The LOVB Atlanta Volleyball staff Is complete!
League One Volleyball announced Tuesday that Yoko Zetterlund and Angel Gonzalez will join the LOVB Atlanta staff. Yoko will serve as assistant coach, and Angel will be the team’s Director of Volleyball Operations/Technical Director.
The two join head coach Paulo Coco in leading LOVB Atlanta during the inaugural LOVB Pro season.
Yoko is a two-time Olympian who helped lead the U.S. Women’s National Team to a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. She also earned medals at the FIVB World Grand Prix (1995, gold), Goodwill Games (1994, silver) and Pan American Games (1995, silver).
Born in San Francisco, California, Yoko grew up in Japan and attended Waseda University in Tokyo. She played professional club volleyball in Japan, leading the Daiei Orange Attackers to a V-League championship in 1998 and a pair of All-Japan Volleyball Championship titles in 1998 and 1999, earning Best 6 honors in all three tournaments. She’s coached at Japan's university level since 2013.
“I am excited to come back to the U.S. and very honored to be a coach for LOVB,” Yoko said.
“I’m looking forward to working with our great athletes to make this league become a dream league for many youth players and people who love the game of volleyball.”
“It will be a pleasure to have Yoko as an assistant coach,” Paulo said of the former U.S. international. “As a setter, Yoko has a global view of the game that will help us achieve the highest levels of performance. She can also bring the very good technique from Japanese volleyball to our team. I am very motivated to work with Yoko.”
As Director of Volleyball Operations (DOVO), Angel will work directly with LOVB Atlanta Volleyball’s coaches, athletes and support staff to ensure the best experience for all. He will also work closely with A5 – LOVB Atlanta’s junior club affiliate – to facilitate clinics, instruction and other interactions between the pro and junior athletes.
A 2022 Puerto Rico Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee, Angel represented his native Puerto Rico in several international volleyball tournaments, earning a silver medal at the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games. During his 21-year pro playing career, he also earned FIVB Level I and Puerto Rican Level III coaching certification. After a few years coaching in the Puerto Rican pro league, he began coaching U.S. club volleyball in 2012 and spent two years on the College of Central Florida coaching staff. In 2021, he joined A5 Roswell in Georgia as a coach.
"I'm thrilled to be joining LOVB Atlanta,” Angel said. “The opportunity to share my experiences is incredibly motivating, and I can't wait to be a part of such a dynamic team."
“Angel has unmatched experience with each prong of our volleyball ecosystem,” Kelley Kish, LOVB’s Head of Pro Volleyball Operations said. “Most recently with A5, Angel brings collegiate, professional and national team experience to this important role. All of the expertise and knowledge gained during Angel’s career will positively impact LOVB Atlanta.”
LOVB Atlanta will host LOVB Salt Lake during the inaugural LOVB Pro match January 8, 2025. Training camp for all six Pro teams begins in November 2024.
