Riverside Athletic Director Barry Meier announced today that he has hired
Monica Trainer as the Tigers’ volleyball coach. Trainer has been an
assistant coach at UC Riverside for the past 22 years to UC Riverside Head
Coach Sue Gozansky.

Trainer becomes Riverside’s first full-time coach in nearly 10 years.

“This is a great time for me in my career,” said Trainer. “I’m excited to
run my own program. Obviously, I’ve learned a lot while at UCR, but I’m so
excited to try things on my own.”

Trainer said she knew from the beginning this was the right move for her.

“It’s funny as soon as I stepped on campus I felt welcome,” she said. “I
remember thinking after the interview how much I would love to work at the
college.

“Everyone was so supportive and so personable.”

Trainer and her family have a lot of tradition with the community college
system. Her husband, Joe, is a graduate of the Riverside District’s nursing
program. Trainer herself attended San Bernardino Valley College and her
daughter attended Mt. San Jacinto College.

After attending San Bernardino Valley, Trainer began an outstanding
three-year career at San Jose State. She was drafted by the San Jose Diablos
of the International Volleyball Association, and a year later, she embarked
upon a four-year European semi-pro career, playing in Luzern, Switzerland
from 1981 to 1983 and in Albizzate, Italy, in 1983-84, winning championships
in both stops.

She returned to the United States in 1985 and joined Gozansky’s staff at UC
Riverside as an assistant. In her tenure, UCR has won a Division II national
title and made three trips to the Elite Eight.

Since 1978, Trainer has instructed at many summer camps throughout the
United States with UCLA volleyball coach Al Scates, AAF, Converse, and the
USVBA. In 1995 she traveled to Italy as coach of “Sports for
Understanding,” She has teamed with Gozansky to work with the Department of
Defense Dependent Students (DoDDS) Camp in Manheim, Germany, where she
taught volleyball to United States students who are living in Germany,
Italy, Turkey, Belgium and Greece.

Trainer has continued her volleyball playing career by participating in US
Volleyball Association (USAV) tournaments across the nation and has earned
11 All-America selections. She was a member of the Seniors national
championship team in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003.

Trainer attended Rim of the World High School, graduating in 1976. She
played softball, tennis and basketball, but did not play volleyball until
her senior year.

Trainer attended San Bernardino Valley College as a freshman, then
transferred to SJSU, where she graduated with a degree in human performance
and a minor in psychology. She went on to earn her teaching credential and a
master’s degree in guidance counseling from Cal State University, San
Bernardino. She is an American Red Cross Instructor Trainer for various
health, safety and aquatics programs for future teachers.

Trainer and her husband Joe live in Murrieta and are proud grandparents of
Daniel, Abigail and Elena.

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