Staff

Executive Director AJ Egli has coached club since 1998 and started United Volleyball Club of the Rockies in 2012.

The success speaks for itself: 37 players have signed to play college volleyball since 2024 ... more than all the other clubs in Western Colorado ... combined.

United VBC has it's own volleyball-only facility ... the ONLY one from Denver-to-Salt Lake.

In August of 2026, Volley Lens released it's nation-wide rankings of volleyball clubs for every state. United VBC of the Rockies is ranked in the Top 10! Number 8 of 134 clubs in the State of Colorado, 637 in the entire country. It's nice to see all the Player's and Coach's hard work being recognized! VOLLEY LENS

Our United VBC Beach Program, which was the first beach program in Western Colorado, was founded in 2016. Last year, the Beach Program sent 18 teams to USA Volleyball Beach Nationals in July, with 8 teams in the Gold Medal Round. One of our 18s teams finished THIRD in the nation! In 2025, we had 7 teams in the Gold Medal Round with one of our our 18s teams becoming the 18s National Champion!

AJ has a passion for volleyball and has mentored many coaches and countless young ladies. He is CAP II Certified in the USA Volleyball High Performance Program, Beach Nation Coaching Program and has an NCAA College Volleyball Referee. He has been married for 33 years to his lovely wife, Jennifer. They have a son, Zachary.

Email AJ

Director of Coaching Rick Reynolds coached at Idaho State (D1) for four years and had a 69-58 record and in conference, the Bengals boasted a winning percentage of 64.7% (44-24). He had six players earn first-team all-conference honors and six players earn second-team all-conference recognition. His team advanced to the tournament title game in 2015.

Prior to Idaho State, Rick had a stellar career at Western Wyoming Community College (NJCAA). In his seven years, he led the team to a 197-87 record. He won the Conference Championships twice. His team finished third in the nation in 2010 and second in the nation in 2011.

Rick was voted Coach of the Year in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013. He produced six NJCAA All-Americans, five AVCA All-Americans, and five NJCAA National Championship All-Tournament members.

Prior to his time at Western Wyoming, Reynolds spent three years at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where he coached two All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie Team members, one CAA Player of the Week and two CAA Rookie of the Week award winners.

Reynolds is married to his lovely wife, Brenna and has three daughters, Keylee, Kaysen and Kyndal.

Board Member Dennis Sunderland developed a passion for volleyball while serving in Air Force for 23 years. He has been playing indoor, outdoor- doubles, 4-man, grass and beach since 1988.

Highlights include Air Force USAFE Champions 1988, second place AMC Championship 1995; Several top 3 finishes in regional men’s open tournaments 1991-1998. Base Level Setter from 1994-2000. He has played tournaments in seven different countries. His coaching experience includes: Air Force Squadron Coach from 1993-2010 with two Base Championships, never finishing below 5th place, ever.

In 2017-19, Dennis was the Colorado Mesa University Head Coach for the Men's and Women's Club Programs. In 2017, his CMU Men's team finished 5th in the Region.

GRAND JUNCTION

Coach Nick Hazlewood has coached with United Volleyball Club since 2017 and has coached athletes across multiple indoor age groups, including 14s, 15s, 16s, 17s and 18s. He currently serves as the Head Coach of Grand Junction High School Volleyball and continues to coach and develop athletes through United’s indoor and beach programs.

Nick’s coaching philosophy centers on developing technically sound athletes, increasing volleyball IQ, building confidence and preparing players to compete at the highest level. He is passionate about helping athletes push their limits both on and off the court while creating an environment built around accountability, competition and personal growth.

Nick has extensive experience coaching at the national level. In 2017, he served as an assistant coach for United’s 17 National Team, which finished 5th at the Crossroads National Qualifier. In 2018, Nick coached Kassie Luce and Campbell Atkins to the Gold Medal Round at the USA Volleyball Beach National Championships in Siesta Key, Florida, marking United’s first Gold Medal Round finish at Beach Nationals.

Nick has continued to develop successful beach athletes throughout the years, helping United teams qualify for USA Volleyball Beach Nationals and compete at the highest levels nationally. His coaching experience includes athletes competing in the 12s through 18s age groups, with United athletes earning Gold Medal Round finishes and top-10 national results. United’s Beach Program has consistently produced nationally qualified teams, including multiple teams advancing to USA Volleyball Beach Nationals in recent seasons.

In addition to his club coaching responsibilities, Nick works with the USA Volleyball Beach National Team Development Program (NTDP), gaining experience within the national development pathway and working with some of the country’s top emerging beach volleyball athletes.

Coach Shaylee Ten Eyck has been playing and watching volleyball for over 20 years. She brings 4 years of coaching experience and has coached both club and high school volleyball. She played setter in high school and club and took pride in being a leader and role model for her peers. Shaylee’s coaching philosophy is centered around developing the whole athlete. Fundamental volleyball skills are critical to our game; however, interpersonal skills and mentality are cornerstones of athlete development. She places a large emphasis on team dynamics and preparing athletes to bring their best selves to the court and outside the gym.

Shaylee enjoys being a smiling face on the sideline for her players. She became a coach because of the valuable life lessons learned through playing volleyball. Our time on the court may come to an end, but the lessons learned will stick with us for life. When Shaylee’s not at the United Facility, she likes to spend time with her husband, Seth, and their 2 dogs, Loki & Winnie.

