DIRECTOR/HEAD COACH

With over 35 years of coaching experience across various levels of competition, Derrick brings a strong understanding of the game and a passion for mentoring young athletes. As Head Coach of the Mount Mystics Women’s Volleyball team, Derrick has led them to numerous playoff appearances and earned Atlantic College Athletic Association (ACAA) Coach of the Year on two different occasions. He has also coached University Kings College Men’s & Women’s, CP Allen High School, Auburn Drive High School, Sackville High School, and Nova Scotia Provincial teams.

Derrick's primary goal as a coach is not only to develop skilled volleyball players but also to build personal growth and strong character in each of his athletes.

ASSISTANT COACH

Jamie began her volleyball career playing for the Sonics Volleyball Club and Sackville High School, where she grew her passion for the sport. She continued her playing journey at Saint Mary’s University (SMU) for one year, contributing to an AUS championship victory, before transferring to Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) for four years, where she won an ACAA championship.

Jamie has been the Assistant Coach at MSVU for 12 years, guiding the team to nine ACAA championships. She has also coached with the Sonics Volleyball Club for 18 years, working with both boys’ and girls’ teams from 14U to 18U. In the summer of 2024, Jamie coached the Nova Scotia Provincial Team, and she will serve as the Canada Games Team Manager in the summer of 2025.

Jamie’s coaching philosophy is built on creating a supportive environment where athletes can develop their technical skills as well as their knowledge of the game. She strives to get younger athletes ready to compete at the post-secondary level.

HEAD COACH

Growing up, Justin was a member of the Sackville Sonics, where he won three NSSAF Provincial titles. This accomplishment allowed him to continue playing volleyball after high school at The University of King's College, where he earned recognition as the 2011 ACAA Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player. He then played as a setter at the University of Guelph for the remainder of his career. After concluding his playing days, Justin transitioned to coaching, working with the Mount Saint Vincent University Women's Volleyball Team, several Sonics teams, and the provincial team at Volleyball Nova Scotia. Currently, Justin is an Assistant Coach for the SMU Women’s Volleyball Team. He is eager to help his team develop competitive experiences and work towards winning a provincial championship.

DIRECTOR/MENTOR COACH

Susan is a SMU varsity alumna and has over 20 years experience as a head coach for Sonics including our inaugural team in 2002. She is extremely passionate about volleyball and the opportunity to give back to our community. She has been involved with Sonics Volleyball Club since the very beginning and is dedicated to making this a challenging, rewarding and positive experience for all of our incredible athletes. We are looking to create a club culture that is supportive, hard-working and focused on success. Success in developing skills, mindset and the ability to communicate and work together.

Susan is also the Board Secretary for Volleyball Nova Scotia and a facilitator for Volleyball Canada (teaching community workshops, smashball courses, etc). She has coached at all levels (Sackville High, Millwood, MSVU, SMU, and all club age groups). Susan is a certified NCCP Level 2 Coach under the old program and a Certified Development Coach under new program (working towards Advanced Coach certification).

In Susan's position as Mentor Coach, she is able to work with all of our athletes, specifically ages 13-15U and provide support to our amazing coaches in whatever capacity they need.

HEAD COACH

Kaitlynn grew up a multi-sport athlete playing volleyball, baseball, and training intensively in 5 styles of dance. Throughout university she focused on dance, teaching youth intensive classes at Maritime Dance Academy and choreographing for the Dal Dance Society.

After obtaining her Chartered Professional Accounting designation, she turned back to sports and began playing and coaching softball and volleyball. In 2023 she found an opportunity with Sonics Volleyball Club to head coach the 13U Blue team, ending the season with a Tier 2 Provincial Silver Medal. In 2024, she was the head coach of 13U Black, ending the season with a Tier 1 Provincial Silver Medal.

In both 2023 and 2024, she also had the opportunity to assistant coach the J.L. Ilsley Girls Softball team, winning the Capital Region Division 1 Championship in 2024. She will also be taking over as the J.L. Ilsley Junior Varsity Volleyball head coach in 2024. Kaitlynn achieved her Certified Volleyball Development Coach status in 2024, and her goal through coaching is to share her love for sports and encourage athletes to work hard and achieve their full potential, while having fun along the way.

