JESSICA SZYMANSKI
This is Jessica Szymanski’s third 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.
MANDY CAULEY
Coach Amanda (Mandy) Cauley moved to the Shreveport-Bossier area from Ruston, two years ago. Cauley and her family live in Ruston. Cauley is excited to return coach for the newly formed Rocketfuel 318 volleyball club during the 2022-23 season.
Cauley served as RocketFuel Volleyball Club’s Head Coach and was a Director with the club for two seasons. She also coached the 2019-2020 RocketFuel Ruston 14U team that included her daughter, Harper, who is an avid volleyball player. Cauley’s daughter, Baylor, has also caught the bug!
Cauley herself is an accomplished and decorated volleyball player. She hails from East Texas where she played in high school and then went on to play Division I volleyball at Louisiana Tech University.
Coach Cauley spent four of her years in Ruston establishing the volleyball program at Ruston High School. She began the program in 2014 alongside former ULM Volleyball Alumni, Stephanie Wardach. Following their inaugural season, Wardach moved to Dallas and Cauley forged onward with the program.
During her four years as Head Coach, she led the Bearcats to two undefeated district championships, and one district runner-up.
Cauley and husband, Nick, are the parents of three beautiful girls: Harper, Baylor and Josie.
DESIREE FREY
Desiree Frey has coached for RocketFuel for the last 6 years. She will be coaching not only our Shreveport/Bossier programs but also our Ruston group!
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.
Desiree is the former head Coach at C.E. Byrd High School where she led her teams to winning seasons and is now a Marketing Manager for the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourism Bureau
SYDNEY VANCE
Sydney is from Jonesboro, AR. She was a two-time Class 6A All-State selection at Jonesboro High School where she helped lead JHS to two 6A/7A East Conference Championships along with a Class 6A State Championship in 2013. She then was voted the 2013 Wendy's High School Heisman Winner and a member of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Prep First Team which then selected her to the Arkansas Activities Association Eastern All-Star team.
Out of high school, she played for Tyler Junior College in East Texas where she helped the team become undefeated in conference and end up top 4 in the nation for the NJCAA volleyball. Sydney transferred to Henderson State University after her freshman year where she earned Second-Team All-GAC honors and Honorable Mention. Recorded a HSU & GAC record for digs in a four-set match against Arkansas-Monticello with 54, most digs in a 3 set match with 38, and most digs tallying 54 in all of GAC.She then graduated with her bachelors and went on to pursue her masters and continued to help coach Henderson State to the finals where they finished runner-up in 2018. Sydney went on to become a head Junior Volleyball Coach and assistant senior high for Wynne High School where she finished out her Masters. She’s coached club for Arkansas Storm out of Jonesboro, Force Volleyball out of Lakeside High School, and Swarm out of Wynne.
She has a Bachelor and Master’s of Science in Sport Admin and is a personal trainer out of El Dorado, AR.
CARRIE FONTAINE
Carrie Fontaine has been an assistant coach for two seasons, but she has been helping our program for years! (Her daughter, Sicily, is also one of our elite team players.) Carrie is assisting the RVC 2021 17s Team!
Carrie is originally from Littleton, Colorado. She received her bachelor's degree in teaching at Northwestern State University. She later went on to receive her master's degree in school counseling at LA Tech. She is currently an elementary school counselor in Bossier Parish.
Fontaine has been playing volleyball since she was 9 years old. She played 6 years for a club team Front Range Volleyball in Denver Colorado. She was also a starting outside hitter for her division 1 high school in Littleton, CO. In addition to high school and club volleyball, Fontaine was asked to play in competitive doubles tournaments in local and state competitions with her club volleyball coach for 2 years.
JACQUELINE DEVILLE
This will be Jacque’s first year on the coaching side of Rocketfuel as she is the daughter of former owner Katharyn Deville and has been playing for Rocketfuel since we first began the program 8 years ago!
Jacque is a Freshman volleyball player on Centenary College’s Volleyball Team and is planning to double major in Political Science and Legal Studies!
Prior to Centenary she attended Airline High School where in 2021 she was named Offensive MVP and earned the Lady Vikings award. In 2020 she was All-District honorable mention and in 2019 named Second-Team All-District
Did we mention she gave our club its name?!
Can’t wait to continue to grow the program she has help build!
JAENA BELL
Jaena is a sophomore from Long Beach, California and is a part of the volleyball team at Louisiana Tech in Ruston. She has played volleyball since she was 7 and initially started as a setter until she was 16 then started playing Right Side. Bell has a twin sister and two younger siblings that are all involved in sports as well. She is currently majoring in communications at Louisiana Tech. She is extremely excited to start coaching this year!
GRAYSON HIPP
Grayson Hipp is from Ruston, Louisiana. In high school she played volleyball for Ruston High and for Rocketfuel volleyball club. Hipp is currently majoring in kinesiology at Louisiana Tech University. She is excited to have the opportunity to help her team progress and compete over this season.
LINDSEY MAGAW
Lindsey Magaw has 10+ years of volleyball experience with both club and school. She played for The Academy of the Sacred Heart, in New Orleans and club for Wattle Daub Nation. I am a two time All American and was also a member of the 2020 Louisiana All-State team. I have been an assistant coach for an all-star team and I am looking forward to this season as the 15s head coach.
KIARA LIEDY
Kiara Liedy is currently a sophomore volleyball player at Centenary College in Shreveport. Prior to her career she attended Stephen F. Austin in Sugar Land Texas. While there she earned Academic All-District, Academic All-State, and Honorable Mention All-District.
Kiara has one brother and is planning to major in biology/pre-med.
ALEX HOLT
Holt, who played at the University of Pacific, comes from Cisco College where she served as an assistant coach for two seasons.
During her time at Cisco, Holt assisted in technical and physical training, identified prospective student-athletes, managed statistical operations and designed social media content across all platforms for the volleyball program.
Holt trained middle blockers, right sides and team blocking system at Cisco. In 2021, two student-athletes received all conference honors as the team produced an 18 win season.
Prior to coaching at Cisco College, Holt played at Pacific from 2014-2019, competing on both the indoor and beach volleyball teams. Holt was named the team captain in her final season with the Tigers. In her senior season, she played in all 29 matches and finished her career with 399 kills and 167 total blocks.
The Sacramento, California native graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and a minor in teaching professions in 2018. She received her master’s degree in the fall of 2019 in educational and organizational leadership from Pacific.
MORGAN SMITH
Morgan Smith born in Longview Texas is currently a Junior at Louisiana Tech. In her Freshman Season she Paced the Lady Techsters in three major blocking categories, including total blocks (44), block assists (36) and blocks per set (0.83). Contributed 55 kills and a team-best .233 hitting percentage (minimum 100 attack attempts).
In her Sophomore season Smith saw action 98 sets across 28 matches during sophomore season. One of only two players this season to start every game this season for the Lady Techsters. Amassed a team-high 94 total blocks this season. Paced the Lady Techsters in the three major blocking categories for the second straight season, total blocks (94), block assists (70) and blocks per set (0.96). Was the only player to register a block in every game of the season. Tied her career-high with seven blocks, while also recording a season-high 13 kills in the Lady Techsters five-set thrilling win over New Orleans. Ranked third on the team with 159 kills. Hammered home 10 kills on 17 swings (.588 Hitting Percentage) in a three set sweep over Southern.