competitive Volleyball for a Women's Team that has qualified for the USAV Nationals
6th (2018)
35th (2019)

 

Jacqueline Richards

Playing Experience
NASA Volleyball Club - 2 years
Westminster Christian Academy - Team captain; MVP 2 years
Snead State Junior College - Team Captain and All-region

Coaching Experience
21 Years
Many top finishes
2018 NASA Bash Champions, AAU Birmingham Super Regional  Champions, President's Day 2nd
2017 NASA Bash Champions, AAU Birmingham Super Regional
Champions, Rally Challenge 2nd
2014 2nd AAU West Coast Volleyball Nationals, 2nd AAU Volley One
Grand Prix
2013 AAU Super regional champs in Nashville and Birmingham,
Bluegrass Champions, 2nd in New Orleans AAU Super Regionals and 2nd SRVA Regionals
2007 2nd place Big South Qualifier
2006 team finished 3rd at USA Nationals   
Regional champions 2005, 2006, 2007


Organizations / Certification
USAV IMPACT Certified
Positive Coaching Alliance
Safesport
Erin's Law
Graduated Logan College with Doctorate of Chiropractic in 1997, Private 
practice 21 years

 

Tori Thomas

Playing Experience:

Hillcrest High School Varsity Starter 2004-2007
           All Area Tournament Team
           TVC (Tuscaloosa Volleyball Club) National 2004-2007 
Judson College 2007-2008
           
Scholarship player
            Freshman Captain; starting setter
University of Alabama Women’s Club Team 2008-2009
            Starting setter
            Won 1st place at Nationals in Kansas City MO
Stillman College 2008-2009
            
Scholarship player
             Setter/DS
Currently plays competitive Volleyball HVBA in BB league

Coaching Experience

Hillcrest High School Varsity assistant under Camila Redmond 
Waterford Mott HS; Waterford MI: Head JV Coach & Varsity Assistant 3 years
Oxford High School; Oxford MI:  Head Varsity Coach 2 years
          -District runner-ups
Oxford Middle School; 8th Grade Gold Coach
Legacy Volleyball Club: Head 17’s Coach 3 years
          -
Ran many camps and clinics; 8 Years coaching 
RCVC; Huntsville- Head 172’s Coach
NASA Head Coach - (2018- Current)

Certifications: Positive Coaching, IMPACT, CPR

Tanequa Whitman

Playing Experience

Huntsville High School

  • 3 time State Champion 5A/6A (2005-2007)
  • Named the Co-MVP as a senior
  • Selected to the All-State First Team for four consecutive years
  • All-Area and All-Region Volleyball team for four consecutive years
  • All-Area MVP (2005)
  • Named 2006 Prep Volleyball Top 10 Sophomore of the Year
  • Named the 2005 Prep Volleyball National Freshman of the Year
  • Selected to the North & South All-Star Volleyball Team

Shorter University (GA) 

  • Starting Libero - 3 yrs
  • Captain - 2012 and 2013
  • SSAC Conference Newcomer of the Year 
  • Southern Region Player of the Year
  • 1st Team All-American 
  • Top 3 All time Digs Leader
  • Single Season Dig Leader
  • Led team in Aces 2012,2013

NASA Volleyball Club - 7 years
Shorter University - 3 years
Tennessee State - 1 year

Coaching Experience:
          University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Assistant (2021- Current)
                                                                                                                 (2016-2017)
         Shorter University - Graduate Assistant 2014
          NASA coach since 2011 (Head Coach since 2015)
                       - Lead coach for DS/Libero positional training
                       - Coached an AAU All-American (2019)
                       - 5th place finish at AAU Nationals (2019)

                    - 9th place finish at AAU Nationals (2021)



2016 AVCA Diversity Coach Award Winner

Certification:

  • IMPACT
  • Positive Coaching Alliance I, II & II 
  • Erin's Law

Currently plays competitive Volleyball for a Women's Team that has qualified for the USAV Nationals
6th (2018)
35th (2019)