Season: 2019

Gabrielle Thomas

Elle’s Volleyball Profile

  • High School:  White River
  • Hometown: Buckley, WA
  • University Attending: Pacific Lutheran University
  • Degree Pursuing: Nursing

Volleyball Accomplishments:

  • SPSL 1st Team All League 2019, 2020, 2021
  • 1st Team All Area 2021
  • All State Honorable Mention 2021
  • 2021 All State Game
  • 2021 Tacoma Athletic Commission Fall Athlete of the Year

Non-Volleyball Accomplishments:  100+ hours volunteering for MultiCare

My most memorable volleyball moments are competing at nationals in 2019,2021, and 2022

My Favorite Inspirational Quote: “Don’t Suck”- Brian Embery

My Favorite motivational inspirational song: Take Me Home Country Roads by John Denver

My favorite color: dark green

I’m inspired by my mom because of how much she cares for people and goes out of her way to make them happy. Anyone who knows her knows how much she loves to give and I hope to one day be as generous as her.

Something about me that most people don’t know is when my mom was a kid, she competed in the Junior Olympics as a synchronized swimmer, so whenever we go on vacation and there is a pool, I always try to mirror her talents, and absolute fail every time.

In 5 years I see myself in grad school earning my certification to be a nurse practitioner.

Some advice I’d like to give younger players is “Never stop playing for your teammates, those people will be some of the best you ever meet!

I would like to thank my parents for supporting me most through this journey. Not only have they financially supported me, but I do not remember a single time where neither of them were at one of my games. Even if the truck broke down on the side of the road (true story) they both still showed up.

Patrick Taitano

Pat Taitano is the owner and club director of Puget Sound Volleyball Academy and has maintained PSVBA’s status as one of the top club volleyball programs in the State of Washington for over 12 years!  He has coached a team at PSVBA for the past 7 seasons and has already “personally” coached over 70 college athletes, which include a handful of All-Americans and dozens of NCAA Division I players!

Pat has an impressive club volleyball resume that showcases the coaching, teaching, mentoring, training, and developing of players and teams that experience a high-level of success! His club team highlights include many Championships and Top 5 finishes at national qualifiers and other high-profile tournaments; including Pacific Northwest Qualifier Champions (18U), Southern California Qualifier Champions (18U), 3X Finalist at the Matt Hartner Memorial and Back-to-Back Champions at 16 Open & 18 Open, 2X Emerald City Classic Champions at 16 Open & 18 Open! He has also coached 4 different teams to the elite Platinum League, and several of his teams held the Overall #1 Ranking in the PSR Power League. His teams have won the PSR Championships 4X. He has taken his teams to the Junior National Championships in 6 of the 7 years he has coached with the exception of the COVID stricken 2020 season. His teams have earned a total of 6 qualified bids including 4 National Bids and 2 USA Bids!

Pat also has an impressive high school coaching resume that proves his ability to turn around struggling programs and build a winning culture in a short amount of time!  He helped lead Stadium HS to their first ever WIAA State appearance!  He became Todd Beamer’s all-time winningest volleyball coach in his 1st year coaching at the school, after transforming their struggling program into NPSL League Champions! Most recently, he coached Mount Rainier to their first WIAA State appearance in 20 years and guided his team to one of the school’s best showings at State with a 6th place finish!  Pat is a 2X NPSL Coach of the Year who specializes in developing complete players and chooses to train and develop his athletes with solid all-around volleyball skills. Everywhere he goes he builds and develops a winning culture!

Pat holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Hawaii and is a principal owner of J3NP Engineering. He loves to travel and spend time with his family!