LOVB Houston unveils 2026 staff

LOVB Houston Volleyball confirmed its 2026 coaching staff, announcing three new hires ahead of League One Volleyball’s second season.

As previously revealed, Sanja Tomašević will lead the club after winning the Sultanlar Ligi title and reaching the CEV Champions League semifinals with VakifBank this past spring. Sanja has extensive experience in college volleyball, leading the Arizona State volleyball program for six years and assisting at ASU, Miami, and UTSA. 

Assistant coach Paula Weishoff returns after leading LOVB Houston to second place in the regular season standings in 2025. She also helped Houston win the LOVB Classic title and saw Jordan Thompson win Opposite Hitter of the Year. 

Joining Sanja and Paula is assistant Fikret Ceylan. Fikret arrives with over a decade of experience coaching at the highest levels. He too assisted at VakifBank, helping lead the club to four CEV Champions League titles, three world club championships and five Sultanlar Ligi crowns. He’s also assisted internationally with the French and South Korean national teams. 

Rounding out the staff in Houston are Erin Maynard and Ryan Leary. Erin returns to LOVB Houston as director of volleyball operations after helping both Houston and LOVB Atlanta as an interim DOVO last season. Erin also has both coached and assisted with operational roles at the college and club levels. Ryan will apply his decade of experience in volleyball operations and sport logistics as the team’s technical coordinator. 

The staff and athletes of LOVB Houston will begin preparations for season two in November 2025; regular season play starts in January 2026.