Janaya Simmons was named the assistant volleyball coach in July 2023.
Simmons came to Spalding with nearly five years of club volleyball coaching experience between her time at the 808 Athletic Club in Kapolei, Hawaii, and the North Atlanta Volleyball Club (NAVC). She is currently a mental performance coach conducting individual and group mental performance training sessions with athletes from all across the U.S.
While at the NAVC, Simmons led the club's top junior team to a second-place finish at the Southern Regional Championships and earned a trip to the 2018 USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships. She also has experience with developing strength and conditioning programs as well as youth development programs.
As a college athlete, Simmons played two years at NCAA Division I member United States Military Academy before finishing the last two years of her career at the NAIA member Life University. She earned All-Mid-South First Team and All-Academic honors while at Life. She was a team captain both years for the Running Eagles and was awarded the school's Champion of Character award her senior year.
An Atlanta, Ga. native, Simmons holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Life and a master's degree in human performance and wellness from Barry University. She is currently pursuing a doctor of psychology degree in clinical psychology at Spalding.
