Felix started playing volleyball at the age of 14 and he quickly excelled at the sport. For the

next four years he played on both high school and club volleyball teams. During his senior

year he was chosen Athlete of the Year. He was recognized as one of the top players in his

age group and was awarded and accepted a scholarship to play at Central University of

Bayamón, Puerto Rico. After graduating he played professional volleyball for six additional

years. During this time he played the Right Side and Middle Blocker positions. Through it all,

he was a versatile player which was a great advantage for his team.

Felix began coaching club volleyball in 1995 and has 21 years of experience working with

junior girls primarily in the 10U-17U age group. He has Level I and Level II FIVB coaches’

courses. He came to the U.S. mainland eleven years ago and coached the 16U age division for

the first time. Despite having a young team with little experience, he was able to help them

finish the season with a top 20 ranking in the state. In the past 12 years has worked in

volleyball camps at universities and has directly organized and directed camps in both the

U.S. and Puerto Rico. Felix is one of the most recognized setter trainers in the United States

and Puerto Rico.

Through the years he has had success across the board as he has won championships with

every age group he has coached, including the Puerto Rican National School Tournament

on three different occasions. In 2011 he qualified both teams he was coaching (13 Asics and

17 Molten) for the Junior Olympics and in 2012 he won the AAU Nationals and the Junior

Olympics with his 13 Asics team, becoming the first coach in the State of Florida to win both

titles with the same team in the same year.

• 2016 – AAU National Championship, Silver Medal 13 Open, (OTVA ) 13 Asics

• 2016 – AAU National Championship, Silver Medal 15 Club, (OTVA ) 15 Elite

• 2015 – Jr. National Championship, Bronze Medal 13 Open, (TBVA ) 13 Black

• 2015 – AAU National Championship, Bronze Medal 13 Open, (TBVA ) 13 Black

• 2014 – Jr. National Championship, Gold Medal 14 Open, (TBVA ) 14 Tampa

• 2014 – AAU Girls National Championship, Gold Medal 14 Open, (TBVA ) 14 Tampa

• 2014 – AAU Boys National Championship, Gold Medal 14 Open, (TBVA ) 14 Tampa

• 2013 – Jr. National Championship, Silver Medal 13 Open, (OVA) 13 Asics

• 2013 – AAU National Championship, Gold Medal 13 Open, (OVA) 13 Asics

• 2013 – Big South Qualifier, Gold Medal 13 Open, (OVA) 13 Asics

• 2013 – Mid East Qualifier, 2nd place 13 Open, (OVA) 13 Asics

• 2012 – Jr. National Championship, Gold Medal 13 Open, (OVA) 13 Asics

• 2012 – AAU National Championship, Gold Medal 13 Open, (OVA) 13 Asics

• 2011 – AAU National Championship, Bronze Medal 17 Club, (OVA) 17 Molten

• 2005-2006 Puerto Rico Middle School National Champion

Cynthia began playing volleyball at the age of 12 where she was a natural at the setter

position and played that position for her entire volleyball career. She played club volleyball

for six years and was the starting setter on her high school team, Bayamón Military

Academy, which was one of the top high school teams in Puerto Rico.  Cynthia was named

MVP in several high school tournaments and Athlete of the Year in her senior year.

She was awarded a scholarship at University of Sacred Heart, San Juan, Puerto Rico. After

college, her talents were recognized at the next level when she was asked to play semi-

professional volleyball, which she did for three years.

Cynthia began coaching club volleyball in 2000 and has 15 years of experience working with

junior girls primarily in the 10U-12U age group. She came to the U.S. mainland 10 years ago

and started working at the Orlando Volleyball Academy. She had great success with her

teams and she was awarded with the OVA Coach of the Year award in 2011 and 2012.

She is a former coach at the high school level at City of Life Christian Academy. She led

them to the Districts finals for the first time in school history. Cynthia has worked in many

different camps on the University level, in both the United States and Puerto Rico.

2016 – Jr. National Championship, Bronze Medal 12 Open, (OTVA ) 12 Asics

2016 – AAU National Championship, Silver Medal 12 Open, (OTVA ) 12 Asics

2016 – AAU National Championship, Silver Medal 13 Open, (OTVA ) 13 Asics

2015 – Jr. National Championship, Bronze Medal 13 Open, (TBVA ) 13 Black

2015 – AAU National Championship, Bronze Medal 13 Open, (TBVA ) 13 Black

2014 – AAU Boys National Championship, Gold Medal 14 Open, (TBVA ) 14 Tampa

2014 – AAU Girls National Championship, Silver Medal 12 Club, (TBVA ) 12 Tampa

2013 – AAU National Championship, Bronze Medal 11 National, (OVA) 11 Asics

2013 – Jr. National Championship, Gold Medal 11 National, (OVA) 11 Asics

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Jamie Lillethorup started coaching volleyball in 1992 where he served as the JV Head

Coach at West Orange High School. In 1995 he was a volunteer assistant coach at

Warner Southern University. In 2002 he began coaching with Orlando Gold Volleyball

Club, winning 2 regional championships and 3rd place finish at AAU Nationals. In 2009

he started Performance Elite Volleyball Club where he served as Director for 4 years. In

2015 his MOJO 15’s girls club team won the Canadian National Championships and His

15’s boys team at Ocean Bay took 2nd place at USAV Junior Nationals (Club).

