GRIT Academy Training & Volleyball Club

09/10/2026

🏐 COACH SPOTLIGHT: SAM KAMPWERTH 💗💙

We’re fired up to welcome Sam Kampwerth as the Head Coach of 15U Fury! 🔥

Sam knows what it means to put in the work. From competing in high school and club volleyball to becoming an educator, she brings the perfect combination of energy, patience, discipline, and a passion for helping young athletes grow.

Her coaching philosophy fits GRIT to a T: work hard, stay coachable, embrace the reps, and keep getting better. 💪🏐

15U Fury is getting a coach who will challenge her athletes, celebrate their progress, build their confidence, and remind them that the little things matter.

We can’t wait to see Sam and 15U Fury hit the court this season! LET’S GO! 🔥🔥🔥

09/10/2026

🔥🏐Let’s keep the ball rollin’ with another GRIT Coach Spotlight!

Up next, meet Payton Todd, Assistant Coach for our 15U Fire, coaching alongside Head Coach Chad Rakers!

Payton brings a competitive mindset, a strong athletic background, and a passion for helping young athletes grow. As a former collegiate athlete and current physical education teacher, she knows how to break down skills, build confidence, and challenge athletes to become better on and off the court.

We’re excited to have Coach Todd bringing her energy, leadership, and GRIT to the 15U Fire! 🔥

Welcome to GRIT, Coach Todd! 🩷🏐

09/09/2026

🔥 14U GRIT COACH SPOTLIGHT 🔥

We’re excited to introduce Alicia Wuebbels-Hemker as an Assistant Coach for our 14U Fire team!

Alicia brings a tremendous volleyball background to GRIT, from competing at Mater Dei and Parkland College to now giving back to athletes right here in Clinton County. Her experience playing multiple positions, understanding the game from every angle, and coaching young athletes makes her a fantastic addition to our 14U staff.

Even better, Alicia knows firsthand what it looks like to grow from a local youth player into a successful collegiate athlete — and she’s ready to help the next generation build that same strong foundation. 🏐🔥

We’re thrilled to have Alicia joining the GRIT Academy family and can’t wait to see the impact she makes with our 14U Fire athletes this season!

Welcome to GRIT, Coach Alicia! 💗🏐🔥

09/04/2026

🚨 GRIT ACADEMY’S FIRST MERCH DROP IS LIVE!!! 🚨💗🏐

It’s official — you can now rep GRIT Academy on and off the court! Our FIRST EVER merch drop is here, and we are SO excited to see our GRIT family rocking it. 🔥

🛍️ SHOP + ORDER HERE:
GRIT Academy Merch Shop⁠
🔗 https://www.gatewayimpressions.com/gritvolleyball/shop/home

And don’t forget… OPEN GYMS are coming up! 👀🏐 Come get in the gym, compete, meet the coaches, and get ready for tryouts!

📅 SAVE THE DATE — TRYOUTS OCTOBER 23
🏐 13’s: 5:00–6:30 PM
🏐 14’s: 6:30–8:00 PM
🏐 12’s: 8:00–9:30 PM

💗 MERCH IS LIVE. OPEN GYMS ARE COMING. TRYOUTS ARE SET.
It’s GRIT season!!! 🔥🏐💪

Open Gym Sign-Up:
🔗 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044BAFA72AA0FECF8-65588687-grit

09/04/2026

WHAT YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! 🏐

GRIT Academy Open Gyms are here — and sign-ups are officially LIVE!

Open Gym sign-ups are live — secure your spot.
🔗 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044BAFA72AA0FECF8-65588687-grit

Come get in the gym, compete, meet our coaches, and experience what GRIT Academy is all about.

📆 TRYOUTS | OCTOBER 23

14’s | 6:30–8:00PM
13’s | 5:00–6:30 PM
12’s | 8:00–9:30 PM

The road to the season starts here. Come ready to work, compete, and show your GRIT.

