Jeffrey Schmitz, a six-year professional setter and an alumni of the University of California, Irvine. He graduated in 2011 with a degree in sociology with a focus in child development. After graduation, Schmitz played for years with professional clubs in Brazil, Finland and Austria.

Schmitz has been coaching volleyball for 18 years. He started his coaching career on the club level in St. Louis at High Performance, and worked his way up to the NCAA Division 1 level as an assistant coach for the UC Davis women's volleyball team. During this time, Schmitz has served as a youth coach for volleyball camps in Brazil and Austria, as well as universities across the United States, including the University of Illinois and Stanford University.

With a sharp eye for detail, Schmitz brings a seasoned level of expertise to the court. His love for furthering the game and developing athletes is serious, yet his approach to the game is a playful one. Schmitz brings a unique level of creativity to the court as he sees it as his playground. He frequently incorporates innovative approaches and different tools to help athletes develop their skills.

Being coached by Schmitz is often described as “focused fun” and his athletes see improvements quickly from his high-impact solutions to challenges. To support these efforts, video playback and analysis are regularly used. Using video helps his athletes make changes in real-time. Schmitz also offers his athletes to send game video for analysis, too.

In addition to ball and game skills, Schmitz mentors his athletes through mindset work. Journaling, reframing, confidence building and offering new perspectives are all regularly incorporated into his coaching. He understands that what’s happening in the mind can impact how the body performs. Beyond awareness, Schmitz offers solutions to these challenges, developing balanced, well-rounded athletes.