William Robbins
William Robbins is a Hitting & Serving Specialist and U21 USA National Team Beach Coach with elite playing and coaching experience. A former indoor and beach professional, he is a 2x PVL National Champion and former IPFW player, and has coached teams to national-level success. William brings high-level, results-driven training focused on developing powerful, consistent attackers and servers.
Ashlee Robbins
Ashlee Robbins is a Setting & Passing Specialist and former IPFW setter (2002–05) with a strong background in player development and leadership. As the Leo High School Varsity Head Coach, she brings a technical, detail-focused approach to training, helping athletes build consistency, confidence, and game IQ.
Janelle Didion
Janelle Didion is a former outside hitter for IPFW Women’s Volleyball (2001–2004) and currently serves as Director of Communications at Empowered. She brings her volleyball experience and organizational expertise to the club, overseeing communications, marketing, and program outreach, and schedules all lessons to ensure a smooth and efficient experience for players and families.
Laura Stegall
Laura Stegall is a Hall of Fame athlete and nationally recognized coach who starred at IPFW (PFW) as a GLVC Player of the Year and all-time leader in kills and digs. She launched Indiana Tech’s program (WHAC Coach of the Year) and later led nationally ranked teams, earning AVCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year honors. Laura brings proven, high-level training focused on real results.
Taya Haffner
Taya Haffner is a Purdue Fort Wayne Volleyball alumna and former setter for the Mastodons. During her collegiate career, she established herself as a proven playmaker and leader, leading the team in assists while also contributing digs and aces. Taya also excelled academically, earning multiple Academic All-District and Horizon League Academic Honor Roll honors and demonstrating leadership both on and off the court.
Training / Lessons
No Slack November is all about keeping athletes in the gym, getting quality touches, and continuing to develop throughout November. Empowered Volleyball Academy is offering a variety of position-specific and skill-focused training sessions for athletes of all ages with Janelle Didion, Taya Haffner, Laura Stegall, Ashlee Robbins, and William Robbins.
Whether you want to improve your all-around game or focus on a specific area, athletes can choose the sessions that best fit their individual development needs.
Training Options Include:
14U & Under Training
- All Skills — Develop and reinforce the fundamentals of serving, passing, setting, attacking, and defense.
- Court IQ & Rotations — Learn rotations, positioning, court responsibilities, and how to better understand the game.
- Serve Receive & Defense — Improve passing, defensive movement, reading, platform control, and overall first-contact consistency.
15U & Older Training
- Setters & Opposites — Offensive Systems — Improve setter/opposite connections, offensive responsibilities, decision-making, and system execution.
- Setters & Opposites — Defensive Systems — Develop defensive positioning, responsibilities, transition, and system awareness.
- Attacking & Blocking — Improve attacking mechanics, timing, blocking technique, positioning, and net play.
- First Contact — Develop serve receive, passing, defensive movement, and ball control.
- Serve Receive & Defense — Improve passing consistency, defensive positioning, reading, and first-contact execution.
- Offensive Focus — Attacking Out of Serve Receive & Serving — Train the transition from serve receive into attack while developing more aggressive and consistent serving.
- Defensive Focus — Blocking/Defense & Transition to Attack — Train blocking and backcourt defense while learning to transition quickly from defense into offense.
$35 per session. Athletes can register for the individual sessions that best fit their age, position, and development goals.
Select from the registration options below to reserve your spot.
