Los Angeles Volleyball Academy (LAVA) / SMBC Boys / LAVA Beach
Steven Wise School, 15500 Stephen S Wise Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90077
About
Los Angeles Volleyball Academy (LAVA) / SMBC Boys / LAVA Beach offers youth and juniors club volleyball for girls and boys, including girls club volleyball, boys volleyball, and beach volleyball. The program includes elite club-level beach training, cross-training on the beach for indoor players, and youth and juniors development programs for both girls and boys. It also offers national and regional travel teams for girls and boys, non-travel development programs for middle school athletes, and youth training programs for elementary school girls.
• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Schedule: Club tryouts for the Spring 2026 season (May through June) are April 25–26 or May 02–03 by location.
The Los Angeles Volleyball Academy (LAVA) was established in 2010, and SMBC Boys Volleyball Club was established in 1982. SMBC Boys Volleyball Club has been the official boys volleyball club of LAVA since LAVA’s inception. The girls program fields more than 100 teams annually for girls ages eight to eighteen, and the boys club fields over twenty teams annually for boys age ten to eighteen. LAVA teams can be found in each of the eight distinct age divisions in the SCVA region, and LAVA as a whole is described as one of the premier junior athletic organizations in Southern California and one of the largest clubs in Southern California, combining for more than 1000 teams and 1000 athletes each year. SMBC Boys Volleyball Club is described as one of the oldest volleyball clubs for boys in the country, with the boys club earning more than 100 medals in national competitions across the country and the girls program earning scores of medals in national competitions across the country since inception.
The organization’s mission states that its primary goal is to develop youth and junior athletes and coaches with an athletic blend of talent, technical mastery, volleyball acumen, competitiveness, work ethic, and mental toughness, supported by a passion for the game. The mission also states that the organization is built around notions of family, loyalty, dedication, and reliability, and that it strives to create an environment that players, parents, and coaches are proud of and feel comfortable with, with the pursuit of new friendships, exciting new experiences, and stoking volleyball passion among its objectives. The mission further states that the organization strives to develop not only quality female athletes, but also remarkable young women.
The leadership team includes Director and Principal Nabil Mardini and Director and Principal Trevor Julian, along with Billing Manager Sheldon Sheehy, Registrations Manager and Travel Coordinator Candice Tunis, and Recruiting Director Samantha Calisto. Affiliate and related directors include Sia Irilian (LAVA North, Girls), Lizzie Aukee (LAVA South, Girls), Michelle Gansert (LAVA East, Girls), Trevor Julian (LAVA West, Girls), Kim Machnic (LAVA Islands, Girls), Catrina Marbach (LAVA Shack, Girls), David Decker (LAVA Mission, Girls), Carrie Wright (LAVA Oaks, Girls), Michelle Swidrak (LAVA Flo, Girls), Ryan Van Loo (SMBC Shack, Boys), Rick Phillips (SMBC North, Boys), and Matt Diaz (SMBC West, Boys). Beach Director David Callis and former Olympian and AVP professional Casey Patterson oversee the entirety of the beach programs for LAVA and SMBC.
Last updated June 29, 2026.
• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Schedule: Club tryouts for the Spring 2026 season (May through June) are April 25–26 or May 02–03 by location.
The Los Angeles Volleyball Academy (LAVA) was established in 2010, and SMBC Boys Volleyball Club was established in 1982. SMBC Boys Volleyball Club has been the official boys volleyball club of LAVA since LAVA’s inception. The girls program fields more than 100 teams annually for girls ages eight to eighteen, and the boys club fields over twenty teams annually for boys age ten to eighteen. LAVA teams can be found in each of the eight distinct age divisions in the SCVA region, and LAVA as a whole is described as one of the premier junior athletic organizations in Southern California and one of the largest clubs in Southern California, combining for more than 1000 teams and 1000 athletes each year. SMBC Boys Volleyball Club is described as one of the oldest volleyball clubs for boys in the country, with the boys club earning more than 100 medals in national competitions across the country and the girls program earning scores of medals in national competitions across the country since inception.
The organization’s mission states that its primary goal is to develop youth and junior athletes and coaches with an athletic blend of talent, technical mastery, volleyball acumen, competitiveness, work ethic, and mental toughness, supported by a passion for the game. The mission also states that the organization is built around notions of family, loyalty, dedication, and reliability, and that it strives to create an environment that players, parents, and coaches are proud of and feel comfortable with, with the pursuit of new friendships, exciting new experiences, and stoking volleyball passion among its objectives. The mission further states that the organization strives to develop not only quality female athletes, but also remarkable young women.
The leadership team includes Director and Principal Nabil Mardini and Director and Principal Trevor Julian, along with Billing Manager Sheldon Sheehy, Registrations Manager and Travel Coordinator Candice Tunis, and Recruiting Director Samantha Calisto. Affiliate and related directors include Sia Irilian (LAVA North, Girls), Lizzie Aukee (LAVA South, Girls), Michelle Gansert (LAVA East, Girls), Trevor Julian (LAVA West, Girls), Kim Machnic (LAVA Islands, Girls), Catrina Marbach (LAVA Shack, Girls), David Decker (LAVA Mission, Girls), Carrie Wright (LAVA Oaks, Girls), Michelle Swidrak (LAVA Flo, Girls), Ryan Van Loo (SMBC Shack, Boys), Rick Phillips (SMBC North, Boys), and Matt Diaz (SMBC West, Boys). Beach Director David Callis and former Olympian and AVP professional Casey Patterson oversee the entirety of the beach programs for LAVA and SMBC.
Last updated June 29, 2026.
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