Pentagon Coaching Staff
Attention Coaches!
We are always looking for coaches that want to be a part of our program. We have camps, clinics and club teams at multiple levels. Interested in coaching? Click on the link below to get started.
Mark McCloskey
Club Director
Head Coach- 17 Orange
mark.mccloskey@sanfordhealth.org
- 25 Years of coaching and club director experience
- Assistant Coach University of Wyoming, University of Northern Colorado, Embry-Riddle (AZ) University, University of South Carolina
- Clubs include KiVA, Colorado Juniors, Gamecock Juniors, Yavapai Juniors, TEVA
- 16 Open AAU National Championship, 17 Club USAV National Champs, Multiple Open Qualifier Championships, USAV National Invitational Champs
- USAV Meritorious Service Award
- Former Senior Director, American Volleyball Coaches Association
- University of South Carolina Graduate
Courtney Thompson
Pentagon Volleyball Ambassador/Advisor
- 2016 Olympic Bronze Medalist
- 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist
- 2014 FIVB World Championship Gold Medalist
- 2005 National Championship-University of Washington
- Three-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America First-Team selection
- ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American as selected by CoSIDA while playing at Washington
- Pac-10 record for career assists with 6,552, which was third-best in NCAA history
- Honda Sports Award as best volleyball player and was a finalist for the award as a senior
- First female athlete to ever have her jersey retires at the University of Washington.
- Led Kentlake High School (Kent, Wash.) to three state volleyball championships and also earned all-state in basketball as a senior
Mandy Heins (Mercil)
amanda.mercil@sanfordhealth.org
Michelle Aggen
Team: 18 Orange
Home Town: Lakefield, MN
Coaching Experience: 3 years Augustana Volleyball, 4 year club coach
Current Job: Augustana Volleyball Assistant Coach
Athletic Experience: Been around volleyball my whole life and have been competitively playing since I was 11. Played 1 year of college volleyball at Iowa Lakes Community College and 3 years at Dakota Wesleyan University.
Favorite Superhero: Black Widow
Favorite Quote: “Today’s a great day to have a great day” - Unknown
Role Model: Serena Williams
Andrea McCartney
Team: TBD
Home Town: Kansas City, MO
Coaching Experience:
University of Sioux Falls, Association Head Coach and Camp Director
University of Georgia, Volunteer Coach and Camp Director
Winthrop University, Assistant Coach and Camp Director
Charlotte Elite Club Coach
University of Oklahoma, Volunteer Coach and Camp Staff
Bellevue University, Assistant Coach, Midland VBC Coach
Athletic Experience: Played high school volleyball, basketball and soccer
college volleyball at Bellevue University
Professional Volleyball for the Nebraska Tornadoes
Favorite Superhero: JC
Favorite Quote: "We love because he first loved us"
Role Model: My Mom
Darin Weber
Team: 18 Orange
Home Town: Englewood, CO
Coaching Experience:
Head Volleyball Coach University of South Dakota (2000-2002)
Head Volleyball Coach Western State College (1995-1999)
Favorite Superhero: Captain America
Favorite Quote: "You have to find the CALM in the CHAOS
Emma Nelson
Team: 16 Orange
Home Town: Byron, MN
Coaching Experience: Augustana Volleyball, Vital Volleyball Club, Club 43
Current Job: Augustana Volleyball Graduate Assistant
Athletic Experience: Played competitive volleyball since 5th grade. Went to St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN and played both volleyball and basketball for 4 season with the Wildcats.
