Temecula Viper Volleyball Club

JuJu Tuiolosega has committed to Central Arizona College. Juju is tremendously athletic and has one of the biggest verticals in Viper. She is known for her big BLOCKS and her big swings and will bring a lot of strength to the new program at Central Arizona. Juju has a sister in the club, Justus, who plays on our 15-Elite team.

Congratulations to Juju and her family!

Taylor Lund, a senior from Temecula Valley High School and a first year player for Viper, committed to Azusa Pacific this past month. Her family has alumni from Azusa and this was truly Taylor's dream school. Taylor has only been playing for two years and shows tremendous athleticism and potential as a volleyball player. Former Viper coach, Chris Kiefe, is excited to have a player like Taylor on his squad.

Why did you pick Azusa? I chose Azusa because I love the campus and the environment, and the team was very welcoming!

Did you visit the campus? If yes, what did u like about the school and volleyball program? Yes I did. I like that everyone at the school is very friendly and nice, and that the campus is close to home. The volleyball program has an excellent history that I am looking forward to being a part of, and I also was very impressed with the girls and Coach Keife.

What are u most excited about for college? I am most excited about meeting new friends and playing for a new school. I love playing for a school, it gets you connected right away and I am excited for that!

What can u share w young vipers about the recruiting process? I would say to start getting your name out there early. If you have schools that you are interested in, don't wait for them to come to you, you make the first move and email them!

Elizabeth "Liz" Culhane committed in April to Yavapai Junior College in Prescott Arizona. Liz has been a strong developing player in Viper's program for many years and has improved so much in every position. Liz has played for our Elite teams and currently plays middle on the 18-1s.

Congratulations to Liz and her parents on a great school!

Learn from Liz and her recruiting experience and decision here!

I chose Yavapai because of the location - it's not far from home. Also, they have a great nursing program which is my major. I had a great time when I went on a visit to the YC campus. I like the coaching staff and the girls on the team.

Yavapai is a DIV 1 Junior College and in a very competitive conference. I was offered a FULL SCHOLARSHIP which covered everything from tuition,fees,books,housing and food. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to go to YC and be a part of their Volleyball Program.

I like the campus, small and easy of getting around. They have a tremendous community support, academic support services, full time sports medical staff, a learning center on campus offers free tutoring in every subject. Great nursing and science facility. Their housing has a full kitchen for the girls to share. Our goal this year is winning the Conference Championship and advanced to the National Tournament. Go Roughriders!

The recruiting process was overwhelming and difficult, time consuming and I had to do a lot of research. Including sending out a lot of emails and asking questions. Getting a scholarship was one thing, but playing for the right coach and their volleyball program is another you have to consider. I asked a lot of questions during my recruitment process. You have to make sure what does scholarship that is offered to you cover and not cover.

I have played for Viper for four years now. Starting with the 14-Elite Steve Jones, 15-Elite Steve Jones, 17-Elite Rachel Williams, and 18-Elite Brian Way.

Be yourself! Great athletes understand you must fail before you succeed. To be successful you must fight, it is a long hard journey that everyone must go through, but the destination will be sweet. Also, practice, practice, practice you can only get better.

Amanda Trimble will be attending the University of Albany in New York. Amanda has played for Viper for 10 years, and has been on numerous Elite teams. She was a libero/DS for our 18-1s in both 2010 and 2011. She is excited to continue her volleyball career... read more about why here!

Why did you pick Albany? I picked Albany because it was the best fit for me academically and athletics wise. It is also a gorgeous campus where I can really see myself being happy. Thank to Coach Sparks of Quinnipiac for helping me find this school!

What are you most excited about for college? I am most excited for the volleyball because it is extremely competitive and I know that it will be a fun challenge for me. I am also excited to meet a lot of new people and finally be out on my own.

What coach had the biggest impact on you so far, and why? The coach that had the biggest impact on me is probably Aaron Capp because, not only is he a great coach, he made sure I always remembered that volleyball is about having fun and competing, and that there are more things to life then just playing sports.

Will you every get to play your sister? I will not get to play my sister because we are in two different conferences. I wish though!

Anything else... I would like to thank all my coaches and assistant coaches I have ever had at Viper, Chaparral High School, and of course Ed. If it wasn't for all of you I would not be getting this amazing opportunity. I also want to thank my family, the Amatulli's, the Kushner's, and many other families for always being there for me along the way.

