Meet our Team
Meet Our Team
Our coaching and administration team consists of volunteers from many different volleyball backgrounds. All Stars coaches support the club's philosophy of building young leaders, encouraging all players positively and working with them to improve both on the court and off. We also support all our coaches in their NCCP (National Coaching Certification Program) advancement and certification.
If you are interested in joining the Stars coaching team or administration, please contact us!
Please note that the coaching positions listed below are subject to change.
Head Coaches & Board Members
-
Samantha Mills
PRESIDENT & 18U HEAD COACH
Samantha is a proud former player who returned to the club as a coach in 2019. She joined the Board of Directors in 2020 and was appointed Club President in 2023.
With a strong player-first mentality, Sam is a Certified Advanced Development Coach (formerly Level 2) who has coached athletes from U14 to U18. Her experience includes coaching at Collingwood and Handsworth during the school season, as well as with the Volleyball Canada Regional Excellence Program (VC REP). She is committed to developing players both on and off the court, fostering a positive environment where they can thrive.
Honoured to be a part of the club that helped shape her, Samantha is inspired by the coaches who once volunteered their time to make a difference in her life.
Off the court, Sam works in sales for a Real Estate Developer.
-
Laura Pickard
VICE-PRESIDENT & 17U HEAD COACH
Laura began coaching with the Stars in 2014, but has been coaching volleyball at various levels since 2009. During the school season, she head coaches the Junior Girls team at St. Thomas Aquinas. Laura has experience coaching high performance teams, in 2024 head coaching the BC Summer Games Zone 5 team and in 2025 assistant coaching the BC Cup Zone 5 team. Laura played club and school volleyball on the North Shore until grade 12, and from 2020-2023 played post-secondary volleyball at CBC as a serve receive libero. Through her years coaching and college volleyball experience, she brings a vast knowledge of strategies and techniques to teach her players.
Laura is passionate about the sport and eager to challenge players to unlock their potential and try new things, while making new friends and having some fun along the way. When not on the court, she is a certified web and graphic designer and works at a local ticket broker.
-
Karen Martin
DIRECTOR & 14U ECLIPSE HEAD COACH
Karen has been coaching with the Stars since 2010. She has coached girls' volleyball on the North Shore, both high school teams and club teams, for 15 years. Since 2010 she has coached at Handsworth. Karen played volleyball in high school, for UBC in 1979 to 1984 (mostly Junior Varsity, but also some Varsity) and then women's club volleyball, followed by many years of co-ed rec ball. She is NCCP certified as an Advanced Development Coach (formerly Level 2).
Karen is passionate about the importance of team sport to teenage girls and is thrilled to be able to coach with the wonderful coaching and club admin team at the North Shore Stars. Karen has two grown daughters who also coach with the Stars from time to time. When she is not on the volleyball court, you can find Karen practicing construction law as a partner at Dentons Canada LLP.
-
Abigail Turner
DIRECTOR
Abigail has been involved with Stars since 2016 after her daughter was first selected for the U14 team. In her high school and university days, Abigail was a volleyball enthusiast and played on numerous teams both at school and in the community. More recently she coached the Windsor High School Girls Bantam Team in 2016 and the Girls Juvenile Team in 2017. Abigail currently sits on the Stars Volleyball Club Board, which she been on since 2018. Abigail is a lawyer by profession, a Partner at Harper Grey LL, working mainly in Health and Insurance Law.
-
Sara Freyvogel
DIRECTOR
From the bantam to senior level in high school, Sara played for the Handsworth team and for the Stars as a Left-side/power hitter. She studied Psychology and Humanities at Simon Fraser University.
Sara has been coaching at the Stars since 2016 and has been a referee with the LMVOA since 2015. Sara joined the Stars Board of Directors in 2024 to assist with administrative duties.
-
Emma Dyer
15U HEAD COACH
Emma began playing club volleyball with the Stars at U14 and has been with the club ever since. She has been coaching around the North Shore since 2018 at Windsor, Handsworth and Stars between the U14 to U16 levels. Emma is currently studying at BCIT and is excited to be helping out at Stars for another season!
