Alumni Spotlight: From Warrior to Division II Head Coach, Yami Nolan Continues to Shine

TORRANCE, Calif. - Yami Nolan is both a former El Camino volleyball player and a native of Torrance, Calif. After a successful playing career, she has gone on to coach college teams and currently sits as the Head Coach of Dominican University of California Women's Volleyball team.

Nolan's time as a Warrior began in the fall of 1984 and continued for three semesters with El Camino, before transferring out January of 1986. During her time at El Camino, Nolan was under the direction of Coach Sharkie Zartman.

With Nolan on the team, the Warriors made it all the way to State Championships in the fall of '85. Unfortunately the Warriors fell to Cuesta College in the State Finals but the Warriors still placed 2nd. Nolan was awarded the Tournament MVP, and received several individual recognitions.

Nolan attributes much of the team's success to Coach Zartman, " Sharkie really instilled a strong concept of personal responsibility and teamwork. She was an excellent coach that balanced out the competitive demands of collegiate volleyball with a strong emphasis on relationships and team chemistry."

Aspiring to transfer to a four year college, Nolan took general education classes while at El Camino before she was recruited by UC Santa Barbara on a full scholarship.

At UCSB, Nolan played under renowned Head Coach Kathy Gregory. She had a very successful career while with the Gauchos. She sits at fifth in career kills average (3.78) and ranks second in single season records in both kills (596) and service aces (64) in the Gauchos' volleyball records. While at UCSB, the Gauchos advanced to the first round of the NCAA playoffs during those two years.

Nolan graduated from UCSB with a degree in Liberal Studies and began teaching first and second grade with Lennox Unified School District. During that time she worked to obtain her teaching credential from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Shortly after, Nolan started a family and moved to the East Coast to raise her children and for 17 years taught second grade.

Her coaching career began at St. Joseph's College in Maine before the start of the 2010 volleyball season. In her six years as coach for the Monks, she was able to turn a struggling program into a winning conference playoff bound team, with five Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament appearances. She ended the 2015 season with an overall record of 27-6.

Wanting to head back to the West Coast and move up a division, Nolan began with NCAA Division II school Dominican University in April of 2016.

Nolan commented, "I am so thankful to be coaching volleyball in such an amazing place.The Dominican Athletic Department is simply outstanding!" She went on to stay, "it is made up of supportive, professional, and hardworking administrators and fellow coaches. I inherited a team of competitive players who welcomed me and accepted my philosophy wholeheartedly."

The program was able to move from second to last in conference the previous year to third place this current season.

Nolan attributes part of her success thus far to being a Warrior, "Having gone to El Camino really set the foundation for the type of player I was, to the kind of coach I am now."