When you raise the level of expectations, true athletes will rise up and meet or exceed them.  The key factors in driving your success and building a sound foundation for your future are consistency, accountability, respect, discipline and structure.  

Michelle has been coaching volleyball for over 30 years.  She founded Ignite Elite in 2012 after years of managing club volleyball programs.  She has been the former Freshman Volleyball Coach at Lake Central (IN) High School, a former Head Girls Varsity Volleyball Coach at Hanover Central High School (Cedar Lake, IN) and an 8th grade Coach at Kahler Middle School. 

Michelle is extremely dedicated and passionate about the athletes and the game. She brings compassion, discipline and structure to the sport and is excited to share these qualities with others.  She has coached 11 players to earn All American Honors, and her teams have earned seven National Top Ten Finishes.  Michelle’s teams’ accomplishments include:

• 2021
  • USAV Girls Junior National Championship 5th Place Finish

• 2017
  • USAV Girls Junior National Championship Bronze Medal
• 2014
  • USAV Girls Junior National Championship Silver Medal
• 2013
  • USAV Girls Junior National Championship Bronze Medal
• 2012
  • USAV Girls Junior National Championship Silver Medal
  • AAU Volleyball National Championship 5th Overall
• 2011
  • AAU Volleyball National Championships Silver Medal
• 2007
  • USAV Girls Junior National Championship 7th Overall

Michelle’s coaching style can be best described as intense and result oriented. Her philosophy is “to raise the level of expectations, true athletes will rise up and meet or exceed them.”  She believes that the key factors in driving success and building a sound foundation are consistency, accountability, respect, discipline and structure.  

Outside of volleyball, Michelle has worked for UnitedHealthcare for 24 years, has been married to Tracy for 29 years and the mother of three girls: Stephanie, Lindsay and Kaily. In her spare time, she dotes over her five grandsons. 

“As a coach, I want to share my knowledge and passion for the game with young players who are eager to learn and develop.  I want to help motivate them to be the very best they can be, reaching their fullest potential and encompassing all the great qualities of an elite player!”

As a player, Tina attended Thornwood High School in South Holland, Illinois, and the University of Colorado in Boulder, finishing her career as a two-year Captain, two time MVP and the school’s all-time leader in kills (1,356) and digs (1,523).  She is still ranked as one of CU’s 10 all-time career leaders. 

Tina has over a decade of coaching experience including high school and club teams.  She and her husband Chris coach together, and their teams consistently enjoy a great deal of success, including:

• 2014 --- 15E USAV Girls Junior National Championships 9th Place Overall
• 2014 --- 15E USAV Girls Junior National Championships 11th Place Overall
• 2015 --- 16E USAV Girls Junior National Championships 5th Place Overall
• 2016 --- 17E USAV Girls Junior National Championships 5th Place Overall

In addition to her successful club teams, Tina served as the Head Varsity Coach for Lake Central (IN) High School, leading the team to both a Sectional and Regional Title. 

On and off the court, she and her husband share their love for the game with their daughters, Taylor, Danielle and Brooke.

"A great attitude and maximum effort are the main ingredients to succeed in volleyball and in life."

Chris has been playing and coaching the game of volleyball on many levels for nearly three decades, including private clinics, recreational city leagues, club volleyball, and high school. As a club coach, he has coached teams from 10U up through 17U. Chris is currently the coach of the Lake Central High School (St. John, Indiana) Junior Varsity Team.

As a club coach, he has coached teams from 10U up through 17U. Chris has also coached several years as an assistant with his wife Tina.  Their teams consistently enjoy success, including:

• 2021 --- 15E USAV Girls Junior National Championships 9th Place Overall
• 2014 --- 15E USAV Girls Junior National Championships 11th Place Overall
• 2015 --- 16E USAV Girls Junior National Championships 5th Place Overall
• 2016 --- 17E USAV Girls Junior National Championships 5th Place Overall

Chris' coaching style can best be described as intense and positive. He is a student of the game and has a particular strength in talent evaluation.  He has a keen eye for form and technique, and is committed to teaching proper mechanics at all positions. 

Chris and his wife Tina coach together and run their family business together.  They have have four children, Jake, Danielle, Taylor and Brooke. 

Coach Duncan is currently in her 12th year as the Crown Point Head Volleyball Coach. She is a 2000 Andrean High School Alum and previous AHS coach for five seasons; two as the varsity assistant and three as the varsity coach. As the Crown Point head coach, Duncan's teams have won 7 sectional titles, 3 DAC titles, 4 regional titles, 2 semi-state titles, and have appeared in 2 state championship matches. Professionally, she has received numerous conference, district and state coach of the year awards. She also serves on the IHSVCA as an executive board member.

