ES sports – Feeling the VIBE
VIBE Volleyball Lab co-owners Nikki Jagd and Leah Hinkey. (Photo )
Former NCAA Division 1 indoor players Nikki Jagd and Leah Hinkey who are co-owners of VIBE Volleyball lab. The two met at SoHo Yoga in Hermosa Beach. Jagd was a setter/serving specialist at UCLA after having been an All-Bay League selection and two-time team MVP at Peninsula High School. Hinkey, who hails from Glenwood Springs, Colorado, was a two-time All-American middle blocker at the University of Tennessee. She moved to the South Bay in 2011 to live with her brother Trevor and focus on playing beach volleyball.
They started a beach volleyball program call MB 17 named after 17th Street in Manhattan Beach. When a father of one of their clients mentioned he had a warehouse in El Segundo with extra space, Jagd and Hinkey jumped at the opportunity and opened VIBE Volleyball Lab in July 2016.
“Our growth has allowed us to include more trainers — from club directors to professional players –along with more class options,” Jagd said. “Our college counseling is a big hit with our players.”
Jagd has been impressed by College Recruiting Director Katie Charles.
“She is great at recruiting and at the administrative side of the business,” Jagd said. “She also instructs all skills, beginners and rep sessions and is a coach for Sunshine Volleyball Club.”
Charles’ 12 years of college coaching, counseling and admissions experience help the athletes in the recruiting process. She holds a 30 minute introductory consultation to break down the process, evaluate the target level or division and answer questions. Charles also serves as a point of contact for college coaches.
“College recruiting is so different than when Nikki and I went through it,” Hinkey said. “The rules and policies change all the time and Katie is on top of everything.”
VIBE caters to all skill levels, from juniors to college athletes, while offering private training lessons, positional classes, jump training and more. The training methodology is fast paced and effective, using a combination of volleyball drills and workouts in its program to maximize a person’s athletic potential.
The workouts provided at are not volleyball practices, but programs customized for clients with workouts progressing, based on a players ability. Instructors emphasize the fundamentals of the game of volleyball while skills and drills are varied to keep one’s game progressing.
“Probably the favorite class we offer is the passing and setting lab on Tuesdays and Wednesdays,” Hinkey said. “We limit the labs to six players.”
Jagd is also appreciative of her growing coaching staff. “We have five coaches that have done amazing things for us.”
Mira Costa boys volleyball head coach Cam Green, who also serves as director and coach for Southern California Volleyball Club (SCVC), led boys teams to Junior Olympic gold medals in 2002, 2005 and 2012. He has coached all levels of volleyball including AVP men’s and women’s teams and NCAA Division 1 men’s teams.
Nikki Jagd helps a young volleyball player with art of setting. (Photo courtesy of VIBE Volleyball Lab)
“Cam teaches 20 lessons a month for us during volleyball season,” Jagd said. “He has a great knowledge of the game.”
“The VIBE name fits perfectly and Nikki and Leah deserve a lot of credit as they have put in a lot of work,” Green said. “The vibe and energy for kids is always positive and upbeat. After 20 years of teaching volleyball, I still enjoy the 1-on-1 aspect.
Kelly Reeves, a 2011 NCAA National Champion, played outside hitter, libero and opposite for UCLA.
“She’s still playing on the AVP tour and is making a run for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020,” Hinkey said. “Kelly is so passionate about the game of volleyball. The kids just gravitate to her.”
Steven Ijans is also head coach for South Bay Volleyball Club who teaches setting and other skills at VIBE.
“He loves coaching so much,” Jagd said. “He talks with the parents and players alike and is an amazing person as well coach.”
Chrissie (Zartman) Courtney instructs VIBE players in passing, hitting and other skills along with the position of libero. Currently the head women’s indoor and beach coach at Marymount University, she was an All-American libero at UCLA after playing outside hitter for Bishop Montgomery High School where she was CIF Player of the Year, leading the Knights to CIF and State Championships.
“She’s quiet but every word she speaks is genius,” Hinkey said.
Sarah Pavan coaches all skills, the opposite position and blocking. After winning an NCAA national championship with Nebraska in 2006, Pavan represented Canada in beach volleyball during the 2016 Olympic Games.
“Sarah is one of the top ranked beach volleyball players in the world (currently No. 6),” Jagd said. “She doesn’t need to coach, but wants to give back to the sport she loves.”
VIBE’s Beginners Class is for boys and girls ages 9-12 and is held on Mondays from 5:30-6:20 p.m.
Every Wednesday night from 7:30-8:30 p.m. is the popular Adult Open Gym where players 18 and above in intermediate to advanced levels compete in 6-on-6 round robin play for only $10.
Professional players utilizing VIBE facilities are numerous and include beach volleyball superstar April Ross.
“I love the atmosphere at VIBE. It’s a place to work hard, but also have fun and they’ve formed a really great community there,” Ross said. “I’ve had an awesome time playing in their open gym nights. The competition can get really heated. It’s cool how well all the different levels mix together, just a great group of people to hang with at the end of the day.”
Other top players include Madi Kingdon, a member of the United States women’s national volleyball team who attended the University of Arizona.
Carson Clark was a member of the 2014 FIVB World League team and Most Outstanding Player on UC Irvine’s 2012 NCAA National Championship team when the Anteaters won their second straight title.
Kelsey Robinson, a libero on the USA National Team, won a bronze medal in the 2016 Olympic Games.
While VIBE has added beach volleyball training to its resume, Jagd admits that they don’t push the beach training as much.
“We have gym space and the potential to grow and with AVP players on the staff it’s beneficial,” Jagd explained. “We’d like to add another court. Our dream is to open another facility in San Diego, Orange County or the Valley. We’d like to get bigger facilities and keep our clients happy along with the growth of our college counseling for parents and players who need help. We want to play a huge part in the growth of players, sticking to the instruction of small groups. We have no desire to become a club.
We had a group of LA Kings players come in during the summer wanting to learn the sport of volleyball. That was fun.”
Jagd and Hinkey credit their trainers for making VIBE such a success.
“Our trainers are awesome. They are very professional and driven,” Jagd said. “It’s a fun workday everyday. Hanging out with the kids and seeing their level of confidence being raised is very exciting for us.”
VIBE is also holding a “King of the Court” style volleyball tournament and silent auction Saturday, Nov. 3 with age divisions including 12-14, 15-18 and 18 and over. The entry fee of $80 includes a T-shirt and donation to benefit former Redondo boys volleyball head coach Duncan Avery and his family.
Avery’s daughter Kalea, 6, and son Noah, 4, underwent surgeries only weeks apart to have brain tumors removed and are undergoing intensive chemotherapy and radiation therapy. To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/fight-like-the-averys.
VIBE is located at 110 Eucalyptus Dr., El Segundo. For more information call (424) 277-0907 or visit Vibevolleyballlab.com.