09/03/2026

Lea is not only a great player and a great coach. She’s also a great human being, the kind of person that you would want your daughter to emulate and be around. We are lucky to have her at Grit Academy.

🐐🏐 14U COACH SPOTLIGHT: LEA NENNINGER 🏐🐐

Our Coach Spotlights continue, and this one comes with a résumé that speaks for itself. 👀

Meet 14U Master Coach Lea Nenninger…an absolute GOAT of the game. 🐐

Lea (Beckemeyer) Nenninger’s volleyball journey began as a St. Rose Wildcat, where she played under Hall of Fame Coach Jim Cook and finished her senior season with a State Championship. 🏆

She continued her career at Southeast Missouri State, earning two All-Ohio Valley Conference honors, First-Team All-OVC and Tournament MVP, and AVCA All-Region honors. Lea helped lead SEMO to an OVC Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance and finished her career ranked 6th all-time at SEMO with 1,405 kills.

Her team was inducted into the Southeast Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014, and just two years later, Lea earned an individual Hall of Fame induction of her own. 🐐

And her impact on the game didn’t stop when her playing career ended.

After assisting at Central for three years, Lea has spent the last 10 years coaching at Breese District 12, where her teams have earned a 3rd-place finish, two 2nd-place finishes, and a State Championship. 🏆

The experience. The knowledge. The winning tradition. And now she’s bringing it all to GRIT Academy. 💗🏐

We couldn’t be more excited to have Coach Lea leading our 14U athletes!

And there’s more to come! 👀 We’ll continue introducing our GRIT coaching staff, and Open Gym dates and times will be announced SOON!

09/03/2026

🐐🏐 14U COACH SPOTLIGHT: LEA NENNINGER 🏐🐐

Our Coach Spotlights continue, and this one comes with a résumé that speaks for itself. 👀

Meet 14U Master Coach Lea Nenninger…an absolute GOAT of the game. 🐐

Lea (Beckemeyer) Nenninger’s volleyball journey began as a St. Rose Wildcat, where she played under Hall of Fame Coach Jim Cook and finished her senior season with a State Championship. 🏆

She continued her career at Southeast Missouri State, earning two All-Ohio Valley Conference honors, First-Team All-OVC and Tournament MVP, and AVCA All-Region honors. Lea helped lead SEMO to an OVC Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance and finished her career ranked 6th all-time at SEMO with 1,405 kills.

Her team was inducted into the Southeast Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014, and just two years later, Lea earned an individual Hall of Fame induction of her own. 🐐

And her impact on the game didn’t stop when her playing career ended.

After assisting at Central for three years, Lea has spent the last 10 years coaching at Breese District 12, where her teams have earned a 3rd-place finish, two 2nd-place finishes, and a State Championship. 🏆

The experience. The knowledge. The winning tradition. And now she’s bringing it all to GRIT Academy. 💗🏐

We couldn’t be more excited to have Coach Lea leading our 14U athletes!

And there’s more to come! 👀 We’ll continue introducing our GRIT coaching staff, and Open Gym dates and times will be announced SOON!

08/25/2026

A little team bonding + a lot of volleyball! 🏐

Grit Academy 15U had a great night watching SIUE vs. SLU together! We love seeing these girls build connections off the court that will carry onto the court all season long.

Special thanks to Cindi & Ben Wheelen for organizing such a fun night for our teams! 💗

Good teammates. Great memories. All GRIT. 💪🏐

08/12/2026

🏐 TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT! 🔥

GRIT Academy Fall Positional Clinics kick off TONIGHT from 7-9 and we still have a few spots left!

Want some extra reps? Want to sharpen your skills before the season gets rolling? Come train with us! 💪

🔥 Focused positional training
🏐 Quality reps + purposeful instruction
💪 Get better. Get confident. Get ready.

⏰ It’s not too late to grab a spot for TONIGHT!

👉 Register now and come put in the work.

https://bit.ly/4w3lCgV

EARN EVERYTHING. 🩷🏐