University Southern California Trojans
Van Niel and Dunphy Join Women’s Volleyball Coaching Staff
February 12, 2018 | Women's Volleyball, Features
USC head coach Brent Crouch completes his staff as the program prepares for the 2018 season
LOS ANGELES – The USC women's volleyball program has hired JJ Van Niel and Alex Dunphy to complete its coaching staff head coach Brent Crouch announced on Monday, Feb. 12. Van Niel will serve as the team's associate head coach and Dunphy is an assistant coach and the program's recruiting coordinator.
"I am thrilled to have Alex and JJ join our staff," said Crouch. "Raised in Southern California, both are alumni of USC, have coached at several high-level programs, and have each experienced a great deal of success. They have each been integral to the achievements of the programs they have worked with. My goal of developing a deep and mutually beneficial connection between USC and USA Volleyball will take another step forward with both Alex and JJ, as they have each served in important coaching and consulting roles with several USA teams, including the National Team. This is an A+ staff."
Dunphy returns to her alma mater, where she was a member of the 2003 NCAA champion USC squad, following a year as the assistant director of operations and video coordinator for Minnesota.
"Alex will serve as our recruiting coordinator," said Crouch. "With her knowledge and experience at USC; and her contacts around the country, she'll hit the ground running recruiting. Alex also brings valuable knowledge and insight from top programs in the Big Ten."
"I want to thank Brent for giving me the opportunity to return to my alma mater as an assistant coach," said Dunphy. "I have great respect for him as a person and teacher, and I am excited to work with someone of his caliber. I loved my time at USC and am extremely proud to be associated with this program and University."
Prior to her time with the Golden Gophers, Dunphy served as an assistant coach at Pepperdine for three seasons (2014-16) and was an assistant coach at Miami in 2013. With the Hurricanes, she trained the setters and assisted with recruiting, practice planning, and video breakdown. Miami went 19-12 overall and made its fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament.
In the summer of 2016, Dunphy served as an assistant coach with the U.S. Collegiate National Team that competed in China.
Prior to her first assistant coaching appointment at Miami, Dunphy held the office of Director of Operations with the Pepperdine men's volleyball program. Dunphy grew up in Malibu and is the daughter of Waves' Hall of Fame coach Dr. Marv Dunphy who headed the men's program for three decades.
Dunphy's resume also includes stints with the Santa Monica Beach Club and USA Volleyball as the Head of Delegation for the 2012 U.S. Women's Junior National Team during the squad's run at the NORCECA U20 Continental Championship in Managua, Nicaragua. That year, Team USA won bronze medals and earned a bid to the 2013 FIVB Women's Junior Continental Championship.
In 2007, Dunphy graduated from USC with a degree in communication from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She was a member o the Women of Troy for two seasons (2003-04). Dunphy earned her master's degree in communication from Pepperdine in 2015.
Van Niel served as an assistant coach at Utah for two seasons (2015-16) before he was promoted to associate head coach for the 2017 season. He helped the Utes to a 20-12 season in 2016 and a 24-10 record in 2017 as Utah advanced to the NCAA regional semifinal for just the third time in program history.
"JJ will serve as our associate head coach," announced Crouch. "He will be heavily involved with practice planning, scouting, and oversee the analytics staff. Coming from the University of Utah, he already knows the Pac-12 very well, and has demonstrated the ability to push programs to new heights."
"I would like to thank Lynn Swann, Donna Heinel, and Brent Crouch for this incredible opportunity," said Van Niel. "My family and I are excited to be joining the USC volleyball family. Throughout the process, Donna and Brent have made my family and I so comfortable knowing just how committed the University is to the both student-athletes and the volleyball program. I can't wait to get started working with the team and returning to my hometown and alma mater. Fight On!"
Prior to his time at Utah, Van Niel was a consultant coach and scout for the U.S. Women's National Team, where he also served as a team leader and has assisted group training since 2013. While with the USWNT, Van Niel was responsible for coordinating and performing data analysis, game planning, and assistance during on-court practices.
Van Niel helped lead Team USA to a fourth-place finish at the 2013 U23 World Championships, a silver-medal finish at the 2014 VolleyMasters and a gold medal at the 2014 World Championships. In 2016, he served as a scout coach for the U.S. Women's National Team at the Rio Olympic Games.
