MEET OUR COACHES

Owner and Director

Coach Lucie has been coaching for almost 15 years. She is the former Head Coach at Ruston High School. Coach Hunt led the Bearcats to multiple winning seasons, district championships, and playoff appearances. She is originally from Hot Springs, AR where she grew up playing volleyball. She has her Bachelor’s Degree from Louisiana Tech in Kinesiology and her Master’s Degree from Arkansas State in Educational Leadership. She can’t wait to see the program develop young players and help them grow the game!

Shreveport/Bossier Director

She has coached all levels since being with our program! She is originally from Dallas, Texas where she began playing volleyball at 8 years old, she played not only school volleyball but travel volleyball since she was 11. Her first year in Travel Volleyball at just 11 years old she was named “Best Athlete in AAU.”

In 2014 she was recruited to play volleyball at Centenary College. Desiree was a 4-year athlete there where she made history by becoming the first Centenary volleyball player to record more than 1,000 digs and 1,000 kills in a career. While there she became the first volleyball player in program history and the second overall to be named All-conference. She also was named to the Louisiana Sports Writer Association (LSWA) All-Louisiana Second Team. In her senior season she led the team by playing in every match (35) and set (123) on the season, finished second in conference, and placed 60th in the nation with 401 Kills in one season.

Desiree graduated from Centenary with a degree in Business Administration and minor in Communication. Out of college she became the head coach at C.E Byrd High school where she led her teams to winning seasons.

This is Jessica Szymanski’s 7th season with RocketFuel Volleyball Club. She is the Head Coach of the RocketFuel 18s Team!

She’s from Seguin, TX, where she lettered in volleyball and basketball for four years at Seguin High School. She received her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from Texas Lutheran University (TLU) where she played 4 years as the starting middle blocker. She received her master's degree in Exercise Physiology from Auburn University in Auburn, AL.

Additionally, she is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. While at Auburn, Jessica worked with 18 Olympic sport teams (volleyball included) for 2 years as the first female Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. She was Head Volleyball Coach at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA for 1 year and helped improve their previous season finish of 2-24 to 12-12. As a former All-American Middle Blocker at TLU and Hall of Fame inductee at both SHS and TLU.

Kaylyn Brazzel is from Ruston, Louisiana and this is her first year on the coaching side of Rocketfuel Volleyball Club! She played for Rocketfuel Volleyball Club and Ruston High School for 5 years. In high school, Kaylyn made 1st team all district Middle and 2nd team all region in 2021, and 1st team all district in 2022. She continued her career to the college level, but has returned to her home town to pursue coaching instead. Recently, she has taken an assistant position coaching at Downsville Community Charter School. Kaylyn is currently majoring in Nursing at Louisiana Tech University, and she can’t wait to start coaching with RVC this year!

I am from Richmond, Texas and played volleyball all 4 years of high school and am currently playing for Lousiana Tech University while working on my Bachelors in Kinesiology and Health Sciences. I am a sophomore at Tech and have been playing volleyball for 11 years now. When I was younger, I was an outside and set for school, but from 14s and on I’ve been a libero. I played club at Houston Skyline Juniors for 5 years before coming to college. Last year I played as a DS and this past season I was the libero. Over the summer, I help out and coach at Skyline with any age group to help build their knowledge and skill about the game. I’m super excited to coach this season and continue to share my love for the sport!

Megan Cooley is a current student-athlete at Louisiana Tech University, where she has completed three seasons as a member of the Bulldog Volleyball program.

A native of Tyler, Texas, Cooley brings a strong and accomplished playing background, highlighted by seven years of club volleyball with East Texas Alliance (ETA). Throughout her club career, she consistently competed at an elite level and played an important role in leading her teams to multiple championship finishes. She was a member of the 2021 Lone Star Classic championship team, which earned a national bid, and the 2022 Tour of Texas championship team in their division. Recognized for both her performance and leadership, Cooley earned multiple MVP honors and served as team captain at both the club and high school levels.

Cooley attended Whitehouse High School, where she was a standout multi-sport athlete in volleyball and track & field, lettering three years in each. She earned First Team Outside Hitter and Co-District MVP honors as a senior in 2022, First Team All-District recognition in 2021, and was named All-East Texas Newcomer of the Year in 2020. In addition, she was a two-time Academic All-State honoree, demonstrating excellence both in the classroom and in competition.

Megan is now entering her second season coaching with Rocketfuel Volleyball Club. In addition to her club coaching experience, she has an extensive background working with athletes through private lessons and youth camps in Texas. She is passionate about developing players’ technical skills, confidence, and love for the game.

Paige Phillips enters her fourth season as the head volleyball coach at Grambling State University. 

Phillips came to Grambling State from North Carolina Central University, where she served as an assistant coach since the 2018 season. 

In 2021, Phillips assisted in North Carolina Central recording 11 victories and nine wins in conference play, the most in the Division I era for the Eagles. In addition, with her guidance, the program secured its first-ever win in the MEAC Volleyball Championship as the Eagles reached the quarterfinals. 

Phillips served as a graduate assistant coach in the 2018 season before being elevated to assistant coach in 2019. 

As a player for the Eagles, Phillips racked up 1,896 career assists, which remains a Division I-era record at NCCU and is fourth all-time in the program. She averaged 5.75 assists per set over four seasons, which also ranks seventh all-time at NCCU. 

Phillips graduated from Vestavia Hills High School in Birmingham, Ala., where as a junior she collected 1,184 assists, 208 digs and 46 service aces on her way to being named the Birmingham News South Player of the Year.  