HEAD COACH

Coach Chris Sheppard started his volleyball career playing for the Sackville Lakers club team. Chris played for Team Nova Scotia’s Provincial team and Canada Games team from 1994 through 1997. Chris won NS High School Provincials with Sackville High in 1996 and named tournament All Star. In 1997 he was named Nova Scotia’s athlete of the year for volleyball.

After Canada games in 1997, he went on to play for the University of Manitoba from 1997-1999. In 1999 the U of M Bisons Jr team (1st & 2nd year students) won nationals in Red Deer Alberta where he was named one of the tournaments 6 All Stars. Chris also made the Team Canada’s National Jr team that same year.

Chris has been coaching youth baseball and basketball for the past 10 years and has now found his home coaching Volleyball with the Sackville Sonics Club in 2022. He coached the 13U Black & 14U Blue teams to silver medals at provincials in 2022 & 2023. His coaching philosophy is “Hard Work Pays Off” and “ No Ball touches the Ground”.

ASSISTANT COACH

HEAD COACH

Coach Richard's love for volleyball started late in high school after moving to Manitoba, the land of volleyball.  Having been a high-level multisport athlete, volleyball became his focus.  He had a successful high school volleyball career including a silver at provincials. Richard then travelled to the East Coast moving to Nova Scotia to pursue education and career goals.

He has been coaching volleyball at different levels for 20+ years.  He started out coaching with Sonics where he trained different age groups and won multiple provincial titles and medals.  He rejoined the Sonics family in 2020. The past 13 years he has been head coach of Halifax West Girls Volleyball team which has become a top contender annually, winning last year's Division 1 Championships with an undefeated season.

ASSISTANT COACH

ASSISTANT COACH

With 6 years of university volleyball experience as a Libero split between MSVU and Dalhousie University, Becca was honored as a Libero of the Year in 2019-2020. She has been coaching club volleyball for 6 years and spent the last 4 with Sonics and currently serves as Assistant Coach at Dalhousie University. Her coaching philosophy emphasizes defensive and passing strategies, focusing on discipline, grit, and tactical growth.

ASSISTANT COACH

Jade is a proud Sonics alumna and former libero, having played all her club volleyball years with Sonics. She was coached by Derrick Brooks and Jamie Brown, who she now has the privilege of coaching alongside. Jade attended the University of Ottawa and King's College London before returning to Halifax, where she knew she would rejoin the Sonics family. Last season, their coaching staff led the 16U Black team to a 2nd-place finish at provincials. Jade has also joined Halifax West as an assistant coach. Her coaching philosophy centers on creating a supportive environment where players can grow as athletes and individuals, with an emphasis on helping them uncover their full potential and foster strong work ethic. Once a member of the Sonics family, always a member—this sense of community is why Jade loves coaching.

ASSISTANT COACH

Maia Green grew up playing club volleyball outside of Halifax but found a home in the Sonics Volleyball Club through coaching while playing for Derrick, Jamie, and Justin at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU). Over her four-year career as both an outside hitter and libero, Maia was part of the MSVU team that won the league championship in 2022.

Her passion for volleyball and eagerness to grow and improve as a coach are what drive her to be the best coach she can be. Now, having coached U15, U16, and U17 teams with Sonics Volleyball Club for the past three years, Maia shares her extensive defensive knowledge with her athletes. She strives to create a competitive environment where athletes learn how to push themselves and work hard while prioritizing their enjoyment of the sport. Maia is dedicated to helping her athletes develop both technically and as leaders, ensuring they grow on and off the court.

ASSISTANT COACH

Jill grew up playing for Tiger’s and played her last club season with the Sonic’s 18u team. She played for the Citadel varsity team as their starting right side during her time in high school. Following high school, she played on the Nova Scotia Canada Games team before going on to play for Acadia as a right side in her first year. After a career ending injury, she worked as a part of the Acadia Volleyball coaching staff the remainder of her undergraduate degree. Jill is going into her second season of coaching club volleyball. She brings a competitive edge, a passion for sport, and always looks forward to helping develop her players as both great people and strong athletes.

