"Unbox Your Potential"
Volleyball
Shoebox Sports has teamed up with The Volleyball Academy to bring you Shoebox Elite Travel Volleyball
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Tryouts
The 2025/2026 Travel teams are completed. Please reach out to coaches for any questions.
Our coaches offer small group sessions for defense/setting & pins/middles. These sessions are limited to 8 players
Meet our coaches
Kristi Doherty
Coach
Originally from Goodrich, Michigan, Kristi played four years at Lawrence Tech, where she earned a degree in Biomedical Engineering and was named a two-time Setter of the Year, Player of the Year, and First-Team All-American.
She went on to earn her Master’s in Artificial Intelligence while serving as an assistant coach for the LTU men's and women’s volleyball teams for four seasons.
Now a full-time engineer and semi-professional athlete with the VLA's Midwest Magic, Kristi stays active competing across the country in sand, grass, and indoor tournaments. She’s passionate about helping young athletes thrive both on the court and in the classroom.
Gustavo Heidrich
Coach
Gustavo brings elite experience and passion to The Volleyball Academy. A former professional libero in Brazil and current VLA player, he’s competed at the sport’s highest levels.
He completed his bachelor’s degree at Lourdes University, where he was the starting libero for three years before transferring to Lawrence Tech—earning Libero of the Year and All-American honors.
Now in his third year of collegiate coaching, Gustavo serves as the head coach of the Lawrence Tech women’s volleyball team. With a Master’s in Data Analytics and a deep commitment to athlete development, he’s focused on building competitive teams and helping student-athletes thrive on and off the court.
