Paul Castellana

C O A C H

SUNSHINE

Read Bio👇🏼

Paul Castellana

Head Coach

Personal

I Live in Santa Monica where I am part of my neighborhood council and play beach volleyball.
Went to UCLA for undergrad and USC for my masters.
Works in construction development for houses in West LA, Manhattan Beach, and Santa Monica.

Playing Experience

Played club volleyball for Laguna Beach VBC from 9-12 and then Balboa Bay from 13-18 with two golds, one silver, and two bronze medals in USAV Open Nationals.
Played Varsity volleyball for San Clemente High from 2012-2016 and Varsity Beach from 2014-2016.

Coaching Experience

Assistant Coach for Laguna Beach VBC Girls 18-1s and Boys 16-1s for the 2021-2022 Season.
Head Coach for Junior Varsity and Assistant Coach for Varsity at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for Girls and Boys Volleyball (CIF Champions) for the 2021-2022 Season.
Coached the USC Club Men’s A and B Teams from 2022-2024.
Coached the Pac6 Boys 14s from 2022-2024.
Been with Sunshine since 2024 with the Sunshine 15/16SB as an Assistant Coach and then as the Head Coach for Sunshine 16SB.

bio

About Paul

The youngest of three sons that played volleyball, Paul Castellana started playing organized volleyball at 9. After playing for Laguna Beach VBC for three years, he went on to play for Balboa Bay for 13s through 18s earning two bronze, one silver, and two gold Junior National championships. Paul played for San Clemente High School, reaching the CIF Division 1 quarterfinals once and the semifinals twice, as well as the state semifinals twice.

After injuring out in 2016, Paul completed a BA in History of Urban Development at UCLA in 2020. He then coached at Laguna Beach VBC for the 2020 and 2021 club seasons and at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. He returned to school for a Master of Urban Planning at USC where he coached the college club program and at Pac6 Volleyball Club from 2022-2024.

Paul’s coaching philosophy is centered around understanding how to be a competitor and building volleyball IQ. He believes that athletics are a foundational part of learning how to achieve success both on and off the court. Regardless of volleyball talent, all athletes can use the adversity presented on the court to better themselves beyond their playing career. Outside of coaching, Paul can be found getting projects approved at City Hall, squeezing in a few morning matches on the sand, or enjoying a good book with espresso at home.