Rocky and her family have been a part of Viper for over 10 years. Rocky has been one of the top liberos in the club since she was young. She has been the top libero in the club, playing for our 18-1s, for four straight years.

Congratulations to Rocky and her family!

Learn more about Rocky and her experience in this Q&A:

I chose mssu because I fell in love with the team instantly and the campus was perfect! Not too big but not too little. The team is like a big family and I'm going to need that being so far away from mine. The atmosphere there is so different and I'm always up for a different setting.

The recruiting process was pretty dificult because I did alot of by myself. I had to look up all the schools that were interested in me and look up how good their kinesiology (my major) program was. But in the end it was very worth it because I found my perfect fit for me.

What i liked on my visit was how small the school was. I don't want to go to a big University. I wanted to be able to ask the teachers for help during a lecture. I also loved the atmosphere of the gym, it was small but everyone goes and everyone gets into it.

It was good for me to keep my head up even if the school i really wanted to go to turned me down, i kept pushing forward. It also helped having my parents there by my side pushing me telling me to not give up and how proud they were of me and seeing my accomplishments.

On March 14th, Ashlee Amatulli committed to Rider Univeristy. Rider is a Division 1 University located near Trenton, New Jersey. After getting to the know the coaches, the academic programs at the school, and realizing that it could be a great place for her to continue her volleyball career and get the degree she wants, she officially committed.

Congratulations to Ashlee and her family! They have been with Viper for 9 years and it is awesome to see a player who has put in so much work and effort get this opportunity.

Read more about Ashlee's decision to go to Rider in this Q & A with her:

Why did you choose Rider? I loved the campus and the girls were amazing. I felt like the campus was small enough to feel like a family but large enough to feel like a University. They just hired a new coach who I got along with great and who is looking forward to building a great program there. I am excited to be apart of the program and University!

I believe the recruiting process was challenging and time consuming. Researching the volleyball program and the education program was very meticulous. Although very drawn out, it WAS a lot of fun and important because you want it to be a good fit overall.

On March 13th, Lexi Hein committed to the University of Arkansas Little Rock. Lexi has received a full-ride scholarship and will be representing the UALR Trojans at the Division 1 level in the Sun Belt Conference!

Lexi was highly recruited by a number of differnet schools, but after visiting the campus a few weeks ago and working with the coaches, Lexi felt like UALR was the place for her to begin the next phase in her life. We couldn't be more excited for her! 

Read the Q & A below where Lexi describes what this process was like for her.

Why did I choose Arkansas? I loved the team and coaches, they were like one big family. Also, I loved the whole atmosphere. It's a great opportunity to play volleyball at such a high level.

Was the recruiting process hard? fun? Well the recruiting process was pretty difficult just because I put in a lot of work myself, looking up schools, sending out a bunch of emails and videos. But it was fun in the end when I got to go on all my visits and had a lot of interest. The more time and effort you put into the recruiting proccess the more you'll get out of it.

What did I like about Arkansas when I went on a visit? All the girls made me feel so comfortable and welcome. Also, I fell in love with the gym, it's amazing.

What was instrumental in helping me achieve my goal of getting a full ride to a d1 school? It was important to stay positive and keep pushing myself to reach that high level of play. Things didn't always go in my favor, but I just had to keep perservering through all the tough times. During tough times it helped to remember how much I loved playing and how I am just glad to be given the opportunity to play.

Congratulations to Kym for committing to play for Cal State Los Angeles in February of 2011. Kym has played for Viper for 6 years and has been a strong and dynamic player her whole career. It has been a lot of fun to watch Kym grow and mature as a player and person and we coudln't be more happy for her!

Get to know Kym and her process with this Q&A:

Why did I choose CSULA? Location & History. I am very excited to be close to home and have my family and friends come to my games. My dad has been by my side all my volleyball years as a coach or assistant, and I'm glad he'll be a part of my college years too. Secondly, I am also excited to be part of a team with an impressive winning history. Coach Randi had a lot of excitement and faith in me to come in as a Freshman and be an impact player, so I am looking forward to making her proud of her decision to have me.

Was the recruiting process hard? I was actually very fortunate not to have a lot of stress during the recruiting process. The timing was perfect. Coach Randi was at our first tournament of the year in January and made it clear that she wanted me on her team. That was on a Sunday and I was on an official visit that Friday. My stress was different than the other girls. I had to ask myself, "Did I make the right decision?" "Should I have waited until the Senior Showcase? JNQ?" When it came down to it, all I knew is that I wanted to continue playing volleyball and to go to college. That made my decision to commit to CSULA easy to make and stand by with 100% confidence. It was everything I could ask for: a full-ride offer in Southern CA with a winning team, and it's already like family. Coach Randi has been to 6 of my 7 tournaments so far.

