Junior Ballers 2027 season kicks off January 21 · Only 60 spots starts Jan 21
Days
Hrs
Min
Sec
Junior Ballers 2027 season kicks off January 21 · Only 60 spots starts Jan 21
The 2027 Staff
Two qualified coaches on every team. Tap any coach to learn more about them. Many of these coaches are previous Junior players and have played at a collegiate level and coach for the local school systems.
Coaches for the 2027 Season
Coaches are subject to change based on need and school affiliation.
Ellen Turner began coaching for Alabama Juniors shortly after college. This will be her 9th season with Juniors and her 15th coaching at the school level. She has coached for Thompson High School, Oak Mountain Middle School, and Briarwood Christian, leading athletes and coaching teams from middle school through varsity levels.
Most recently, she assisted Oak Mountain 8th to win the Metro Championship in 2024 and coached Briarwood 8th to 3rd in the 2025 SOCON conference.
Ellen played collegiate volleyball for UAB in Conference USA, where she played as a middle. A Birmingham native, she played for Pelham High School, where she helped her team win a 6A State Championship, was a three-time All-State player, and led her team with a record 912 kills her senior year.
Outside of volleyball, her faith and spending time with her husband and two children are the things most important to her.
“I love helping players fall in love with the game and develop into stronger, more confident, and resilient athletes, teammates, and leaders on and off the court. My hope and prayer is that what they learn on the court has lasting positive effects on who they become. I love teaching this dynamic game and preparing athletes to compete at their next level.”
Bio coming soon.
Hannah Josey started coaching volleyball in 2017 in Montgomery, AL, where she was the head coach of two state championship–winning teams! After she and her husband moved to Birmingham, she was the head volleyball coach for Briarwood Christian School. Hannah is so excited to join Alabama Juniors this coming season!
“My coaching philosophy is built on three core values: encouragement, development, and teamwork. I’m committed to helping athletes grow not only as players, but also as people. My goal is to create an environment where every athlete feels valued, challenged, and supported.”
Sarah Frances is a former player for Alabama Juniors. She has been playing volleyball for 12 years. She played at Briarwood Christian School in high school as well as club volleyball in middle school. After graduating from the University of Alabama this year, she is excited to start coaching at Alabama Juniors!
“Volleyball has brought me so much joy throughout my life. I’m excited to help young athletes build their skills, grow their confidence, and make lasting memories through the sport. Can’t wait for this season with Alabama Juniors!”
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Olivia has been playing volleyball for 14 years, including competing for Vestavia Hills, where she built a strong foundation in the game. She began her coaching career at the YMCA and is now in her third year with Alabama Juniors, working with athletes across a range of ages and skill levels.
Olivia focuses on developing strong fundamentals while helping athletes understand intent and determination in their play, and is passionate about developing players to take pride in their growth as athletes and teammates.
Ashley began playing volleyball when she was 10 years old. She played at Oak Mountain as well as club volleyball at Birmingham Volleyball Club, then Team Sting/Southern Performance Volleyball Club. After high school, Ashley participated in various intramural volleyball leagues while in college at Alabama.
After graduating in 2021, she moved to Chicago, where her passion for mentoring others extended beyond her playing career as she coached for Chicago Elite Volleyball Club, inspiring and guiding the next generation of athletes. With a dedication to individual player development and team bonding, she is committed to creating an encouraging and competitive environment where players can improve their skills, build strong relationships, and develop a lasting love for the game. This is Ashley’s first season coaching at AL Juniors!
Jasimine earned her Bachelor’s degree in Fitness, Conditioning, and Performance from Auburn University, where she also played club volleyball. She currently works as an acute care Physical Therapist Assistant and has coached volleyball for 8 years. She is passionate about helping athletes build confidence, develop strong fundamentals, and grow both on and off the court through hard work, teamwork, and resilience.
“Confidence grows when you stop being afraid of mistakes.”
Ashley, a former player for Alabama Juniors, is thrilled to give back to the club that cultivated her love for the sport. With years of experience on both the indoor and beach courts, she remains an active player within the Birmingham volleyball community.
Outside of the club, Ashley works daily with children, bringing patience, energy, and a love for teaching into her coaching. She is passionate about helping athletes develop not only their skills, but also their confidence and love for the game.
Aly grew up playing volleyball at Alabama Juniors and Hoover High School, and was a part of the first State Championship team the volleyball program ever had. She went on to play at Samford University as a setter. Aly has been an assistant and head club coach and a head middle school coach. She is so excited to be coming back to Alabama Juniors, where she hopes to help young girls grow into better athletes and people!