Phillips graduated from North Carolina Central in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, with a concentration in pre-med. In addition, she obtained her Master’s degree in Biology and Biomedical Sciences from NCCU in 2020. 

Daniel Cabrera was named assistant coach on Head Coach Paige Phillips staff after serving as head coach at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

He led ULM’s indoor volleyball program in 2024 after joining as an assistant the previous season.

Prior to ULM, Cabrera served as head coach for both the men’s and women’s programs at Olivet Nazarene University.

In 2020, he led the women’s team to a 20–2 record, a conference title, and a national tournament berth, earning Chicagoland Coach of the Year honors.

He also launched the ONU men’s team, which reached a national top-20 ranking and finished as NCCAA runner-up in 2022.

Cabrera’s resume includes stops at Culver-Stockton College, work under Olympian Caren Kemner, and coaching for USA Volleyball’s Iowa High Performance program.

As a player, he competed at Hannibal-LaGrange and played professionally for the Great Lakes Lightning. A Chicago native, he starred at Saint Patrick High School, leading his team to a top-50 national ranking.

Bio coming soon!

Coach Swanier is a New Orleans Native, wife, and mother with over 20 years of experience in the world of volleyball. Her passion for volleyball began at the age of 10 playing in a church league and continuing to play competitively throughout school, on multiple club teams, and even in some adult leagues after graduating college where she earned a degree in early childhood education. 

Having captained multiple teams across various leagues, she deeply understands the demands and rewards of being a student-athlete. Her coaching philosophy is rooted in F.A.I.T.H.: Fostering Accountability, Integrity, Team cohesiveness and Hard work. Perfection is impossible; however, Excellence is not. Her passion and commitment is to the development of each individual as a whole. 

She has experience in Clinical & Developmental coaching, coaching in a middle school league and is currently the Head Volleyball Coach at Caddo Magnet High School. She is extremely excited to be a part of the Rocketfuel Family for another season.

Coach Lexi began her volleyball journey at age 9, competing with NWLA Flying Aces. She played as a libero at Evangel Academy in Shreveport and later continued her club career with Wrecking Crew VBC in Longview. With 3 years of coaching experience, she is now in her 2nd season with RocketFuel and recently finished her 3rd season as Assistant Coach at Loyola College Prep, where she is dedicated to helping players grow their skills and passion for the game.

Coach T started her volleyball career at Evangel Academy in Shreveport, LA, while playing with NWLA Flying Aces. She then went on to further her volleyball career in college and played at Central Baptist College. Coach T has 8 years of coaching experience under her belt. She has coached for clubs in Little Rock, Houston, and Shreveport. She served as an assistant coach at Loyola College Prep for two years before becoming the Head Coach.

Coach Kari brings six years of coaching experience and is currently in her third year coaching at the NWLA YMCA, working with athletes ages 6–18. She is passionate about developing strong volleyball fundamentals while building confident, disciplined, and team-oriented players.

Kari believes the lessons learned through sport extend far beyond the court. Her goal as a coach is to help athletes apply the challenges they face in volleyball to real life, encouraging growth in character, resilience, and leadership. She prides herself on treating every athlete with respect while fostering an environment that emphasizes strong character, healthy coping skills, and good sportsmanship. Kari is committed to helping each athlete grow both as a player and as a person while developing a lifelong love for the game.

Coach Bela moved to the United States in 2023 after committing to play volleyball at Clarendon College, a junior college located in a small town in Texas. After two years there, she transferred to LSU Shreveport in Louisiana, where she is majoring in Mass Communication with a focus on Journalism and Public Relations. She is also committed to playing volleyball for the university team during the Fall 2026 season.

She has been playing volleyball for 10 years, starting when she was 11 years old. Throughout middle school, high school, and college, volleyball has been a huge part of her life.

Anaya Hairston is a dedicated and passionate volleyball player and coach from Lancaster, Texas. Currently in her third year competing at the Division I level with Louisiana Tech, Anaya brings a high level of experience, discipline, and competitive insight to the court.

With five years of club volleyball experience, Anaya has trained and competed with respected programs including Texas All Stars and Untouchables EPA. Her background has helped shape her strong fundamentals, game awareness, and commitment to continuous improvement.

Now entering her first year of coaching club volleyball, Anaya is excited to give back to the sport that has given her so much. She is passionate about helping young athletes grow their skills, build confidence, and develop both on and off the court. Anaya is committed to creating a positive and motivating environment where aspiring volleyball players can thrive and reach their full potential.

Grace Krohn is a dedicated and driven volleyball player and coach entering her senior year at Louisiana Tech University, where she competes at the Division I level as a setter.

Originally from Cypress, Texas, Grace played five years of club volleyball with Willowbrook Volleyball Club. Her club experience helped develop her technical foundation, decision-making, and ability to lead an offense at a high level.

During her collegiate career, Grace earned recognition on the 2023 All-Freshman Team and has consistently been named to multiple academic honor rolls, highlighting her commitment to excellence both on and off the court. She is currently pursuing a degree in Finance while balancing the demands of Division I athletics. In addition to competing, she has assisted with team camps and lessons through Louisiana Tech, gaining valuable coaching experience while working with athletes of various ages and skill levels.

Grace is passionate about helping players grow in confidence, skill, and game awareness. Her goals a coach is to not only build fundamentally sound players, but also inspire a lasting love for the game.