STORY BY BELLA GARCIA, STAFF WRITER
FROM THE CYPRESS CHARGERS
The Cypress Athletics Department welcomed new head coach of Women’s Volleyball as of March 21 due to former head coach Nancy Welliver stepping down.
Danko Iordanov has been involved in volleyball for approximately 40 years, coaching at various levels since 2000 and playing professional beach until 2018.
Iordanov’s coaching experience includes serving as the USA Volleyball Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team Head Coach in 2021, currently serving as a coach for USA Volleyball National Team Development Program, two national championships with the RPM Sand club, and more.
Iordanov now serves as the head coach for Cypress College’s Women’s Volleyball.
Q. What qualities do you have that make you capable for the position of head coach?
A: I have actually been in a head coaching position at the two year level in junior college and the four year level in the past. Being a head coach is not something new for me. But here at Cypress, it’s new because Coach Nancy has been the head coach for 23 years.
Q. Do you think already holding the position of Head Coach for Beach Volleyball will make the transition to the head coach of indoor easier?
A: I don’t see a difference because the seasons don’t overlap. They are in different semesters, the indoor is in the Fall and beach is in the Spring. And many of the athletes and the student athletes are the same.
Q. What changes will you make from previous seasons to create a stronger team now as Head Coach?
A: Right now, I’m recruiting players. And we’ve done a really good job. There has been a lot of activity and a lot of interest. We have already committed six girls to the team for next year. And from expectation. Majority of the freshmen we have a lot of freshmen will return. So we’ll have a mix of experienced and new incoming people. So I’m looking forward to that. And also, I want to create a good positive environment for the girls for the team where everybody can try to achieve their goals and have fun and leave Cypress with a good feeling about the volleyball team and their experience.
Q. How will your coaching and relationship with the players differ from the previous head coach?
A: So I try to get to know the players on a personal level because each person is different, and people are motivated by different things. So it is my goal for them to have the best experience they can have. I feel like I need to, I need to know, the whys like what is important to each person and also their personal life not just volleyball. I care about their schoolwork. I want them to do well. And I do everything I can to make them successful in the classroom as well. Because to me, that’s very important.
Q. What are you looking forward to with next season’s indoor team in this new position as head coach?
A: Oh, yes. So we had a young team last season with a lot of freshmen. And now these freshmen have grown a lot over the course of the indoor season, and now the beach season. So we expect them to come in, from the very beginning with all that experience. And with a group of very, very exciting groups of incoming freshmen were aiming to fight for the conference championship in the Orange Empire Conference, which is one of the strongest for volleyball in the state and make a run in the playoffs. This will be our goal as well.
Q. Is there anything else you would like people to know about yourself, your position as head coach, or the team?
A: I’d like people to come to our games and support us. Of course, the schedule is not listed yet on the website, but it will be for the fall. So that would be nice. We still have some beach volleyball games coming up. We’re in the playoffs. So we’re looking forward to success there as well.
For more information about the Women’s Volleyball team, head to the Cypress Chargers Athletics website or their instagram @cypresschargersvb.