​

Jamie has been the Head Volleyball Coach for the boys and girls volleyball programs at

Apopka High and Middle Schools since 2005. Jamie has earned the OCPS coach of the

year award 3 times and was the 2013 AVCA regional coach of the year. During his

tenure his teams have won 7 middle school conference championships, 2 high school

district championships and won the 2005 middle school county championship.

As a player beginning in the late 1980’s Jamie played outside hitter at West Orange

High School and then earned a scholarship to play at Webber International University.

As a 3-year starter and captain at Webber Jamie tallied 3 Most Valuable Player awards

in 93, 94, 95 and he was chosen 1st team SSCVL all conference player. Jamie has

been an avid beach volleyball player throughout his career, he has 5 beach open wins

including the 1995 AVP Qualifier in Chicago Ill. 

Jamie and his wife Schondra live in Apopka, FL. They have 3 children, Caleb, Paige

and Schylar and 1 grandson Kaedyn. Their children all played volleyball. Caleb also

played D1 football at Stephen F. Austin State University, Paige played volleyball at St.

Johns River State College, and the youngest Schylar is currently playing college

volleyball at California State Northridge. Schylar is also a member of the USA Youth

National team.

2016 – AAU National Championship, Gold Medal 14 Club, (OTVA ) 14 Elite

​

2015 – Boys Jr. National Championship, Silver Medal 15 American, (OBV ) 15

Quicksilver

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Bethune-Cookman University

Coach Raphael enters his fourth season at the helm of the Bethune-Cookman University’s,

NCAA Division I, volleyball program.  With a young but athletic volleyball team, Coach

Raphael is ready to lead the Lady Wildcats into unchartered territory, a Mid-Eastern Athletic

Conference and bid to the NCAA Tournament.  With a combined conference record of 16-14

in the last three seasons, B-CU is ready to make a serious MEAC Tournament run this

season.

"I am very excited to be at Bethune-Cookman University with this young team"; said Coach

Raphael. "I am very excited for the challenge of getting this program to the top of the

MEAC".

​

USA Volleyball – Florida Region 

In addition to countless hours at B-CU, Raphael has taken the time to be an active coach in

the Florida Region of USA Volleyball.  He was named the Florida Region’s Outstanding

Junior’s Coach (17U-18U Division) in 2009, and received the region’s Outstanding Service

Award in 2012.  He has participated in the Team Florida High performance program for the

last seven years, a program that builds a national pipeline of junior volleyball athletes and

coaches.  Raphael guided the Team Florida Girls’ National Select Team to a gold medal at

the 2013 USA High Performance (HP) Championships in Ft. Lauderdale.   

In 2012 and 2013 Raphael was an assistant coach of the Women’s Team Florida Wave

professional team, of the new Premier Volleyball League (PVL), a pro volleyball league

sanctioned by USA Volleyball. 

Raphael was the Founder and Director of The Volleyball Academy at Winter Springs (TVA-

WS), one of the premier clubs in Florida. Always notably strong, TVA has won numerous

tournaments including bids to USA Volleyball Junior Olympics. TVA has prepared numerous

athletes for college scholarships including schools such as Harvard, LSU, USC Aiken, and

Eastern Carolina.

Previous Coaching Experience

Raphael comes to the Lady Cats from Florida International (FIU), where he was the setters

coach for the Panthers, coaching All-Sunbelt selection Natalia Valentin.  Prior to working at

FIU, Raphael led his last three high school setters to scholarships at Florida Southern, Palm

Beach Atlantic and Louisiana State (LSU). During his time coaching setters at FIU, the

Panthers were 20-11.

The St. Croix, USVI (U.S. Virgin Islands) native, coached at Winter Springs High School for

eight years, with seven years as head coach, leading the team to five district

championships, two regional championships, and a state runner-up finish.  He has coached

numerous high school players to collegiate scholarships including, All-American and 2009

ACC Player of the Year, Brianna Barry.

Raphael is a UCF graduate (BS Mathematics Education) and has earned his Corporate

MBA at FIU.  He and his wife, Jacqueline, reside in Winter Springs, FL, with their five

children, Mwai, Imani, Ishaq, Ismaiil, and Sky.