​In high school, she played for the Dunes Volleyball Club and went on to play at Saint Mary′s College Notre Dame. While there, she was a two year captain, 2 time most valuable player, conference player of the week, and selected twice to the MIAA All-Conference Team.

Coach Duncan has a Bachelor′s Degree in Business Administration and a Masters Degree in Sports Administration from Valparaiso University. In 2012, she obtained TTT license in business through Calumet College of St. Joseph and finished her career and technical education license from Ball State University. She is excited continuously build a successful volleyball tradition in the Crown Point Community.

​Her coaching philosophy is: I firmly believe that every season can be a successful season by simply staying on course. The desire to win, to get better, and to believe in each other is something that I push all of my athletes to feel in all things that we do. A love for the game and a respect for teammates can make any group of young women reach goals that seemed once impossible.

"Practice hard - play hard.  How you practice is how you will play in a game.  Therefore, the intensity of a practice needs to emulate the intensity in a match." 

A 1987 graduate of Andrean High School (Merrillville, Indiana), and 1991 graduate of St. Xavier University, volleyball success has followed Lynn wherever she goes, including being the first player from Saint Xavier University ever named to a NAIA All-American Team. 

As a coach, Lynn passes on her success as a player to her own teams. Teams for which she has served as Coach or Assistant Coach have enjoyed a great deal of success, including:

• Windy City Great Lakes Region Power League Champions
• AAU Nationals 5th Place Overall
• USAV Junior National Championship Silver Medal
• AAU Volleyball National Championship Silver Medal

Volleyball runs deep in Lynn's family.  Her husband Kevin is currently the Head Varsity Coach at Portage (IN) High School.  Their two oldest daughters have already enjoyed (and are enjoying) stellar high school and college careers, between them gathering various All-Conference, All-Area, All-American, and regional Player of The Year honors. 

“Volleyball is the best sport because you have to have such a tight team.  You need everyone. Everyone needs to buy into their roles because it takes the whole entire team every time. It’s about not being afraid to try something new.  Always be willing to make a mistake. That’s how you learn and grow.”

Kevin has been coaching with Ignite Elite since its 2012 founding.  Enjoying a passion for volleyball throughout his life, Kevin brings over 20 years of overall experience in the sport as a player and coach at the Club, Junior High, and High School levels. 

In 2016, he led his Ignite 16E team to a 5th Place Overall finish at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships.  That same year he was named Head Coach of the Portage (IN) High School Girls Varsity Team.  In 2017, his led his team to their most conference wins in a decade. 

His coaching philosophy is to be aggressive in all aspects of the game in order to dictate the flow of the match.  He ensures that all of his players understand the entire game, not just one position.  As each player learns more about the game, they will have better court awareness, and a higher volleyball IQ, which leads to better play.

He and his wife have four daughters – Kate, Rachel, Jackie, and Nicole, and they often play volleyball together.  Kevin is not the only distinguished volleyball athlete in the family; his wife Lynn is a former NAIA All-American.  Their two oldest daughters have already enjoyed (and are enjoying) stellar high school and college careers, between them gathering various All-Conference, All-Area, All-American, and regional Player of The Year honors.

​

Andrea Bercot absolutely loves the game of volleyball. She began her volleyball career in 4th grade and was blessed with the opportunity to play at the collegiate level, Northland International University as an outside hitter. During her time at Northland, she earned NCAA All American in 2005 in addition to NCAA All Tournament Player in 2004 and 2005.

Andea loves the friendships and life lessons that she learned through the sport and is hopeful to pass that onto the players she coaches. Andrea understands that time as an athlete is short lived, but the friendships, work ethic, & life lessons learned through playing sports can last a lifetime.

One of Andrea’s greatest strengths is teaching the technique, fundamental movements, and skills of the game. She enjoys refining players skills so they can be as consistent as possible. Her goal as a coach is to help every one of the players she coaches reach their full potential in the sport and in life. 

Andrea has been playing or coaching this great game for 25+ years. She led both Varsity Boys and Girls at a 4A School in Illinois for 10 years. She helped 30+ athletes go on to pursue playing collegiately including one who played on the USA Men’s National Team.

Andrea brings 10 years club coaching experience ages 5-17. She also spent 8 years as a club owner and director. In 2021, she coached at Lansing Christian where her team went 12-0 and were conference champions.