“With over a decade of volleyball experience in playing and coaching, my goal is to teach young athletes how to overcome adversity and elevate the team standard on and off the court.”
Destiny played volleyball, basketball and softball and ran track at Addison High School. She played volleyball for 6 years at Addison and was a part of three state championship teams. During her years of volleyball she was on the all-county and all-area teams playing as a defensive specialist, and her senior year as the libero.
This is her fourth season with Alabama Juniors. Before she started coaching with Alabama Juniors, she coached intramural volleyball and College Night Volleyball for two years at the University of Montevallo. Destiny has a degree in Elementary Education and is in her 3rd year of teaching at Bryant Park Elementary in Jefferson County teaching 5th grade math. As she grows in her teaching career, she hopes to one day coach volleyball at the schools she works at. She is so excited for the upcoming season!
Carolann began playing volleyball in middle school and played through high school at Brooke Baptist Academy. She played club volleyball through high school as well and attended developmental camps at UAB. She has previous experience leading group and individual training sessions with age groups from 11 up. This will be Carolann’s first season coaching with Alabama Juniors.
“I believe success starts with hard work, confidence, and a winning mindset. My goal as a coach is to help athletes push past limits, trust themselves, and become better than they were yesterday — on and off the court.”
Kyeli has been playing volleyball since middle school and continued to play in college for 2 years at Snead State Community College and 3 years at Georgia College and State University while coaching club throughout her collegiate athletic career. After graduating with an exercise science degree, she continued her coaching career at Spain Park High School, where she is currently the Junior Varsity Head Coach and a Varsity Assistant Coach. This will be Kyeli’s first year coaching at Alabama Juniors!
“As a coach, I strive to use a shared passion of volleyball to translate the many life lessons youth sports has to offer. I aim to do this through skills such as intentional implementation, emotional regulation, proprioceptive awareness, and mind-body connection.”
Ellen played volleyball and was an all-conference varsity outside hitter at St. Thomas More High School in Milwaukee. She continued to play throughout college on the club team for the University of Alabama. This will be Ellen’s first season with Alabama Juniors!
“I believe in teaching players how to make smart decisions and develop a well-rounded skill set on top of their specialized position.”
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
“From being a setter on the court to now coaching on the sidelines, volleyball has always been a huge part of my life. I played varsity volleyball at Helena High School all four years as a setter, while also playing club volleyball at Alabama Juniors and playing beach volleyball. This will be my third season coaching at AL Juniors.
As a coach, my goal is to help athletes grow in both their technique and mentality while also teaching them not to be afraid of failure. I strive to create an environment where players support and encourage one another while continuing to grow on and off the court. I am so excited for this season and can’t wait to see all that it brings!”
Coach Hallie is part of our 15U coaching staff for the 2027 season.
Full bio coming soon.
“My name is Sydney Wix, and I have been coaching volleyball for 5 years. This will be my third year coaching with Alabama Juniors, a club that I was also fortunate enough to play for when I was younger for 4 years. Volleyball has had a huge impact on my life, and I am passionate about creating an environment where young athletes can experience that same love and growth through the sport.
Some of the most influential people in my life were my coaches, and I hope to be that same source of encouragement, guidance, and support for my players. I love helping athletes build confidence, develop their skills, and learn the importance of teamwork both on and off the court.”
Ni’Keriya began learning the game of volleyball at an early age but didn’t play competitively until 12 years old and continued throughout middle and high school playing at Shades Valley High School and McAdory High School. While she did not compete at the collegiate level, she has not stopped playing the game and keeps her skills tuned by competing in adult clubs and leagues. She has previous club coaching experience with the Alabama Performance Volleyball Club. In addition, she has led trainings and camps catered to ages 9 and up over the years. This will be Ni’Keriya’s third season coaching with Alabama Juniors.
“I have a strong passion and love for the sport and a deep commitment to nurturing young talent. As a coach, I pride myself on teaching the game and fostering leadership skills, teamwork, building confidence and trust among the players, and enjoy watching my players grow and develop their skills throughout the season.”
“Coaching has always been about more than just the game to me. It’s about my calling to help build confident, disciplined, resilient athletes who know how to compete under pressure and lead with character on and off the court. My coaching journey began after years of playing competitively as a libero/DS in high school and club, which sparked my spiritual gift for teaching the game and developing athletes at a high level.
For almost a decade now, I’ve coached multiple age levels across the Birmingham metro area, focusing on defensive systems, setter/libero/DS development, and structured athlete growth.