Favorite Superhero: Thor
Favorite Quote: “If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all?” -Joe Namath
Role Model: Maya Moore
Alyssa Chambers
Team: 15 Orange
Home Town: Sioux Falls, SD
Coaching Experience: 7 years Sanford Pentagon Coach, 4 years Sioux Falls West Club Coach, 2 years University of Sioux Falls Grad Assistant,
Current Job: 9th & 10th Grade English Teacher at Harrisburg High School
Athletic Experience: Roosevelt High School Middle Blocker, All-Conference, All-State, State Tournament record holder for blocks, University of Sioux Falls Middle Blocker 4 year starter
Favorite Quote: Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
Suzann Kluever
Team: 12 Blue
Home Town: Heron Lake Minnesota
Coaching Experience: 6 years Sanford Pentagon Coach
Current Job: Risk and Control Analyst/Projects at Citibank
Favorite Superhero: Wonder Woman - she has a lasso of truth
Favorite Quote: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games, 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan
Role Model: Her friend Nancy - since the day they met she knew Nancy was someone she wanted to model her behavior after because Nancy is one of the kindest and most selfless people she knows
Kaitlyn Junso
Team: 14 Blue
Home Town: Sioux Falls, SD
Coaching Experience: 5 years Sanford Pentagon coach
Current Job/Schooling: Sanford Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Athletic Experience: DS/Libero at Washington High School
Favorite Superhero: Captain America - he values leadership and justice
Favorite Quote: "Don't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game"
Randi Bosch
Team: 16 White
Home Town: Valley Springs, SD
Coaching Experience: 2 years Vermillion Middle School 7-8 grade Coach, 1 year Wakonda High School JV coach, 1 year Garretson High School Head Coach, 4 years Sioux Falls East Club Coach, 2 years at Sanford Pentagon
Current Job(s): GPAC - Search Consultant, Sanford Wellness Center - Membership Services, Denny Sanford Premier Center - Usher/Security
Athletic Experience: Brandon Valley High School Volleyball Middle and Outside Blocker, Basketball, Track, University of South Dakota Volleyball 1 year
Favorite Quote(s): "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying" & "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships" - Michael Jordan
Jada VanderVeen
KaSandra Springer
Eric Thien
Brooklin Vinatieri
Team: 14 Silver
Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD
Coaching Experience: I coached 4 teams during the fall league season for 2020. My 4th grade, 5th grade, and 8th grade teams all placed 1st in the league tournament at the end of the season.
Current Job/Schooling: I am currently a junior in college at the University of Sioux Falls pursuing a nursing major with a minor in psychology.
Athletic Experience: I have played volleyball from the age of 6 to age 20. I played club volleyball for 7 years for Sioux Falls West JO & Pentagon Club Volleyball. I was a 2 year starter for the Roosevelt Rough Riders during my junior and senior year of 2017 and 2018. I was also a captain during my senior year. I then went on to play college volleyball at Northern State University for my freshman and sophomore year.
Favorite Superhero: My favorite superhero would be Superman because he is the strongest superhero of all time. He has super strength abilities that give him confidence to take on anything.
Favorite Quote: “People are rewarded in public for what they practice for years in private” -Tony Robbins
Role Model: My everyday role model is my mom because she is my best friend. She has done absolutely everything to make sure I am the most successful young woman I can be.
My athlete role model would be Julie Ertz. She is an American professional soccer player who is on the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team having won 2 World Cup Championships. She not only exemplifies greatness on the field but also off. Her and her husband have a foundation that supports underserved youth and uses sports along with advanced education to help empower and learn with others. She demonstrates hard work and determination for everything she puts her name on.
Sydney Koolstra
Team: 13 White
Hometown: Tea, SD
Coaching Experience: 7th grade head coach at Tea & YMCA 6th graders
Current Job/Schooling:Business Administration Degree at Southeast Tech
Athletic Experience: Played volleyball since the 5th grade, when my mom was my coach! I was a setter all through middle and high school and my last year of club at the Pentagon I played outside.
Favorite Superhero: Spiderman
Favorite Quote: "Try not to suck"- Mark McCloskey
Role Model: My role model is my mom, because she overcame a lot and made it look easy, without anybody knowing.
Kristina Hinrichs
Team: 14 white
Hometown : Wagner , SD
Coaching experience: 2nd year at the pentagon
Current job: escrow officer
Athletic experience : I’ve been playing vb for many years currently I play league volleyball all year around (sand in the summer ) two nights a week
Favorite super hero: iron man!
Favorite quote : “great things never come from being comfortable “ I’m a big believer in if you don’t challenge yourself to do and try new things you won’t grow as a person.
Role model : my papa. Nicest person you’ll ever meet!
Brad Lind
Team: 15 White
Hometown: Holdrege, Nebraska...rural farm kid
Coaching Experience: TCA High School men's volleyball (Colorado) 2014, 2015, Pentagon volleyball, fall league 2020
Current Job/Schooling: Creative Director in Marketing, First PREMIER Bank / Bachelor of Fine Arts, Commercial Art, University of Nebraska, Kearney
Athletic Experience: High School sports (football/basketball)
College Sports (volleyball) Middle Blocker two years at Trinity Western University, British Columbia
USVA recreational teams and leagues, Senior league national tournament Triathlons (2004 Ironman)
Favorite Superhero: Goofy
Favorite Quote: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God."