Coach Kassie Luce is the Head Coach of the 12s and Assistant for the 18s. Kassie was a college setter at South Dakota School of Mines. She is also United Alumi, playing with United since she was 10. In 2018, she finished 17th in the Nation with her partner in Siesta Key, Florida.

Coach Kennan Vance is the Assistant for the 17s Team.

Dr Vance was a DI Middle for BYU Men's Volleyball Team from 1994-1997. He played for BYU Hall of Fame Coach Carl McGown. During Dr Vance's Senior Season, BYU was ranked fourth in the nation.

Coach Travis Carpenter is the Head Coach of the 15 Regional Team. Travis has been coaching volleyball at the middle school, high school, and club level for 13 years, most recently as the 8th grade coach at Orchard Mesa and the 13U coach at Red Volleyball Club.

Before moving to Colorado in the summer of 2025, Travis was in his third season coaching at Davenport North High School in Iowa and in his fifth season coaching with Platform Elite Volleyball Club in the Quad Cities. He is an extremely enthusiastic coach, and that enthusiasm is matched by high expectations for his players’ attitudes and execution on the court. He believes strongly in developing the whole athlete beyond just volleyball, and he places an emphasis on mental focus, having a positive attitude, grit and toughness, good sportsmanship, and being the best teammate possible.

Coach Lydia Heffer is the Asst Coach of the 15 Regional Team. She has nearly 15 years of volleyball experience, beginning with club volleyball in 5th grade and continuing through high school. She played setter throughout her playing career and began coaching middle and high school volleyball while in college. Lydia is now in her 5th season of coaching overall and her 2nd season coaching in the Grand Valley. Volleyball played an important role in her own development as a player and leader, and she enjoys passing that experience on by helping athletes build strong fundamentals, confidence, leadership skills, and a love for the game. As a competitive coach, Lydia strives to create an environment where athletes are challenged to grow while enjoying the sport.

Coach Avrie Waite is an Assistant for the 13s. Avrie is United Alumni and played for United Volleyball for five years.

Coach Lexi Thornton is an Assistant for the 13s.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS

Coach Jason Obreque has played both the Setter and Libero positions with different teams at different levels of play from high school through collegiate winning many championships along the way. He developed his love for the game at a very young age from his father and has continued to surround himself with the game in one way or another. In 2007, Jason was a libero / setter practice player for the Argentinan National Team.

“I love that moment when one of your players pulls off a play that we have been practicing, in a game, and looks over to you on the bench with a huge smile as if to say “Nailed it”; makes all the hard work, time and effort put in, worth it.”

Coach Tristan Purdy is the Head Coach of the 16-1 team in Glenwood Springs and JV Head Coach at Aspen High School. He is one of the more enthusiastic beach and grass doubles players you'll find on this side of the state. An indoor convert on account of Colorado winters, Tristan took up club coaching in 2023 and hasn't looked back since- now coaching beach in the summer, high school in the fall, along with club in the winter.

A former college athlete (DII lacrosse), Tristan strives to be the coach he would've wanted as a young athlete and values nothing more than sharing the love of the game and fostering a healthy relationship with competition and sport with the next generation.

Coach David Chadbourne is an Assistant for the 16s Glenwood Team and the Head Coach of the Aspen High School Team, who finished 5th in State last season.

Coach Asia Arellano is from Southern California where she played four years of high school volleyball and played club.

Asia had the opportunity of learning from many different coaches and will bring my knowledge and help grow this upcoming team’s abilities and passion for this sport!

Coach Larisa Gray played at Colorado Mesa University as a Setter and Defensive Specialist. She's won numerous doubles tournaments in Colorado, including Steamboat Doubles and Vail King of the Mountain at the A level. Larisa coached 17s and 14s for Western Colorado Volleyball Club and Fruita Monument JV. Since then, Larisa has been busy raising her own kids. Larisa is an Asst Principal at Rifle HS.

Coach April Trulove brings a high level of collegiate playing experience and more than six years of coaching experience to the United volleyball program. Her playing career began at Northeastern Junior College, where she competed for two seasons before transferring to the University of West Florida (UWF) to complete her collegiate career. April earned a full-ride athletic scholarship throughout all four years of college volleyball.

April’s experience extends beyond the indoor court. She has competed in beach doubles volleyball since the age of 12, developing a strong understanding of court strategy, ball control, communication, and the ability to read the game. As a coach, April has worked with middle-school-aged athletes for more than six years and is entering her third season coaching with United.

She brings a competitive mindset and a strong emphasis on fundamentals, game awareness, communication, and confidence. Her collegiate experience gives her a unique perspective on what it takes to compete at a high level, while her years of coaching have taught her how to effectively develop athletes at each stage of their growth. April is passionate about helping athletes push beyond their comfort zones, develop confidence in their abilities, and learn what it means to be a committed and dependable teammate. Her goal is to challenge athletes to become stronger players while creating a competitive, positive environment where they can develop the skills and mindset necessary to take their game to the next level.

Coach Krysta Trulove played volleyball all four years of high school and continued playing club volleyball. Volleyball has been a passion of mine from a young age, and I really found my way back to the sport when my daughter started playing for United. For the past two years, I have had the opportunity to coach 7th and 8th grade middle school volleyball. Coaching has been such a rewarding experience, and I’m excited to continue growing as a coach and sharing my love of the game with young athletes.