Andrea currently lives in Cedar Lake with her husband and 4 children, Ava, Eli, Adam, and Noelle. Outside of volleyball she enjoys cooking, baking, weightlifting and thrifting. 

Sean Douglas is a native of Lake Forest, IL. completed his first season at Purdue Northwest from Life Pacific University (Calif.). In his first season at PNW, Douglas guided the Pride to a school record for division 2 wins and conference wins in a season.

In California, he was the first head volleyball coach at LPU, where he led the Warriors to the 2017 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Championship Tournament in only the third year of the volleyball program's existence.

Douglas, who was named 2017 NCCAA West Region Coach of the Year, spent seven seasons building the LPU volleyball program. During the 2017 postseason run, the Warriors rattled off 18 straight wins and finished with a school-record 23 victories. In his last season as head coach of LPU, Douglas guided Life Pacific during a record-setting campaign with the best winning percentage (.703) and most conference wins (12) in school history. The Warriors finished 19-8 overall and finished third in the highly competitive Golden State Athletic Conference with two wins over nationally-ranked opponents. Douglas mentored a pair of 2021 Honorable Mention NAIA All-Americans in libero Sydney Culpepper and outside hitter Hannah Caddow.

Prior to LPU, Douglas spent seven years as varsity head coach at St. Lucy's Priory High School where he was successful with six straight league titles and a pair of state regional runner-up finishes. With two CIF Championships, He also earned several accolades including California Interscholastic Federation Coach (CIF) Southern Section Coach of the Year in 2010, Daily Bulletin coach of the year in 2010 and 2011, San Gabriel coach of the year 2010, CIF Southern Section coach of the year finalist in 2011 and Daily Bulletin's top 10 most influential sports personalities in 2010 and 2011.

As a club coach and owner, Douglas has guided teams that qualified for the Junior National Championships 5 times. He has coached and helped send over 100 student-athletes to play in college. During his playing career, Douglas was a starter and captain for the 1999 National Championship team at the University of La Verne and was named to the All-Millennial team.

Ashley has been coaching with Ignite for eight seasons.  Prior to coaching at Crown Point, she led the program at Hobart High School for two seasons, the program at Whiting High School for five years and Morton High School for two years. 

She played four years of basketball and two years of volleyball at Calumet College of St. Joseph's. She was also a three-sport athlete in high school, playing volleyball, basketball, and softball. She was a two-time state champion in softball. 

Outside of volleyball, Ashley is an Assistant Principal. She is married to David Bock, enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, and traveling. 

Lindsay is currently entering her seventh year coaching club volleyball.  She attended Hanover Central High School where she played Varsity for four years and was named All-Conference three of the four years. She was also Conference MVP her Junior Year. Lindsay played club volleyball for Altitude and also played Travel Softball throughout high school.

Lindsay went on to play two years at Kankakee Community College where she earned multiple All-Tournament Team recognitions as well as Region IV All-Tournament Team Freshman and Sophomore Seasons. Lindsay broke many school records and was named Region IV All-American as an outside hitter her sophomore year.

Lindsay is excited to be coaching again with Ignite this season. She is tough and compassionate and really connects well with players. She is determined to help players meet their full potential.  Outside of volleyball, Lindsay is a Pharmacy Tech for CVS Pharmacy and still plays in some adult leagues in the area.
 

Dave is a passionate coach with an approach best described a fundamentals-based immersive enthusiasm.

Dave is currently the Head Junior Varsity Coach at Lake Central HS, prior to that, in 2013, he was named the Hebron (IN) High Schol Varsity Boys Volleyball Assistant Coach which subsequently won the 2013 Indiana Boys Volleyball Coaches Association State Championship, never losing a set in the postseason.  

In 2014, Dave coached both the JV Boys and Varsity Girls teams at Hebron, eventually taking over as coach of both Varsity programs.  In addition, Dave assists Head Coach Kevin Bontrager with the Portage (IN) High School’s Girls Varsity Team.  

When Dave is not coaching, he enjoys playing hockey and volleyball. 

Kali has been coaching with Ignite for 6 seasons.  Prior to coaching at Portage High School, she was the Varsity coach at LaCrosse High School (LaCrosse, IN) for four years and the Varsity Assistant at Bloomfield Jr./Sr. High School for 3 years.

As a player, Kali attended Carmel High School (Carmel, IN), finishing with 4 Sectional Titles, 1 Regional Title, and a State Finals appearance.  She attended IUPUI to continue her playing career where she was twice named to the All-Conference team and is ranked in the top 3 in the record books for Kills and Attempts and in the top 10 for Blocking.