ASSISTANT COACH

Catie grew up playing club volleyball in Halifax with the Tigers, Blizzard and Sonics. She played high school varsity for JL Isley. In Grade 11 Catie played both club and varsity in Rome, Italy where she was selected to the US Dept of Defence Academics European Allstars. Following high school, she played on the provincial beach volleyball team. Catie played in tournaments across the Atlantic provinces and has represented Nova Scotia at the national level. Catie is going into her first year of coaching and is looking forward to working with young athletes and supporting their athletic and personal development.

ASSISTANT COACH

Emily began her volleyball journey in grade 6, competing annually on school and club teams, including the provincial team in 2014. During junior high, she participated in the VCCE program, which emphasized skills and physical training. In high school, she played for CPA and completed her referee training. Emily also competed at the varsity level for the University of King’s College for two years. She started coaching with Sonics in 2022 as the head coach for the U14 Blue team and served as the assistant coach for the U16 Blue team this past year. Emily’s passion for coaching stems from the joy of seeing young players share her love for the sport and watching them grow and develop into better athletes.

ASSISTANT COACH

This is Kate’s sixth year coaching with Sonics.  She is a former Sonics athlete, having played with the club for six years and winning two regional banners as a player for Millwood High School.  As a coach she is a 14U tier one 2022 Silver Medal and a 2024 15U tier one Gold Medal NS Provincial Champion.

Growing up with impactful coaches has inspired Kate to pass down her knowledge and passion for the sport.  She believes in having the players set realistic, yet challenging personal and team goals for the season, and will help keep them motivated/focused on accomplishing them.

ASSISTANT COACH

Taylor has been coaching with Sonics for 3 years. Taylor is a Sonics alumni himself, playing for Derrick Brooks from U15-U18. He also played at Sackville High, where they won 3 provincial championships. Volleyball has always been an important part of Taylor’s life and he is thrilled to pass his knowledge down to the next generation of athletes.

ASSISTANT COACH

This is Brenna’s third year coaching with Sonics. She’s a former Sonics athlete, having played with the club for seven years, and played setter for Sackville High School for three, during which she won a Regional banner, Metro banner and Volleyfest banner. As a coach she’s a 18U tier two 2023 Silver Medal and 15U tier one 2024 Gold Medal NS Provincial Champion. Brenna loves giving back to the sport that raised her and believes in working hard, setting goals, learning to laugh at ourselves along the way, and developing the athletes on and off the court.

ASSISTANT COACH

Megan grew up playing volleyball both on a club team, and junior high and high school volleyball teams. She also has lots of experience working with children including ages 8 months to 16 years. Megan gained this experience through working in a daycare during her undergrad in child and youth studies, teaching pre-primary during a work placement, completing her Bachelor of Education, and now currently teaching with HRCE.

HEAD COACH

Coach Bailey will be entering her second year as a 13U coach. As a former highschool player, she understands the importance of hard work, dedication, and team work. Coach Bailey is committed to creating a positive environment where athletes can grow both as a team player and an individual.

ASSISTANT COACH

Kelly is a dedicated and passionate assistant coach with Sonics, where she has been instrumental in guiding the U13 Blue team to a tier 2 bronze finish at provincials. She also plays a key role as an assistant coach with the Madeline Symonds Middle School boys volleyball team, helping lead them to a division championship. Kelly is committed to fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment that promotes both individual and team growth. Her coaching philosophy centers on nurturing a love for volleyball, encouraging skill development, and building character on and off the court.

HEAD COACH

Tracy Crew has been with the Sonics Volleyball Club for six years, after relocating from New Brunswick to Nova Scotia. Over the past two seasons, she has served as Head Coach for the 14U team, following her experience coaching the 13U and 12U teams.

With a lifelong passion for volleyball, Tracy finds it particularly rewarding to coach a sport she once played. Originally from Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador, she played both club and high school volleyball, while balancing soccer—common in her home province. During this time, she and her teams traveled extensively, earning medals in various provincial tournaments and Winter Games competitions.

Tracy’s coaching journey began in Moncton, New Brunswick, when her daughter started playing volleyball. Initially an assistant coach alongside skilled mentors, Tracy soon discovered a deep passion for coaching. She went on to serve as a Head Coach in Moncton for five years.

For Tracy, volleyball is more than just a game—it’s an opportunity to witness the growth and development of athletes, both individually and as a team, on and off the court. Each season brings a new chapter in the sport she loves.