Bill Hitchcock, director

Bill has been involved in club volleyball for fifteen years as a fan, parent, coach and now as Director of Ignite Volleyball Academy. He has coached Middle School and High School aged athletes for the past 10 years and stresses the fundamentals while working hard to ensure that each athlete improves while having fun. Bill gives back to the community by volunteering at the local Boys and Girls club and other community outreach programs. He enjoys spending his down time hanging out with his wife and four kids, ages 18 to 27.

ali hitchcock, managing director

Head Coach 16-Red

Ali’s love for volleyball started as a player in the 7th grade. From there she played through High School and started volunteer coaching during her Junior Year. In 2016, Ali coached the Varsity squad at Lake Washington High School before deciding to commit to creating Ignite Volleyball Academy alongside her dad, Bill. Since the inception of Ignite in 2017, Ali has been an integral part in coaching and growing the club. She is passionate not only about teaching the skills of the game, but about being a positive role model in the lives of young athletes.

jacob hitchcock

Assistant Coach 16-Red

marsha poischbeg, director of coaching & recruiting

Head Coach 18-Red

Marsha has been coaching kids the sport of volleyball for the better part of fifteen years and has coached in both the High School and Club environments. She brings a wealth of experience and energy to the court providing for dynamic experiences for player and fan. Her passion is working with older girls and helping them not only with improvement of skills but throughout the recruiting process. Since her time with Ignite, she has helped a number of athletes continue their volleyball careers into college.

emily dittoe

Assistant Coach 18-Red

This season will be Emily’s third coaching with Ignite, with prior experience coaching at other clubs in the area as well as in the High School setting. Emily’s coaching philosophy is to create a safe environment that encourages and motivates players to work hard as a team in order to meet individual and team goals. She works hard to instill confidence in her players by helping them to see their strengths while also emphasizing that there is always room for improvement.

kristi eisenkraft

Head Coach 17-Red

Kristi started playing volleyball in the 80’s and absolutely fell in love with the sport. She played at both the high school and college level and is now coaching middle school at North Middle School, JV at Everett High, and is in her fourth season with Ignite. Outside of the gym, Kristi is a high school math teacher. Her favorite thing about teaching and coaching is seeing kids realize their potential.

maggie chadwick

Assistant Coach 17-Red

dez diego

Head Coach 16-Grey

laporsha singh-howard

Assistant Coach 16-Grey

brooklyn johnson

Head Coach 16-White

olivia delach

Assistant Coach 16-White

Olivia is an Ignite VBA Alumni player who is coaching her first season with us!

leanna shymanski

Head Coach 15-Red

jessica eames

Assistant Coach 15-Red

Jessica is an Ignite VBA Alumni player who is coaching her first season with us!

Stephanie Kuhn

Co-Head Coach 15-White

Prior to joining Ignite, Stephanie spent six years on the staff of the Lake Washington High School Volleyball team, including the final three as Varsity Head Coach. In 2015, she became the Head Volleyball Coach at Lake Washington and was awarded "Kingco Coach of the Year.” From 2013-2016, she was a full-time volleyball coach at Nevillizms (Bill Neville's volleyball training facility in Bellevue). Her coaching philosophy is to create a positive, fun, and competitive environment where everyone involved is encouraged to always give their best effort and winning is simply the result of a great program. 

kayla blair

Co-Head Coach 15-White

Kayla is an inspiring coach who loves bringing together athletes and creating a fun team. Kayla grew up in Snohomish playing volleyball, graduated from Snohomish High School, and played both high school and club volleyball. She is a kindergarten teacher and also has spent the last six seasons as the C-Team Coach at Everett High School.

sarah gregarek

Head Coach 14-Red

Prior to joining Ignite, Sarah began her volleyball career at the age of 8 with the Boys & Girls Club. Growing up in Snohomish, she had the opportunity to play for both LAKE Volleyball Club and Snohomish Valley Volleyball Club. She spent her free time playing high school or club volleyball, and fell in love with the sport. She plays on adult leagues both indoor and on the beach, and has been teaching private clinics and lessons. She is excited and eager to coach Ignite this year!

susana diaz

Assistant Coach 14-Red

madi solis

Head Coach 14-White

Madi started coaching club volleyball in 2016, and throughout her rewarding journey coaching, Madi’s favorite part is teaching the fundamentals of volleyball and witnessing each athlete’s growth over the season. Madi has played volleyball since her middle school years and continues to play today in adult leagues and tournaments. She is excited to coach her second season with Ignite this year!

Lacey Cosgrove

Assistant Coach 14-White

jason thomas

Head Coach 13-Red

charlie thomas

Assistant Coach 13-Red

Charlie is an Ignite VBA Alumni player who is coaching her first season with us! Charlie is an incredible setter who graduated from Lynnwood High School in 2024. Charlie and her high school varsity team placed 3rd in the WIAA 3A State Tournament in her senior year season. We are excited to have Charlie as the U13 assistant coach this year!

jason gosser

Co-Head Coach 12-Red

danielle strizic

Co-Head Coach 12-Red

Heather turner

Head Coach 12-White

Heather has been coaching for numerous years at all levels of the game; from Boys & Girls club to Middle & High school levels as well as at the last several years with Ignite. Every time she steps onto the court, Heather exudes an unmatched passion for the game. She loves helping all her athletes reach their volleyball goals and has successfully helped a number of athletes get recruited to play in college. Heather is the Everett High School Varsity Coach, and also coaches at North Middle School.

gracie minks

Assistant Coach 12-White

Gracie coached U14 Red last season, and is excited to start another season with Ignite!  Throughout middle school and high school, she played volleyball and has always really enjoyed the game. Nowadays, she finds adult open gyms to play in, and loves having fun with people enjoying the sport together! During her free time she enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, going to concerts, listening to music, and playing video games. She is a Program Director with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County and has grown her love for volleyball through coaching recreationally and being a gym captain, as well as being a former Athletic Director with the clubs. She loves going to the University of Washington volleyball matches during their season! As an assistant coach, she enjoys taking stats at tournaments, watching film, communicating with parents, helping plan and implementing practices, encouraging the girls, and creating a positive atmosphere for the athletes to perform in.

samantha alexander

Assistant Coach 12-White

Samantha is in her first season with Ignite! During her free time she enjoys spending time with her family. She has an older teenage daughter who plays Varsity Volleyball at Granite Falls High School. For the past couple of years she has been assistant coaching young kids in volleyball with the Boys & Girls Club where she’s grown her love for the game and improved her leadership skills. She enjoys completing practice schedules, coordinating game day snacks, planning team bondings, and communicating with the team parents. Sam takes initiative to watch highlight and training videos so she can help teach athletes how to improve their volleyball skills. Sam is very organized, punctual, and dedicated to helping young girls and athletes grow their love of volleyball and teamwork. She has so much fun while coaching, and enjoys seeing the growth and joy in athletes as they achieve their goals.


Bill Neville, Advisor & clinician

Bill has coached since 1967 and has been on the coaching staff of both the US and Canadian National Teams. He has been on the coaching staff at three Olympics, winning gold in 1984, and coached at the collegiate level, including at the UW, for many years. He has worked closely with other legends, such as Karch Kiraly and has become a volleyball legend himself. Bill works closely with our staff in shaping our club philosophy and coordinating clinics during the season.