I believe the small details matter. My coaching style is defined by emphasizing technical training, accountability, and mental toughness. My goal is to create a high-energy gym culture where players feel challenged, supported, and motivated to become the best version of themselves. I’m excited for the 2027 season!”
Coach Tiffany is part of our 16U coaching staff for the 2027 season.
Full bio coming soon.
JoAnn received her BA at Birmingham-Southern in 1973, completed an MA in Administration in 1975 at UAB, and earned her Specialist certification in Physical Education from UAB in 1977. She has been a Physical Education teacher for 40 years and coached for 30 years, coaching basketball, tennis, track and volleyball.
JoAnn began coaching and teaching in the Birmingham area in the Jones Valley area and then at Phillips High School. She then moved to Gwinnett County, Georgia, where she taught Biology, Physical Science, Home Economics, Oceanography and Physical Education, and was the commissioner for softball with the South Gwinnett Athletic Association.
In January of 1991, JoAnn moved back to Birmingham and began working in Hoover City Schools at Simmons Middle School, where she began teaching and coaching volleyball in 2002. Her teams won Birmingham Metro in 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2014, and finished 2nd in 2012 and 3rd in 2010 and 2011. JoAnn has been voted Coach of the Year for Metro South in 2003, 2007, 2012, and 2014.
JoAnn is the director of Alabama Juniors. She started this program with a desire to see the sport grow and offer young women an opportunity to develop an elite level of skill and obtain college scholarships.
Ashley Coleman started her volleyball career back in the early ’90s with Alabama Juniors. She is a graduate of Hoover High School. She knew early on that she wanted to play volleyball in college and continued her career after high school at Christian Brothers University (CBU), a D2 program in Memphis, Tennessee. She received many volleyball awards over her 10 years playing the sport.
After graduating from CBU, Ashley stayed in Memphis, coaching for Memphis Metro Club Volleyball for a few years, and returned to Birmingham in 2022 with her husband, Raymond, and her 3 children Hollis (16), Harrison (14), and Louise (11). She has coached rec volleyball in Vestavia for three years and is super excited to share her knowledge and passion for the sport with up-and-coming athletes.
We are very excited to welcome Michelle Durban back to Alabama Juniors. She has seven years of club experience as a head coach. She was a valuable coach for Juniors and brings a high level of expertise to help players connect with collegiate personnel and guide them through the important recruiting process. She has served on the NCAA DI Volleyball Committee and served as chair in 2019.
Michelle is currently the Deputy Athletic Director at Samford University. She was the head volleyball coach at Samford from 2004–2007. Prior to that, she was an assistant coach at the University of Alabama beginning in 2000 and the assistant head coach there from 2003–2004. Before coming to Alabama, she was an assistant at Butler University and the head coach for Bloomington South High School. She played collegiately at Indiana University from 1991–1996.
Ashley graduated from Thompson High School, where she played volleyball starting in 7th grade. Prior to returning to Alabama, Ashley coached for charity tournaments at Mississippi State and at the YMCA. Since returning to Alabama, she has coached at Thompson Middle School and Alabama Juniors. She is an elementary school teacher and has a son and a daughter on the way!
Ashley has been an integral part of our Juniors coaching and administrative team for the past several years.
Sierra has been around volleyball her whole life. As a daughter of two volleyball coaches, she was always at the gym during their practices and tournaments from a very early age. She began playing volleyball on a team at age 9 with Alabama Juniors, where she continued to play on the highest-level teams throughout her career.
She played school ball at Thompson Middle and High Schools, where she was a two-time All-Metro recipient in middle school and a four-year varsity letterman in high school, serving as team captain her senior year and receiving all-county honors. During that time, her high school teams had three Super Regional appearances and one Elite 8 appearance. After her senior season, she had a second surgery due to injury and decided to end her playing career. She received a full academic scholarship to the University of Alabama, where she graduated with a degree in education.
Sierra has previously taught and coached volleyball at Thompson High School and is now an 8th grade history teacher and 8th grade volleyball coach at R. F. Bumpus Middle School. She was named 8th Grade Metro Volleyball Coach of the Year for 2023 and serves as Co-Vice President of Volleyball for the Metro South Conference. She and her husband Will (who has also previously coached with Alabama Juniors) have one son, Arch.
Sierra has been with Alabama Juniors for over 18 years — playing for 9 years and coaching and fulfilling administrative roles for another 9.
Join Our Staff
We’re always looking for great coaches to add to our staff. Fill out our coaching interest form and a member of our admin team will be in touch soon.
