Monica Trainer served as the Highlanders assistant volleyball coach for 22 seasons under Head Coach Sue Gozansky.
Following an outstanding three-year career at San Jose State, Trainer was drafted by the San Jose Diablos of the International Volleyball Association. 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 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 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.
