Staff
Camp Staff
Head coach Genny Volpe and assistant coaches John Klanac set the curriculum for training. Genny Volpe Volleyball Camp Staff also includes college, club, and high school coaches from around the country. We also are proud to have many of our current student-athletes actively involved in coaching the camps.
GENNY VOLPE - HEAD VOLLEYBALL COACH
Entering 2020, her 17th season as head coach, Genny Volpe has established the volleyball program as a power in the Southwest. Under Volpe's watch, her teams have been to five NCAA championships (2004, 2008, 2009, 2018, 2019), the only five appearances in school history.
The sixth head coach in Rice history, Volpe has the highest winning percentage (.632) in school history and has compiled a 313-182 record (most wins in school history).
In addition, Volpe serves as the Conference USA representative on the AVCA Division I Head Coaches Committee.
Under Volpe's guidance her team had a magical 2019 campaign, recording the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory and the second-most wins (27) in school history. They finished the season ranked in the AVCA Top-25 (24th) for first time in program history and climbed as high as No. 17 during the season. They also finished the season with a No. 19 rankings in the NCAA RPI, the highest finish in school history. They had two players (Nicole Lennon and Anota Adekunle) earn AVCA All-American Honorable Mention honors. They also had a school record-tying four players named to AVCA Southwest All-Region Team and three players named to C-USA All-Academic Team.
In addition, they placed a league-high six players on C-USA All-Conference teams. Perhaps the highlight of the season was the team's victory over No. 3 Texas for the first time in program history. Along the way they set a school record with 20 sweeps. Volpe also surpassed 300 career wins during the season.
In 2018 Volpe led them to a 24-7 record and a sweep of the Conference USA regular season and tournaments crowns. They achieved their best C-USA record (12-2) and recorded the longest winning streak (15 straight) in program history. Rice twice appeared in the AVCA Coaches Poll and placed five players on the 2018 All-C-USA teams, including three first-team members and the C-USA Player of the Year in Nicole Lennon. They ranked top 10 in the nation in kills per set (7th-14.64), digs per set (8th-18.16), and assists per set (8th-13.74).
Also the 2008 C-USA Coach of the Year, Volpe has coached teams that earned at-large berths to the NCAA Tournament in 2004 and 2008, and teams that won an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the 2009 and 2018 C-USA Tournament Championships.
Under Volpe, they have finished in the top four of their conference eight times, including three second-place finishes (2004, 2011 and 2012).
While at the helm for them, Volpe has coached 14 All-Americans, and 59 all-conference selections. Under Volpe, players have received a C-USA Player of the Week award 92 times since joining the league in 2005.
Success for Volpe's athletes is not limited to the volleyball floor, as 18 players have been tabbed as C-USA All-Academic Team selections, since the start of that honor in 2006. In addition, Leah Mikesky was named an CoSIDA Academic First-Team All-American in 2016.
JOHN KLANAC - ASSOCIATE HEAD VOLLEYBALL COACH
John Klanac joined volleyball program as assistant coach in 2018 and in his two seasons they have posted a 51-11 record (.822).
They had a magical 2019 campaign, recording the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory and the second-most wins (27) in school history. They finished the season ranked in the AVCA Top-25 (24th) for first time in program history and climbed as high as No. 17 during the season. They also finished the season with a No. 19 rankings in the NCAA RPI, the highest finish in school history. They had two players (Nicole Lennon and Anota Adekunle) earn AVCA All-American Honorable Mention honors. They have also had a school record-tying four players named to AVCA Southwest All-Region Team and three players named to C-USA All-Academic Team.
In addition, they placed a league-high six players on C-USA All-Conference teams. Perhaps the highlight of the season was the team's victory over No. 3 Texas for the first time in program history. Along the way they set a school record with 20 sweeps.
In 2018 they turned in one of the best seasons in program history. They posted their fifth straight season of 20 or more wins with a 24-7 record and a sweep of the Conference USA regular season and tournaments crowns.
They achieved their best C-USA record (12-2) and recorded the longest winning streak (15 straight) in program history. The program twice appeared in the AVCA Coaches Poll and placed five players on the 2018 All-C-USA teams, including three first-team members and the C-USA Player of the Year in Nicole Lennon. They ranked top 10 in the nation in kills per set (7th-14.64), digs per set (8th-18.16), and assists per set (8th-13.74).
Klanac played collegiately at Ohio State from 2008-11, where he was a member of the 2011 National Championship team his senior season and earned All-American honors. He helped lead the Buckeyes to four Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association titles and four berths in the NCAA postseason, with one semifinal appearance and three championship game appearances.
He was a three-time MIVA All-Conference honoree, garnering Second Team honors in 2009 and First Team laurels in 2010 and 2011. For his play during the Buckeyes’ 2011 National Championship run, Klanac was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
At the end of his Buckeye career, he ranked in the top 12 kills (1,048), service aces (70) and points (1,217.5). Klanac graduated from Ohio State in 2011 with a degree in history.
Following Ohio State, Klanac played professionally overseas for five years. He played for Patriotas de Lares (Lares, Puerto Rico; 2014-15), Stiina Explorari Baia Mare (Baia Mare, Romania; 2014-15), Al Nasser Sports Club (Juffair, Bahrain; 2014), Waremme VBC (Waremme, Belguim; 2013-14), Kokkolan Tiikerit (Kokkola, Finland; 2012-13) and RWE Bottrop (Bottrop, Germany; 2011-12). With Kokkolan Tiikerit, he helped the team win the Mestaruusliiga (Finnish Championship).
SOPHIA BEMISS - DIRECTOR OF VOLLEYBALL OPERATIONS
Sophia Bemiss was born and raised in Bedford, New Hampshire, where she grew up with a love for sports. She attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she received her undergraduate degree in Psychology in 2022.
During her time at Baylor, Sophia was heavily involved in the athletics department, serving as a Student Manager for the women's volleyball team from 2019 to 2022. She excelled in this role, demonstrating strong leadership skills and a deep understanding of the game.
After graduating from Baylor, Sophia continued to pursue her passion for athletics by accepting the position of Director of Volleyball Operations and Assistant Camp Director for the Rice University Volleyball team. In this role, she works closely with the coaching staff, while also providing support and guidance to the student-athletes.
Sophia is currently pursuing a Master of Liberal Studies degree from Rice University, focusing on sports psychology. She hopes to continue her career in athletics and hopes to continue working at a strong volleyball program like Rice University.