Coaches

TRACI CALLAHAN: FOUNDER

Traci is a graduate of Concordia University, Irvine where she played volleyball. She was the 2005 NCAA Freshman of the Year, was named 1st team All-American each season, and was the 2009 Female Athlete of the year when she lead her team to the national championships.

In 2010, Traci never having played beach volleyball won the ABC “Battle of the Beach” beach volleyball television event against players from the top volleyball programs in the country.

Traci started her beach volleyball career in 2012 and quickly established herself as a blocker that season qualifying for the AVP Championships.

In 2015, she retired from volleyball became the Assistant Beach Volleyball Coach at Florida State helping guide them to a 2nd place finish in the NCAA Beach Volleyball National Championships.

In 2018, after a three-year break from playing beach volleyball, Traci made a comeback as the 2nd largest defender in the world. During her first tournament back on the AVP tour, she finished 7th. In 2020, Traci and her partner Crissy Jones were the only qualifying team to participate in all three main draw events in the AVP Champions Cup Series, where the top 8 teams in the USA competed in a made-for-TV event.

In 2022, Traci retired for good and shifted her focus to establishing a beach volleyball club. She founded Las Vegas Beach Volleyball in 2023 with the goal of providing high-level beach volleyball training and organizing tournaments in Las Vegas, NV.

SAMANTHA LANE: DIRECTOR OF TRAINING

Samantha Lane is a dedicated professional with a wealth of experience in the world of volleyball. Hailing from Southern California, she was brought up in a family with a strong passion for the sport. Samantha’s own journey in volleyball began at Cal Poly Pomona, where she played as an OH from 2006 to 2009. Transitioning to beach volleyball, she competed at a high level, earning a AAA rating in CBVA. Her commitment to the sport continued as she pursued a Kinesiology degree from UNLV, graduating in 2011.

Samantha’s coaching career is equally impressive. She coached indoor high school volleyball at Bishop Gorman from 2013 to 2015 and then served as a strength and conditioning coach/assistant coach for the College of Southern Nevada from 2015 to 2018.  In 2018-2020, with her extensive background, she took on the role as the Director of AVP Academy in Las Vegas.  Coach Sam has over ten years of experience coaching beach volleyball.

In addition to her professional endeavors, Coach Sam is also a preschool motor skills coach at Hope Christian Prep Academy, showcasing her versatility and dedication to the sport at all levels. Her love for volleyball extends to her personal life, as her husband Mark and their two sons, Casey and Carson, are all part of the volleyball community.  She is thrilled at the prospect of nurturing the growth of the beach program in Las Vegas and is eager to contribute her expertise to the development of the sport.

ANYA OLSEN: COACH

Coach Anya began her indoor volleyball career during her freshman year of high school and continued to compete for a club team throughout her junior and senior years. Progressing to the collegiate level, she served as a right-side player, participating in the NJCAA D1 level at Tyler JC in Texas. Subsequently, she transitioned to the NAIA level at the University of Saint Katherine in Southern California, where she made her debut in competitive beach volleyball, contributing to the team’s victory in the Cal Pac championship, receiving a national championship ring. Regrettably, due to severe injuries, Anya’s collegiate playing career was curtailed, leading her to shift directly into coaching. Throughout her college tenure, she undertook coaching responsibilities at various camps and has since accrued three years of experience coaching at the club and high school levels.