Role Model: Morris Lind (my dad)
Sam Flynn
Team: 15 Blue
Hometown: Pierre, SD
Coaching Experience: 3 years at RHS
Current Job/Schooling: Office Assistant at Krohmer Plumbing & Freshman Coach at Roosevelt
Athletic Experience: I have been playing volleyball most of my life. I played in HS & went to Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell to continue my volleyball career. I currently still participate and the City Parks & Rec leagues, Digz sand leagues & Digz Adult Tournaments.
Favorite Superhero: Spiderman
Favorite Quote: What lies behind us & what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.
Role Model: My mother dearest! She's always been the hardest worker & my biggest supporter.
Kristina Newell
Team: 12 Blue
Hometown: Apple Valley, MN
Coaching Experience: 10 years of Junior Club coaching and 4 years of Club Director experience with the Shakopee Volleyball Association in Minnesota.
Current Job/Schooling: Mom & volleyball coach
Athletic Experience: Growing up, starting at 4 years old until I went to college, my main sport was figure skating. I also ran track in high school. During college I became involved in intramural sports, including volleyball, softball, and broomball.
Favorite Superhero: Thor
Favorite Quote: "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." -Tim Notke, HS basketball coach
Role Model: Growing up it was Figure Skating Olympic Gold Medalist & World Champion Dorothy Hamill. Today it's my mom. An amazing, courageous, and gracious lady!
Dan Feist
Team: 15 Silver
Hometown: Aberdeen, SD
Coaching Experience: Brandon JO 18s, Brandon JO 15, Hartford JO 16s, Madison 8th graders (JO tournament), Coached multiple age groups as a “substitute” coach
Current Job/Schooling: Wells Fargo Fraud & Claims Specialist, SDHSAA Volleyball Referee, Giving Hope Bingo. College at Northern State University
Athletic Experience: Played all divisions of adult volleyball within South Dakota (Rec to A power). Traveled to Minnesota, Iowa and Wyoming for tournaments. Played as an outside, middle, and even setter.
Favorite Superhero: Anything X-men related. Marvel is the dominant group
Favorite Quote: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once. But, I fear the man who has practiced the same kick 10,000 times.” - Bruce Lee
Role Model: Definitely get my cool, calm demeanor from my parents.
Kelsey Beznoska
Team: 14 Black
Hometown: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Coaching Experience: Pentagon Fall League
Current Job/Schooling: I am a junior at the University of Sioux Falls and I am studying psychology and elementary education.
Athletic Experience: I played volleyball for 6 years and I was an outside hitter, right side hitter, and a back row player. My favorite thing about volleyball is serving!
Favorite Superhero: Wonder Woman
Favorite Quote: "Focus on the step in front of you, not the whole staircase."
Role Model: My mother
Allix Vance
Team: 13 Blue
Hometown: Faith, SD
Coaching Experience: Coached 4 Fall League teams for the Pentagon this past 2020 season from 4th- 7th grade.
Current Job/Schooling: 1st year Nursing student at Southeast Tech.
Athletic Experience: Volleyball 6th- 12th grade, basketball 4th- 12th grade, track 6th- 12th grade. Appeared in a total of 6 state tournaments, 3 of them being volleyball, where I played/ started as a left back.
Favorite Superhero: Thor
Favorite Quote: “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
Role Model: My three older siblings.
Kendra Pohlman
Team: 13 Orange
Hometown: Little Falls, Minnesota
Coaching Experience: Youth Rec 2012-2017, Sioux Center High School AAU Volleyball Coach 2017 and 2018, Pentagon 13 White 2020
Current Job: Retail Sales Manager at Duluth Trading Company & Member Support at GreatLIFE
Athletic Experience: Varsity volleyball and basketball 2011-2015 and varsity softball 2012-2015. Collegiate volleyball Dordt University 2015-16
Favorite Superhero: Does Nacho Libre count? Nachoooooo :)
Favorite Quote: “Be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7
Role Model: My mother, of course!