-
RYAN SAMUELSON
16U HEAD COACH
Ryan started his coaching career with the Stars in 2022. During the high school season he assists the St. Thomas Aquinas junior girls team. Ryan's own volleyball journey began in high school at Kelowna Secondary School as well as the Kelowna Volleyball Club, where he played as a middle and then as a setter. He went on to obtain a degree while playing USPORT volleyball for the varsity team at Nipissing University in Ontario. His experiences as both a player and a coach have given him a well-rounded perspective on the sport, where he hopes to help young players achieve their goals.
-
Meghan Dahl
14U FLARE HEAD COACH
Meghan grew up as a multi-sport athlete; playing mostly volleyball, basketball, and field hockey. She has played at various clubs around the North Shore and joined Stars in her U16 year.
In high school, Meghan assisted with coaching skill and development clinics at the U13-14 level at both Stars and St. Thomas Aquinas. While at University in Ontario, she coached for Leaside Volleyball Club at the U14 level.
Meghan graduated recently with a degree in English Literature and Criminology from the University of Toronto.
Assistant Coaches
-
Emily Hardy
18U ASSISTANT COACH
Emily is a Stars alumna that played school and club all through high school. She graduated from UBC in 2024 with a degree in applied animal biology. She has been coaching with the Stars since 2019 and head coached the U16 team in 2022.
-
Alisa Smigoc
16U ASSISTANT COACH
Alisa joined the Stars coaching team in 2023 after playing for the club for several years. She is currently a student at Simon Fraser University.
-
Cristina Botteselle
18U ASSISTANT COACH
Tina has been part of the Volleyball community since playing on a north shore club team starting at U13, ending with the Stars for her U18 year. After finishing her playing career, Tina began coaching at STA shortly after graduating and Stars in 2018.
Outside of volleyball, Tina is an elementary school teacher who enjoys experiencing growth both in the classroom and on the court. Her background as an athlete and educator brings energy, experience, and a strong sense of teamwork to the coaching staff.
-
SOFIA PARENTE
16U ASSISTANT COACH
Sofia is a Human Kinetic graduate from UBCO, and has just returned from the Netherlands where she was studying and playing volleyball for the past year. She had strong interest in athletic performance and injury prevention. Sofia played with Stars for most of her youth, giving her particular passion for volleyball and the Stars Club. This diverse experience has given her insight into the specific skills required for the sport.
-
JENNY ELLIS-WHITE
14U FLARE ASSISTANT COACH
Jenny played for Stars her whole high school career as well as a middle at West Vancouver Secondary. Jenny is currently in her 5th year at UBC and, after such a positive experience with Stars herself, is now giving back to the club with her time coaching. Jenny brings a vast knowledge of the game to the table having played competitively for so many years. She recently assistant coached the U14 team at Stars and helped out with the senior team at West Van.
-
LISA LIN
14U ECLIPSE ASSISTANT COACH
Lisa grew up playing high school and club volleyball in Coquitlam with Focus - she was a part of the first team in the club. She continued playing competitively in leagues at the University of Alberta and at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. She currently plays recreationally at a competitive level in wome’s and coe-ed leagues, both indoors and on the beach.
Lisa is passionate about working with kids and youth, especially in a sport setting, and strongly believes in sports for life. Lisa is joining Stars for the first time in 2026 and is looking forward to learning and growing along with the athletes.
-
SOPHIA KOSTAMO
16U ASSISTANT COACH
Sophia grew up playing high school and club volleyball on the North Shore. She has assistant coached U16 and U17 at Stars as well as Juniors at STA this past Fall. We are lucky to have her running a Summer Series session this year!
