Our MIssion

At Drive Volleyball Club we have a balanced, dualistic approach to coaching and playing the game. The sport of volleyball is always growing, changing, and evolving both technically and philosophically, and we find it best to be just as dynamic and adaptive as a staff, team and club in training our players. As with many things, volleyball can also be subject to the trends and fads of the time, however, we focus on the aspects that are innately timeless and essential to the game. We identify the best way to coach players by acknowledging them as individuals with specific strengths and areas of improvement, instead of tailor them to be an objective ideal that other clubs and coaches might strive for.  Drive Volleyball Club is more than a specific way to pass, a serve receive system, or a defensive scheme. We are the sum of all the emotions, effort, and care of the members of our club: coaches, players, and families.  

Eli Estrada
Owner, director, coach- Girls 18 Blue

My Philosophy
My philosophy has always been to teach and grow players‘ ability on the court, both mental and technical, while simultaneously teaching players life lessons they can use off the court. I aim to build a culture of responsibility, accountability, respect, and excellence. Just as I think a player's duty on the court should be to “better the ball,” as a coach my duty will be to help “better the individual.” I will always remind my players that practice does not make perfect, but instead, perfect practice makes perfect. From a technical standpoint, I want our team to build upon a strong defensive and serving foundation. Offensively, having and growing a full repertoire of shots and tools will do much in keeping our opponents off balance, where our out-of-system will be just as effective as our in-system play.

My Coaching Experience
I’ve been coaching for just over 20 years including more than 15 years of club. At the middle school level, I was 6th and 8th grade head coach at The Latin School of Chicago, as well as the girls head coach at Francis Xavier Warde school where I helped lead the girls' team to it’s first ever conference/league championship. For high school girls, I coached at The Latin School of Chicago as the JV coach with a combined record of 37-5 over two seasons. I was also head of the girls and boys volleyball program at Ogden International School (CPS), where I helped coach the girls to three regional championships in 4 years, two of which were back-to-back, the school’s first and only IHSA team awards at the time. On the boys’ side, I started at Quigley Prep and restarted the boys volleyball program at Gordon Tech (now DePaul College Prep). I also returned to my alma mater, the Latin School of Chicago as the boys' assistant varsity coach and helped coach them to their first regional championship. I was the head boys and girls coach at Von Steuben High School, which plays in the highest division of the CPS conference. Before returning to Von Steuben, I was the head varsity coach at Whitney Young for the Girls’ Program, leading them to two undefeated seasons in conference.

In addition to coaching at the middle and high school levels, I simultaneously coached club volleyball for the last 15 years. I head coached at three Chicago-area clubs and directed at two working for the 13U, 15U, 17U and 18U levels for both boys and girls.

My Certifications
ASEP, IMPACT, CAP I, PCA, VIRTUS

Caroline Counts
GIRLS’ YOUTH DIRECTOR, COACH- Girls 12 Blue

Caroline brings over a decade of coaching experience to Drive Volleyball, where she now serves as the Director of the Youth program in addition to coaching our youngest athletes. She has spent the past four years coaching within Drive's youth program, helping to develop athletes at the foundational level and instilling a love for the game early on.

Before joining Drive, Caroline coached at one of the top clubs in California across the 13's-16's age group, assisting and learning from top D1 collegiate coaches before taking on her first head coaching role. She gained extensive experience training athletes across multiple age groups at the highest club levels in addition to becoming certified through Gold Medal Squared. She uses the techniques and science based methods of GMS in conjunction with first hand knowledge from her playing and coaching career to create the ideal environment for youth athletes.  

As the Director of Drive’s Youth Program, Caroline is passionate about creating a positive, challenging, and growth-focused environment for 5th–8th grade players. Her goal is to build confidence, foster teamwork, and prepare athletes to thrive as they advance through the program and beyond.

James Chou
Boys’ DIRECTOR, COACH- Boys 16 Blue

James graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) with a Computer Science degree, where he also played on the club team and currently works as a full-time IT Technical Associate. He plays for the Chicago United 9man Volleyball team where he helped earn his team an impressive 9th place finish at 2025 Nationals.

This is Coach James' 3rd year with Drive, and has just been named the new Boy's Director where he will bring his deep passion, energy and commitment for volleyball to his new role at Drive. His players can expect a safe environment to learn and grow built upon the core values of respect and reliability. The coaches under his tutelage will always be pushed to take their coaching, particularly their preparation, to a new level. For Coach James volleyball at Drive is not just a sport —it’s a way and place to build discipline, connection, and resilience.

Shandice SLuch
Coach- GIrls 14 BLue

Shandice Sluch, a Texas native, began playing volleyball in 8th grade and quickly developed a passion for the game. She went on to play three years of varsity volleyball at Garland High School as a middle blocker, while also competing in club volleyball as an opposite hitter for three seasons. Shandice continued her athletic career at South Carolina State University as a scholarship athlete, where she played four years as an opposite hitter. She served as team captain for three of those years. 

After college, Shandice attended Notre Dame Law School and is now an attorney at a global advertising company. She brings her competitive spirit, leadership experience, and love for the game into her coaching—helping young athletes grow in skill, confidence, and teamwork.

