HONOLULU – Chaminade University women's volleyball head coach
Kahala Kabalis Hoke announced the hiring of
Matthew Saffery and
Sterling Hansen as assistant coaches.
Saffery is currently a private volleyball trainer and has helped develop over 120 individualized training sessions annually throughout the state. In addition to helping athletes improve their technical skills, volleyball IQ and position-specific improvement, he helps mentor athletes and families in collegiate readiness.
He has helped his trainees achieve high accolades in the prep ranks and develop them for the collegiate ranks in all NCAA Divisions I and II, NAIA and junior college.
Saffery was formerly the head coach for the 808 Athletic Club and coached at his high school alma mater, Kamehameha-Kapalama, first as a junior varsity girls assistant from 2022-23 then as a boys varsity assistant from 2024-25 where he helped the Warriors win the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association championship in 2024 and a runner-up finish the following year. He also coached with the Ka Ulukoa Volleyball Club as an assistant coach and interim head coach from 2020-23.
After an all-state high school career, Saffery became the starting setter for the United States U17 and U19 national youth teams. He also played for Outrigger Canoe Club where he earned MVP and all-tournament team honors while leading OCC to first-, second- and third-place national finishes. He was also a semi-professional player for the VLA Phoenix Valor in 2022.
Hansen has over a decade of head coaching experience on the club level in Nevada, California, Utah and Hawai'i, helping to gameplan, evaluate athlete performance and assist athletes in preparing them in the college recruitment process.
Hansen's collegiate experience includes stints at Utah Valley University and BYU-Hawai'i where he was a Director of Operations, manager and statistician.
The 'Swords face the University of Hawai'i in an exhibition match on Monday, Aug. 17 at the Bankoh Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center with regular season action starting on Aug. 20 in the Hawai'i-Alaska Challenge in Hilo.
