COACHING STAFF - scroll for more!

Head Varsity Coach

Barb Birnbaum (she/her)

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Coach Barb played collegiate volleyball at U.C. Santa Barbara then played professionally on the  Beach Tours (AVP and WPVA) for 6 years.  She loves playing as well as coaching volleyball and is looking forward to pushing the Mission Bay players to be the best they can be!

Barb also played water polo at UC Santa Barbara, using her middle blocker skills as the goalie to help her team win the National Championship in 1989. Barb earned her Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences at UCSB. After college, Barb moved to Reno and coached Bishop Manogue High School Varsity girls volleyball team to their first winning season and also on to the State Championship tournament. She and her brother then co-founded the Sierra Nevada Juniors Program in Reno in 1992. Barb moved to Southern California to pursue a career as a geologist with Bechtel, and also competed professionally in volleyball for 10 years, both indoors and on the beach: WPVA, BVA and AVP tours. Barb has also organized and run large clinics for Mile High Volleyball Club in Lake Arrowhead, taught volleyball classes, run clinics, camps, and trained AVP players.

Barb was on the coaching staff at La Jolla High School for three years: she coached the girls Freshman volleyball team in 2009 and 2011 and Varsity Assistant Coach in 2010. Barb was the Director of Operations at Wind n’ Sea Volleyball Club 2010 and 2011, including two Fall middle school seasons and two Spring club seasons.  

Barb then founded La Jolla Volleyball Club with sold-out beach camps in Summer 2011, then launched the indoor program of La Jolla Volleyball Club in Spring 2012 with 8 teams in the inaugural season.  Barb has been coaching and co-coaching top 14s, 15s, 16s and 17/18s teams with LJV, and regularly appears in the Gold and Silver divisions of SCVA rankings, and has notched numerous "upsets" of higher-ranked teams from larger clubs, and has helped over 40 players continue their playing careers at the collegiate level!

Barb has completed numerous coaching seminars and advanced training courses, and never tires of learning new coaching techniques and ways to get the most out of her players.  She has completed USA Volleyball's IMPACT coach certification, she is SafeSport Certified, and has her USA Volleyball CAP I training certification.

Barb is a cancer survivor (2x!) and is truly enjoying and appreciating every moment of life. Barb and her husband have 3 children: their 2 daughters completed 4 years playing NCAA collegiate volleyball in college and now their son is playing volleyball and attending Vassar College (after many years of multiple sports!). 

Go, Bucs!

Head JV Coach 

Jessica Bishop

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Coach Jess will be joining the team as the Head Junior Varsity coach this year. Jess volunteered as an assistant coach for the beach volleyball spring season, leading the Lady Bucs to a perfect 10-0 record and securing the league championships. Additionally, Jess has coached indoor leagues at the Clairemont Recreation Center.

Jess moved to San Diego 25 years ago and has been playing and competing in beach volleyball tournaments ever since. Jess has a deep passion for volleyball and a talent for coaching others to reach their full potential.

Outside of volleyball, Jess is the Director of IT at the San Diego Airport Authority. She loves yoga, hiking and playing cards. She has two children ages 10 and 12 that keep her on her toes. 

Freshman Head Coach

Jill Geenen

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We are excited to welcome Jill as our Freshman Coach!

Coach Jill is an alum of Mission Bay High School, having played Varsity indoor and on the beach... and has also recently been helping coach our Bucs Beach team...  we are excited to have Jill coach Freshman team indoor this Fall!

MBHS: 2016-2020 Indoor and Beach 

- Varsity Indoor in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 as a setter/ds 

- MB Beach from 2017-2018, 2018-2019 (3's Pair) , no season for 2019-2020 

San Diego City College: 2020-2023 Indoor and Beach (no season for 2020-2021)

- 2021-2022: backup setter for indoor and 3's-4's pair in beach + academic recognition award for both indoor and beach 

-2022-2023: co starting setter for indoor + 1s-2s pair in beach (received ALL-PCAC Team Honors + Academic Recognition Award)   

Southern Oregon University for beach volleyball: 2023-Present 

- Just completed junior year and plan to graduate in the spring of 2025 

Claire Lee (she/her)

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Coach Claire returns for her third year coaching with Mission Bay... as an Assistant Coach :)

Throughout high school, Claire played on her school team as the starting libero. During the club seasons she was the 1st string setter. 

Claire Lee graduated from Grand Canyon University in 2019. 

Claire is a high school mathematics teacher and was the head coach of the boys Varsity team and JV girls team at her last school in Phoenix, Arizona. She is originally from LA but lived in Phoenix for 7 years and moved to San Diego 3 years ago.

Claire also coaches with La Jolla Volleyball Club

Claire is excited to continue to coach and have an amazing season!