Community Ambassador

USA Volleyball announces Monica Mendez as Chief of Experiential Events and Strategic Partnerships. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 31, 2026) - USA Volleyball has announced the appointment of Monica Mendez as Chief of Experiential Events and Strategic Partnerships, effective August 3. In this position, Mendez will lead the strategy, development and delivery of its off-court experiential platforms, ensuring that USA Volleyball's events move beyond operational excellence to truly differentiated, world-class experiences for athletes, coaches, officials, families, partners and fans. Her portfolio will encompass non-competition event strategy and execution, including fan engagement, hospitality, partner activations and marquee experiential platforms tied to its national events and major global moments such as the 2027 FIVB Women's World Cup and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. "As USA Volleyball continues to grow and invest in the future of our sport, the experiences we create beyond the competition floor will become increasingly important to our long-term success," said USA Volleyball President and CEO John Speraw. "Monica's experience in creating meaningful events has the potential to inspire people to engage with our sport in new ways. Her track record of cultivating partnerships and leading collaborative teams aligns perfectly with us. We're excited to welcome her to USA Volleyball and look forward to the impact she'll have on our athletes, events, and the communities we serve." Mendez joins USA Volleyball from Angel City Football Club, where she most recently served as vice president of event operations and was a key member of the leadership team that built ACFC's highly regarded, fan-centric matchday experience. She has overseen large-scale live events with multi-million-dollar budgets, led cross-functional production teams and delivered complex global partner experiences. Prior to ACFC, Mendez spent more than a decade in executive and leadership roles at Golden Boy Promotions, where she led operations and communications for high-profile boxing events around the world. At USAV, she will collaborate closely with teams across the organization to build scalable systems and event models that support commercialization, and create inclusive and elevated experiences for all participants. She will also play a central role in coordinating key operational components for LA28. "As USA Volleyball accelerates into a new era of growth, the way we design off-court experiences and strategic partnerships will be central to how we elevate our sport and serve athletes, fans, coaches, officials and partners at the highest level," said USA Volleyball Chief Operating Officer Bari Greenfield. "I'm thrilled for Monica to bring her rare blend of global event expertise, operational rigor, and inclusive leadership, proven across some of the most visible properties in sports. In her role as chief of experiential events and strategic partnerships, she will be instrumental in shaping differentiated, best-in-class experiential platforms around moments like WWC27 and the LA28 Olympic Games, while building the year-round foundation for premium experiential environments at USA Volleyball."

Angel City Football Club announces two additions to Sporting staff. Mariana Cabral joins as Assistant Coach and Louis Hunt as Head of Goalkeeping LOS ANGELES (July 16, 2026) - Angel City Football Club (ACFC) today announced the hiring of assistant coach Mariana Cabral and goalkeeper coach Louis Hunt, bringing a combined wealth of coaching experience at both the club and international levels. Cabral arrives in Los Angeles after spending time in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), serving as an assistant coach with the Utah Royals in 2025 before joining the Chicago Stars coaching staff to start 2026. "First of all, I'm very grateful to the club, and particularly Mark Parsons, for their trust in me, as it is an honor to join an organization that is a rare mix of clear purpose and relentless ambition in women's football," said Cabral. "As a female coach, it's a pleasure to become a part of an environment that is unapologetic in wanting to set world-class standards of practice, on and off the pitch, as that has always been my drive, back in Portugal, as a head coach, and after joining the most competitive league in the world, last year, as an assistant coach. "I can't wait to be part of the team and work closely with the outstanding staff to keep pushing the winning culture and to develop such talented players," continued Cabral. "It's also very exciting to now be on the same side as this passionate fan base. Together, I believe we will work hard and smart to bring championships to Los Angeles." Prior to her move to the NWSL, Cabral spent eight years with Sporting Clube de Portugal, where she held several leadership roles, including Head Coach of the Women's Team, Technical Director of the club's girls academy, and Head Coach of Sporting's Women's B Team and U-19 side. As Head Coach from 2021-2024, she guided Sporting into UEFA Women's Champions League competition while capturing two Portuguese Super Cups and one Portuguese Cup. During her time at Sporting, Cabral also worked with current Angel City players Hannah Seabert and Maiara Niehues, who both represented Sporting CP before joining ACFC. Cabral began her coaching career in Portugal as an assistant coach with Sport Futebol Palmense's Boys U-12 team before joining Sport Lisboa e Benfica, where she served as an assistant coach for the Mixed U-15 team and head coach of the Mixed U-13 team. She later became head coach of Estoril Praia's Women's U-17 team before continuing her rise through the Portuguese women's game. "We're thrilled to welcome Mariana Cabral to Los Angeles," said Angel City FC Sporting Director Mark Parsons. "Mariana is an exceptional and experienced coach with a proven ability to develop players at the top of women's football. Her experience in both Europe and NWSL, combined with aligned values and a collaborative approach to leadership, make her an outstanding addition to our technical staff. This is an important addition for our club, and we're excited to see the impact Mariana will have as we continue building a team capable of getting to the top and competing for trophies." Hunt joins Angel City with more than 20 years of coaching experience across the youth, collegiate, international, and professional levels. Most recently, he served as an Assistant Coach for the San Diego State Women's Soccer program & Goalkeeper coach with US WNT U-23s. Prior to joining San Diego State, he served as assistant coach and head of goalkeeping of the San Diego Wave. "From my first conversations with Angel City, I was incredibly impressed with its vision and ambition, matched with its world-class training facility and exciting roster," said Hunt. "I am honored and motivated to work with the players, coaching staff, and everyone throughout the organization as we strive for success together." Prior to joining San Diego State, Hunt spent ten years with U.S. Soccer, serving as the U-23 Women's National Team Goalkeeper and Set Piece Coach while also working as a Goalkeeper Coach across multiple Youth Women's National Team age groups. During his time with U.S. Soccer, Hunt helped develop some of the country's top young goalkeepers as they progressed through the national team pathway. Throughout his coaching career, he has worked extensively in player development and goalkeeper performance at the highest levels of the women's game. As head of goalkeeping, Hunt will work closely with the club's technical staff to support the development and performance of Angel City's goalkeepers Angelina Anderson, Hannah Seabert, and Faith Nguyen. "We're delighted to welcome Louis to our club as Head of Goalkeeping. Louis has a strong history of developing elite goalkeepers while also bringing important experience of winning in this league," Said Angel City FC Sporting Director Mark Parsons. "His work within the NWSL and alongside the U.S. Women's National Team has given him invaluable insight into what it takes to prepare players to perform at the highest level. We're thrilled to welcome him to our organization and excited for the influence his quality will have on our players and our club in the years ahead."