This will be Shandice’s second year coaching with Drive. She enjoys focusing on player development and is committed to ensuring that each athlete sees meaningful progress from the start of the season to the end. Shandice strives to provide not only athletic skills, but also life lessons that extend beyond the court. She believes that sports are a powerful tool for building character, and emphasizes discipline as the foundation for success—both in volleyball and in life.

MURTAZA THARWANI
COACH- GIRLS 13 Blue & BOYS 18 Blue

Murtaza Tharwani is a proud alum of Chicago Public Schools, where he spent the majority of his academic career. He played varsity volleyball at Von Steuben High School, serving as both the team captain and starting outside hitter. Murtaza also competed with several Chicagoland club programs, ultimately concluding his club career at Drive Volleyball as the captain of the 18s team.

He continued his volleyball journey at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where he played on the Men’s Club Team and served as vice president for two years. Off the court, Murtaza currently works as a Financial Consultant at Workday.

In his free time, Coach Murtaza enjoys staying active, especially by going to the gym and playing volleyball. As a Drive Volleyball alum, he is passionate about giving back to the program that helped shape his own athletic and personal growth. He is committed to creating a positive, engaging, and impactful experience for his players—just as he experienced during his time at Drive

Chelsea HU
Coach- Girls 15 Blue

Chelsea has been playing volleyball since 7th grade and has loved the game ever since. In high school, she captained her team, made the All-State team, and even landed on the front page of her local newspaper for her accomplishments on the court. She went on to play club volleyball at both Boston University and Loyola University, and today she still competes in adult leagues, USAV Nationals, and 9-Man Nationals. Having played both as an outside hitter and as a libero, she brings a versatile perspective to the game and to her coaching.

This is Chelsea’s third year coaching at Drive, after getting her start coaching at clinics in Boston. She’s passionate about helping players grow both on and off the court, and she believes that the best athletes are not only skilled but also great teammates. Her philosophy centers on developing well-rounded players with strong mindsets, good team chemistry, and the determination to push themselves beyond their comfort zones.

Outside of volleyball, Chelsea earned her Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience with a minor in Business Administration from Boston University and her Master’s in Applied Statistics from Loyola University. She now works as a Senior Data Product Owner at a healthcare insurance company. She applies the same logical and problem-solving approach from her professional career to coaching, always looking for ways to pinpoint challenges, create solutions, and design practices that help her players succeed..

Chris Serrano
COACH- Girls 15 Blue

Chris Serrano graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering. While studying there, he played club volleyball for 3 years as a middle hitter. He continued to play club volleyball for another 2 years as an outside hitter at Northwestern University while earning his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering. Currently, he works in life sciences consulting and continues to play volleyball with Drive’s adult men’s team as well as on the grass and sand. 

This will be Chris’ second year as a coach at Drive. He is passionate about teaching the game and strives to provide players with lessons that are useful not only in volleyball but life in general. He aims to develop players’ abilities to read the game, understand what to do in different game situations and why, and ultimately help them gain the tools to problem solve both on and off the court. To do that, he emphasizes teamwork, communication, effort, confidence, and integrity as the key building blocks for players to grow both as volleyball players and people.

Alexander Kotliarchuk
Coach- Girls 16 Red

Alex started playing volleyball in elementary school, where he played in the Chicago Northside Catholic Volleyball League for four years. He then went on to play three years of varsity volleyball at Lake View High School where he was named the captain his final year, as well as two years of club volleyball at Vortex Volleyball Club. Alex graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) with BS in Computer Science, where he also played a season of club volleyball as a setter. Prior to that, he attended Lincoln College and played a season of NAIA volleyball as a setter. He currently works as an IT Engineer at a corporate travel management company. 

This will be Alex’s third season coaching club volleyball, with this being his first at Drive. Alex is passionate about building a positive and healthy environment for players to not only successfully grow as athletes, but as productive individuals as well. Alex understands the importance of creating an environment that feels like “a home away from home”, and is excited to do so at Drive.

Caitlin Laurence
Assistant Coach- Girls 12 Blue

Caitlin is originally from South Florida, where she began playing volleyball at 12 years old as an Outside Hitter. She went on to play at Colorado College, graduating in 2020 after four years competing as a Libero/DS on the Division III Varsity team. During her time there, the team earned four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, two conference championships, and consistently held an AVCA Top 10 national ranking.

Caitlin continues to compete at a high level in indoor, grass, and beach leagues and tournaments. Her love for the sport naturally led her into coaching—starting with club teams in Colorado before moving to Chicago, where she is currently the head coach of a local high school’s JV team.

This season marks her first year with Drive, and she is eager to share her experience and energy with the 12s program. Caitlin is passionate about building strong fundamentals and a lifelong love of the game, while also fostering a positive team culture rooted in camaraderie, confidence, and collaboration.

Ava Bartkus
Assistant Coach- Girls 13 & 14 Blue

Ava Bartkus played volleyball at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School for four years, including two city championship second-place finishes and two years as team captain. Ava also played club volleyball for Drive for five years. Four of those years as team captain. She currently attends Northwestern University, where she is pursuing a degree in civil engineering and political science.

As a Drive Alum, Ava hopes to recreate the environment that both taught her volleyball and helped her grow as a person. That includes teaching skills such as passing, serving, and hitting, as well as time management, commitment, and leadership.