Since 2006, Van Niel has worked with Coast Volleyball Club in San Diego, where he has served as head coach for the club's elite travel teams. His 17-1 squad won the Pacific Northwest National Qualifier and earned a bid to the USA Junior Nationals Open Division. In addition to his coaching duties, Van Niel also served as the club's Chief Financial Officer.
Van Niel led four different Coast 16s and 17s teams to gold, bronze, fifth-place, and 10th-place finishes in the Open Division of the USA Volleyball Girl's Junior National Championships. In eight national qualifiers, his teams earned five gold medals and a pair of silver medals. In 2012, VolleyballNow.net named him Coach of the Year.
While in San Diego, Van Niel was also an assistant coach for the UC San Diego men's program from 2011-14 and was also head coach at La Costa Canyon High School in 2014. Prior to his stint as head coach, he had served in various capacities at LCCHS since 2010.
Van Niel's coaching education includes being a USA Volleyball CAP Level III coach, working at the USA Volleyball High Performance Coaching Clinic, and having completed both Gold Medal Square Level I and II programs.
Van Niel, earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance, Cum Laude, from the USC Marshall School of Business in 1998. He then spent 12 years in the financial world (two in investment banking in San Francisco, four at a distressed debt hedge fund in Los Angeles, and six at an activist hedge fund in San Diego) before entering the volleyball-coaching field. Van Niel and his wife Maria have three children: Kaleb (15), Olivia (10), and Nathaniel (8).
"Finally, and most importantly, JJ and Alex are high-character people, excellent teachers, and will be fantastic mentors for our young student-athletes," said Crouch. "Current players and future recruits will be learning volleyball at the highest level and will also have a positive experience in our program that sets them up for success in life; in the USA gym, overseas playing pro, and beyond."
The Women of Troy (25-10) received the 10th seed and appeared in the program's 27th consecutive NCAA championship tournament (35th all-time) in 2017. The Trojans defeated Central Arkansas in the first round and upended No. 9-ranked San Diego in the second round to advance to the Gainesville Regional Championship hosted by No. 2-seed Florida. There, USC took down seventh-seeded Minnesota in a three-set sweep to advance to the team's sixth NCAA regional title match in eight years. The Women of Troy finished in second place in the Pac-12 (14-6) after being selected to finish sixth in the coaches' preseason poll.
For more information on the USC women's volleyball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on Periscope, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram.
"I am thrilled to have Alex and JJ join our staff," said Crouch. "Raised in Southern California, both are alumni of USC, have coached at several high-level programs, and have each experienced a great deal of success. They have each been integral to the achievements of the programs they have worked with. My goal of developing a deep and mutually beneficial connection between USC and USA Volleyball will take another step forward with both Alex and JJ, as they have each served in important coaching and consulting roles with several USA teams, including the National Team. This is an A+ staff."
Dunphy returns to her alma mater, where she was a member of the 2003 NCAA champion USC squad, following a year as the assistant director of operations and video coordinator for Minnesota.
"Alex will serve as our recruiting coordinator," said Crouch. "With her knowledge and experience at USC; and her contacts around the country, she'll hit the ground running recruiting. Alex also brings valuable knowledge and insight from top programs in the Big Ten."
"I want to thank Brent for giving me the opportunity to return to my alma mater as an assistant coach," said Dunphy. "I have great respect for him as a person and teacher, and I am excited to work with someone of his caliber. I loved my time at USC and am extremely proud to be associated with this program and University."
Prior to her time with the Golden Gophers, Dunphy served as an assistant coach at Pepperdine for three seasons (2014-16) and was an assistant coach at Miami in 2013. With the Hurricanes, she trained the setters and assisted with recruiting, practice planning, and video breakdown. Miami went 19-12 overall and made its fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament.
In the summer of 2016, Dunphy served as an assistant coach with the U.S. Collegiate National Team that competed in China.
Prior to her first assistant coaching appointment at Miami, Dunphy held the office of Director of Operations with the Pepperdine men's volleyball program. Dunphy grew up in Malibu and is the daughter of Waves' Hall of Fame coach Dr. Marv Dunphy who headed the men's program for three decades.