When she isn't coaching, Kali enjoys playing volleyball and trivia with her friends.

Originally a North-East Iowa Native, Piper has loved, played, and coached the sport since 2010. Following her high school graduation she went on the play NCAA D1 volleyball for the University of Northern Iowa. 

As a 4-year starting Middle Blocker Piper set the Panther record for Career Solo Blocks. She also enjoyed 4 NCAA tournament appearances and a Missouri Valley Conference Championship in 2018. Piper was awarded MVC First Team All-Conference Honors in 2017 and 2018, AVCA All-American Honors in 2017 and 2018, as well as Conference Player of the Year, and Conference Tournament MVP in 2018.

Piper graduated with a Bachelors in Movement and Exercise Science (emphasis in Sports Psychology) with a Minor in Coaching in 2019. She moved to Northwest Indiana in early 2020, to be closer to her now-fiancé, Adam. Shortly after she joined the Ignite staff and is now enjoying her 4th season as an Ignite Elite coach. Piper also coached a season of Junior Varsity Volleyball at Lake Central High school  in 2021 under Head Coach Naveed Nizam.

When she’s not in the gym Piper enjoys traveling home to Iowa to visit family and friends, reading, and planning her 2024 wedding.

Nancy has joined the Ignite Staff as an Assistant Coach and is helping with our 12 Elite Team.

Coach Nancy Welker will be entering her seventh season as an assistant with the Crown Point HS Bulldogs this fall.  Coach Welker assisted in the Bulldogs Second Place finish in the IHSAA State Tournament in 2017, as well as deep post season runs in the subsequent years.

Coach Welker previously coached at Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing, Illinois for six seasons before retiring to watch her children continue their high school and collegiate athletic careers. 

As varsity coach, Coach Welker led the Rebels to four conference championships and five regional championships and a 40 game conference win streak in her six seasons at the helm.   Chicago Tribune named Coach Welker “one of Chicago areas winningest volleyball coaches” in 2004.  

Coach Welker previously coached Club volleyball for Dunes volleyball club and currently coaches for Ignite volleyball club.  

She also has extensive officiating experience as an IHSA official.    

Coach Welker was a three sport athlete in High School and college, earning many accolades throughout her career. 

Coach Welker holds a Master’s degree in Health and Physical Education

PHOTO COMING SOON

Although newer to coaching, Rachel is a wealth of knowledge and has a great deal to offer. She is one of four daughters of Kevin and Lynn Bontrager, and sister to Kate Bontrager who all have great volleyball careers and coach in the club too. Outside of volleyball, Rachel is an elementary school teacher. 

She was a 4-year Varsity letter winner at Valparaiso High School and played alongside her older sister, Kate, for 2 of the four years. Together, they won the Sectional and Regional titles in 2014 to go onto Semi-State. She was an Indiana All State selection in 2014, and team MVP and Conference MVP in 2015 as an outside hitter. 

She began playing for Ignite when she was 14 and led her teams to a 5th place finish at Nationals in her 16s and 17s years, with a 3rd place finish in her 18s year. She was a 3-time All-American in the club level as well. 

She went on to play at the Division I level at Western Michigan University. There, she was a 3-time First Team All-Conference, the MAC conference Player of the Year in 2021, and Division I NCAA All-American. She is the only player in Western Michigan Volleyball History to have 1,500 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. 

Rachel is not only looking to further her knowledge and love for the game by coaching but also to help young players grow their love for the game. She loves to increase player’s skills and help them in their recruiting processes. 

Rachel Bontrager aims to build relationships with her players so they can teach her just as much as she teaches them. She aims for them to feel confident in themselves on and off the court so that they can perform at the highest level. She challenges players to step outside of their comfort zone so they can truly enhance their volleyball IQ, skills, and tenacity for the game.

BIO COMING SOON

BIO COMING SOON

Jenn Fandl is USA Volleyball IMPACT certified and oversees our Ignite Youth Academy.  She has been an athlete for most of her life, playing volleyball since the fourth grade.  

She has coached at Dunes Volleyball Club, Altitude Volleyball Club, and Ignite's Youth Clinic.  She spent 10 years as the Junior Varsity Coach at Lake Central High School, leading her team to a 29-0 record in 2012.  

Her coaching skills, combined with her early beginnings in the sport, allow her to effectively teach and easily relate to our less-experienced or younger players wanting to learn the basic skills of volleyball in a very low-pressure environment.  

She continues to play in adult volleyball leagues and in her free time, she loves to travel.  Jenn and her husband Steve live in Northwest Indiana and have a one-year-old.