-
SOPHIA SIMPSON
18U ASSISTANT COACH
Sophia played both club and school volleyball in her high school years. She is a former BCO, Ducks, and Action player who returned to volleyball for the 2025 club season as an assistant coach. Sophia is excited to start her journey with Stars and is looking forward to being a part of the community. Outside of volleyball she has recently graduated from the University of Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business.
-
KATIE LOUIE
17U ASSISTANT COACH
Katie played both high school and club volleyball in Vancouver. She has a passion for both coaching, having coached volleyball teams at Eric Hamber Secondary and was a ski coach with Mount Seymour Ski Club. She is currently a student at UBC.
-
ANITA MOYALE
14U FLARE ASSISTANT COACH
With over 10 years of experience playing the sport, Anita Moyale has a love for volleyball that runs deep. She grew up and played the sport all over South-East Asia, but primarily in Vietnam and Cambodia. Post graduation from high school, she went on to be assistant coach on the very team she once played on, guiding them to silver in a regional tournament. Now as an international student in Vancouver, she wants to continue celebrating the sport from the other side of the bench. Having played for years, she knows and understands what different players need from their coaches and makes it her priority to do what she can to bring the best out of each girl.
-
BOBBI TOBIN
ASSISTANT COACH
Bobbi’s passion for sport started young. She played volleyball throughout high school In her small home town of Quesnel, BC, where with great team effort and coach dedication the team qualified for provincials her senior year. In grade 12 she also coached the junior girls at Correlieu and was assistant to the junior boys team. After high school, she played varsity soccer for Thompson Rivers University and UBC Okanagan.
Graduating with her teaching degree in 2006, she coached many sports in a variety of settings. Moving to North Vancouver in 2022 brought many new opportunities. After coaching Bantam Girls Volleyball at Handsworth this year, she is super excited to become a part of the Stars community. Bobbi shares a passion for volleyball and recognizes the positive role of sport in young people’s lives. She is looking forward to working alongside the exceptional group of people at Stars.
-
Leanna Winberg
ASSISTANT COACH
Leanna grew up watching her mother’s volleyball games from the sidelines, and thus developed a love for the sport at a very early age. She played throughout elementary, junior, and high school, culminating her school career with gold medals in both the AAA senior women’s and coed divisions of the City of Toronto; ultimately earning the honour to represent her school as a starting middle at the Ontario Provincial Finals.
Beyond school, Leanna competed at the club level with the U16 Scarborough Falcons and subsequently took home provincial gold with the U17 U of T Toronto Blues. She continued playing competitively during her university years in Halifax before taking a lengthy break to compete and coach athletes in the sport of roller derby.
Following a series of injuries and recoveries, Leanna returned to volleyball in 2022 where she now competes four nights a week in both competitive women’s and coed divisions across Vancouver as a left-side attacker.
Leanna is passionate about creating a safe and grounded environment for the mental, emotional, and technical development of her athletes. She is excited to give back to the volleyball community by coaching with the Stars.
-
Sandy Hancock
SPRING LEAGUE COACH
Sandy has been with the Stars from the start, and has coached U14 and U15 as well as the Youth League. She has coached Elementary school grades 6 and 7, and at Handsworth Secondary school, grades 8 through 10. In her younger days, Sandy was an avid volleyball enthusiast playing indoor and outdoor ball, predominantly beach doubles and triples. More recently, she has taken part in outdoor (recreational level) 6s. In her spare time, she enjoys Irish dancing and step dance.
Sandy served as the president of Stars from 2018-2024 and has played an integral role in shaping what Stars is and stands for today.
-
Natalie Ranspot
ASSISTANT COACH
Natalie grew up on the North Shore and played volleyball through high school and recreationally during her four years at McGill University. She is a NCCP Level 1 certified coach and has been coaching with the Stars since 2013. Natalie also coaches at Handsworth Secondary Schoo1!
Junior Coaches
-
Anika Farris
JUNIOR COACH
Anika is a grade 11 student at St. Thomas Aquinas. She has played volleyball for her school and most recently, the Stars. She is looking forward to getting into coaching and nurturing her passion for volleyball!