2016 – Jr. National Championship, Bronze Medal 12 Open, (OTVA ) 12 Asics

2016 – AAU National Championship, Silver Medal 12 Open, (OTVA ) 12 Asics

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Semei Tello has been playing and coaching volleyball for 12 years. Semei is USAV

Impact, Beach Impact, and CAP I & CAP II certified.  Semei Tello most recently served

as the volunteer assistant at the University of Central Florida during the 2012-2013

season and 2014 spring season under Todd Dagenais.  While on staff with the knights,

his responsibilities were on the court training primarily with the libero’s and defensive

specialist, opponent scouting, video analysis, and statistical analysis using Data Volley.

In 2015, his 17s girls team were the Canadian National Champions and AAU National

Champion Runner Up.  He was chosen in 2014 and 2015 to be the assistant with the

Men’s Florida Pro team, the Florida WAVE.  He has worked with Team Florida High

Performance for three years now. In 2014 winning the bronze medal (3rd) with the

Team (BIY).  In 2013 he helped the Lyman Boys Volleyball team to an undefeated 31-0

State Championship Title as an assistant coach.  In 2008, he coached the Longwood

15’s boys team to a third place finish at Nationals taking home the bronze medal.

2016 – AAU National Championship, Silver Medal 15 Club, (OTVA ) 15 Elite

2014 – High Performance Championship, Bronze Medal 13 Open, Boys International

Youth

2013 – FHAA Boys State Championship, Gold Medal, Lyman High School

2016 – Boys Jr. National Championship, Bronze Medal 15 American, (LVC) 15

Longwood

While playing multiple sports throughout childhood, he started playing volleyball at the age

of 12. Played setter all 3 years in varsity in middle school in Puerto Rico. As a leader of the

team, he helped the team win the state Middle School Championship and going undefeated

the whole season. Also known as coach Alex, he has his Impact certification. Coach Alex

started coaching at Sanford Middle school in 2010 as both head coach of the JV girls/boys

and an assistant of Varsity girls/boys winning multiple county championships. He also

coached at Crooms Academy as the head coach of the boys JV volleyball team and

assistant of the Varsity volleyball team. He also volunteered as a coach for the Oviedo

Recreational league. Starting his club coaching career at TVA where he coached the Elite

13s team and National 13s team. He also coached with Metro Orlando Juniors for 3 years.

While coaching various teams, he helped Metro Orlando 17s finished 11th in the state (the

team finished in the top 20 the prior year).

Ann Marie started playing volleyball at the age of 12 at that moment she felt in love with the

sport. Continued to play a high level throughout her middle school and high school. Ann

Marie was offered a scholarship at the Central University in Puerto Rico when she play as

an. outside hitter. She started playing professional volleyball at the age of 19 . What make

her different from other players was her natural knowledge of the game. Ann Marie was an

excellent defensive player. She continues playing professional for 12 years with Pinkins of

Corozal and Chicas de San Juan.. Mrs. Rosado moved to Florida 10 years ago. Started

coaching high school and club. She coached at TVA, OVA and Top Select, she kept all her

positive experiences and create a new mindset about how much this sport has improve and

love the Volleyball even more. Ann Marie is very happy to be part of a development of each

player she led in sport and in their personal lives.

2016 – AAU National Championship, Gold Medal 14 Club, (OTVA ) 14 Elite

Angel started playing volleyball since he was nine years old, always standing out as a leader

in the court and having the opportunity to be captain for several occasions. He played in

middle and high school in Puerto Rico as a DS and outside hitter, winning the MVP award

multiple times in different tournaments. He started playing professional volleyball when he

was 17 years old. While playing professional volleyball in Puerto Rico his defense was

outstanding and in his second year he made the top 10 list in defense.  In 2001 he worked

as a coach and as a sport recreational leader in the Recreational and Sports Department in

P.R.  He has given volleyball clinics and has coached girls from the age of 14 to 16 years

old in P.R. While studying in college he coached at the Puerto Rican Federation Minor

League (FPV) with boys from the age of 14 and 15 years old for two consecutive years. He

graduated from Interamerican University of Puerto Rico with a bachelor's Degree in Physical

Education. Moreover from 2002 to 2005 he trained and coached the boys high school

volleyball team in Sacred Heart of Jesus private school for three consecutive years, leading

them to one championship and two sub-championships in the competition of Catholic

schools of the south area of Puerto Rico. Then in 2006 he worked as a sports coordinator at

Ponce Paramedical College  (POPAC) in Ponce P.R. In 2011 he was part of Orlando

Volleyball Academy (OVA) during Mini Club and Club season in Florida.  In 2013 he worked

with the MVP team for volleyball camps in Puerto Rico.