Carissa Calderone, Director of Volleyball and Varsity Head Coach, Volleyball
Years in teaching/coaching: Enters 2023-24 with 10 years in coaching and five years teaching Intensive Reading.
Alma Mater: Magna Cum Laude Bachelor of Arts, Mass Communications, Lynn University, 2007. Earned four-year full volleyball scholarship.
Favorite Bible Verse: Psalm 118:24
Family: Resides in Marietta with her college sweetheart Adam. They have been married 13 years and have three children, Violet (11) Luke (9) Landyn (5), an American Bulldog Cali and trouble-making orange cat, Jack.
Church Attended: North Point Community Church
Career awards, accomplishments, highlights: Calderone has coached 10-plus years of volleyball at the club and high school level including indoor, beach and boys volleyball with Palm Beach Jrs Volleyball Club and #1 ranked club in the nation A5 Volleyball Club. Earned a national bid to compete at USAV National Championship.
Coaching Philosophy: I hope to bring my passion and volleyball experience to Fellowship. I am excited to see how God uses me to help shape these future Christian leaders and female athletes. What I love most about coaching is watching the athletes acquire new skills and grow in confidence as they learn what it truly means to be a team player. I am thrilled to join the Paladin family as a coach, educator and parent.
Vanessa Venere, Head Coach, JV Volleyball
Years in coaching: Enters 2023-24 season with three years in coaching. This is her second season at Fellowship, as she coached the eighth-grade team in 2002-23.
Alma Mater: Bachelor of Science, Business Management with a concentration in Entrepreneurship, University of North Georgia.
Favorite Bible Verse: 2 Corinthians 4:18.
Family: Lives in Gainesville with her husband of four years, a newborn baby girl and terrier mix dog named Rosco
Church Attended: : Revolution in Gainesville.
Career awards, accomplishments, highlights: Coached at Lewiston High School prior to joining FCS, where she was the head coach for the freshman team. She
earned a full scholarship and played college basketball at UNG for her final two years at the school.
Coaching Philosophy: I believe that coaching is about helping people reach their full potential. It's about providing them with the tools and support they need to achieve their goals, both on and off the court. As a coach, I strive to create a positive and supportive environment where my athletes feel comfortable taking risks and learning from their mistakes. I believe that everyone has something to offer, and I'm committed to helping my athletes develop their unique talents and abilities.
Ashleigh Tompa, Head Coach, Eighth Grade Volleyball
Years in coaching: Enters 2023-24 season with more than five years in coaching. She began coaching volleyball after her graduation from Kennesaw State University.
Alma Mater: Bachelor of Science, Psychology, Kennesaw State University.
Favorite Bible Verse: Deuteronomy 31:6.
Church Attended: North Point Church.
Career awards, accomplishments, highlights: Ashleigh is a focused and optimistic Physical Therapist who discovered her passion for movement and rehabilitation through her own experience with physical therapy after a shoulder injury in high school. Originally from Florida, she has lived and coached volleyball in Georgia and Alabama. She became enamored with the field while observing how therapists at an outpatient clinic could significantly improve patients' quality of life through movement and modalities after experiencing a rotator cuff injury that stopped her volleyball career. Ashleigh's background underscored the importance of effective communication, motivation, and understanding the brain-to-body connection, all of which contributed to her client-focused approach to care for individuals with dysfunction (adjustable word). Her time as a state champion volleyball player also led her to coach youth athletes at her former club, providing a gratifying opportunity to give back to the community that fostered her passion for competition and a strong work ethic.
Ashleigh started coaching volleyball right after graduating from KSU and was the assistant to Liz Underwood, the former Auburn University volleyball coach. She would coach in Columbus, Ga., for two seasons before moving to Florida. In Florida, she coached at a small new club called MOVA volleyball that was associated with Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, Fla. She moved back to Atlanta in 2020 and began coaching with A5, the No. 1 club in the nation. Ashleigh coached 17-1s and came in third at Nationals in 2021, and 12-1s that won Nationals and placed second at AAU Nationals in 2022. In 2023, she coached 11-1s and helped the team place fifth at AAU Nationals.
Kate Messner, Head Coach, Sixth and Seventh Grade Girls Volleyball
Years in coaching: Entered 2023-24 season with more than one year coaching.
Education: Graduated from high school at Annapolis Christian Academy in Corpus Christi, Texas. Currently pursuing a Bachelors degree in Business Administration with a minor in Pre-law as a full-time student at Liberty University.
Favorite Bible Verse: Romans 8:39.
Church Attended: Perimeter Church.
Career awards, accomplishments, highlights: Kate started playing volleyball at a young age, and completed nine years of school volleyball and six years of club volleyball. She moved to Georgia about two years ago and coached with A5 in 2023 as an assistant with the 136 team.
Updated Oct. 19, 2023
No coaches were found for this team.