What did I like about CSULA when I went on a visit? Again, Location. It took about an hour and a half with traffic. I liked that the campus was easy to get around and the proximity of the dorms to campus. The coaches are great and set me up with two of the Samoan girls on the team as my chaperones. The team made me feel welcome. We had a fun practice, night and breakfast together. It was a really good fit.

What was instrumental in helping me achieve my goals? My parents. They provided me the opportunity to play competitively and I was able to excel at it, and I gave 110% at practice and on the court each and every time. I live and breathe this sport and I gave it my all.

Allysa Medina committed to Hampton University in the Fall of 2010. Her future college coach, Pete, saw her perform at Junior Nationals and knew she was the right player for their program. After many phone coversations and an eventual visit, Allysa decided that Hampton was the perfect school for her.

Congratulations to Allysa and her family!

How does it feel to be committed to play for a division 1 college as a junior? I am very excited about playing volleyball for Hampton University. It has always been my goal to have the opportunity to play college volleyball at any level, I still cant believe that I will be playing Div. 1 Volleyball. I am even more excited about committing as a Junior and how fortunate I am to have been chosen so early amongst many girls that wanted to be apart of the Hampton volleyball program.

What was the recruiting process like? The recruiting process for me was somewhat easy. The Head Coach from Hampton University saw me play in Reno Nevada at Junior Nationals and spoke with Coach Dana on the last day of competition, about the possibility of me playing for his program. I then went on line to find out as much information as I could about the volleyball program. I really liked what I saw on the Hampton website and from there I began emailing the Head Coach once a week. I received letters of interest from many different Colleges and Universities throughout the country, but I really liked Hampton University early on and it really felt like a good fit for me.

What made you interested in Hampton? Hampton University is a mid size school. I think smaller classes makes learning a lot easier. Hampton also offers a wide range of classes and majors. Its one of the most beautiful Universities that I've ever seen. I could really see myself going to school and playing volleyball there.

What were some important factors in your decision to commit? It's a great feeling to have a coach that truly believes in you. I enjoyed my visit to the campus and the players were so nice and they also enjoyed playing for Hampton University and Coach Pete. The students seemed to take a lot of pride in there school and I wanted to be apart of that experience. It felt like home.

What can you share about the process to help other players in our club? I think it's important to think outside the box and to keep all your options open and not be consumed with playing for only Pac 10 schools. There are many schools that although or not Pac 10 offer competitive volleyball and most important, the opportunity to receive a quality education. Follow your heart, I had been told that I was too short to be a hitter. That just made me work harder. Follow your passion and don't let anyone stand in the way of your dreams. I've learned a lot over the years and I am still learning and developing as a player.

Congratulations to Dana for receiving a full-ride scholarship to the University of Florida. Dana and her family have been Gator fans for a long time (Dad, Andy, was also a Gator) and this is a great fit for her as a collegiate student athlete. Dana was very highly recruited since she was a freshman and commited July 24th, 2010 (before her Junior year).

Dana is most excited to play at a high level in college and to continue growing as an athlete, volleyball player and person. The University of Florida has made it to the Top 16 the last three years and to the Elite 8 and Final Four numerous times.

Dana started with Viper in a clinic class at age 9. She showed a great competitive spirit even at that young age. By the time she was eleven she had become Ed Morel's unofficial "pepper partner" and would play until his arm fell off. Her passion for the game continues today with her give everything attitude at practice.

Congratulations to Rachel Quam who has committed to Cal State San Marcos. Rachel will be on the inaugural San Marcos team as they start a NEW volleyball program in 2011. Rachel tore her ACL in the spring of 2010 and joining San Marcos will give her the year to rehab and prepare for her first collegiate season.

She is excited to get started with school this fall and is already working with Coach Sarah Gustin to get on track for next season. Rachel is a very dynamic OH who can do everything on the court. She has played for Viper her whole club career and it has been wonderful to see her grow and mature as both a player and person. Congrats Rachel!

4.  Volleyball in college is going to be really hard, especially in the conference that we will be entering into.  The competition is going to be fierce.  Playing at the level in college will be similar to playing at Viper because throughout my club years I have played at really high levels.  I have also been taught the skills I need to be competitive, and I have learned what it means to be a good teammate.