Dunphy's resume also includes stints with the Santa Monica Beach Club and USA Volleyball as the Head of Delegation for the 2012 U.S. Women's Junior National Team during the squad's run at the NORCECA U20 Continental Championship in Managua, Nicaragua. That year, Team USA won bronze medals and earned a bid to the 2013 FIVB Women's Junior Continental Championship.
In 2007, Dunphy graduated from USC with a degree in communication from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She was a member o the Women of Troy for two seasons (2003-04). Dunphy earned her master's degree in communication from Pepperdine in 2015.
Van Niel served as an assistant coach at Utah for two seasons (2015-16) before he was promoted to associate head coach for the 2017 season. He helped the Utes to a 20-12 season in 2016 and a 24-10 record in 2017 as Utah advanced to the NCAA regional semifinal for just the third time in program history.
"JJ will serve as our associate head coach," announced Crouch. "He will be heavily involved with practice planning, scouting, and oversee the analytics staff. Coming from the University of Utah, he already knows the Pac-12 very well, and has demonstrated the ability to push programs to new heights."
"I would like to thank Lynn Swann, Donna Heinel, and Brent Crouch for this incredible opportunity," said Van Niel. "My family and I are excited to be joining the USC volleyball family. Throughout the process, Donna and Brent have made my family and I so comfortable knowing just how committed the University is to the both student-athletes and the volleyball program. I can't wait to get started working with the team and returning to my hometown and alma mater. Fight On!"
Prior to his time at Utah, Van Niel was a consultant coach and scout for the U.S. Women's National Team, where he also served as a team leader and has assisted group training since 2013. While with the USWNT, Van Niel was responsible for coordinating and performing data analysis, game planning, and assistance during on-court practices.
Van Niel helped lead Team USA to a fourth-place finish at the 2013 U23 World Championships, a silver-medal finish at the 2014 VolleyMasters and a gold medal at the 2014 World Championships. In 2016, he served as a scout coach for the U.S. Women's National Team at the Rio Olympic Games.
Since 2006, Van Niel has worked with Coast Volleyball Club in San Diego, where he has served as head coach for the club's elite travel teams. His 17-1 squad won the Pacific Northwest National Qualifier and earned a bid to the USA Junior Nationals Open Division. In addition to his coaching duties, Van Niel also served as the club's Chief Financial Officer.
Van Niel led four different Coast 16s and 17s teams to gold, bronze, fifth-place, and 10th-place finishes in the Open Division of the USA Volleyball Girl's Junior National Championships. In eight national qualifiers, his teams earned five gold medals and a pair of silver medals. In 2012, VolleyballNow.net named him Coach of the Year.
While in San Diego, Van Niel was also an assistant coach for the UC San Diego men's program from 2011-14 and was also head coach at La Costa Canyon High School in 2014. Prior to his stint as head coach, he had served in various capacities at LCCHS since 2010.
Van Niel's coaching education includes being a USA Volleyball CAP Level III coach, working at the USA Volleyball High Performance Coaching Clinic, and having completed both Gold Medal Square Level I and II programs.
Van Niel, earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance, Cum Laude, from the USC Marshall School of Business in 1998. He then spent 12 years in the financial world (two in investment banking in San Francisco, four at a distressed debt hedge fund in Los Angeles, and six at an activist hedge fund in San Diego) before entering the volleyball-coaching field. Van Niel and his wife Maria have three children: Kaleb (15), Olivia (10), and Nathaniel (8).
"Finally, and most importantly, JJ and Alex are high-character people, excellent teachers, and will be fantastic mentors for our young student-athletes," said Crouch. "Current players and future recruits will be learning volleyball at the highest level and will also have a positive experience in our program that sets them up for success in life; in the USA gym, overseas playing pro, and beyond."
The Women of Troy (25-10) received the 10th seed and appeared in the program's 27th consecutive NCAA championship tournament (35th all-time) in 2017. The Trojans defeated Central Arkansas in the first round and upended No. 9-ranked San Diego in the second round to advance to the Gainesville Regional Championship hosted by No. 2-seed Florida. There, USC took down seventh-seeded Minnesota in a three-set sweep to advance to the team's sixth NCAA regional title match in eight years. The Women of Troy finished in second place in the Pac-12 (14-6) after being selected to finish sixth in the coaches' preseason poll.
For more information on the USC women's volleyball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on Periscope, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram.
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