Meet the Coaches
& Staff
Staff
Ken Li
President
Ken is a co-founder of the club and has served as the president since its inception. He has coached since he was 16 at a variety of levels, from developing young elementary school athletes, to competitive high school and club programs, Team BC zone teams and provincial team ID camps, and had an 11-year stint on the UBC Men’s Volleyball team, as a manager and then assistant coach. He was awarded the Volleyball BC Community Sports Administrator Award in 2010 through his work with Apex, and the Volleyball BC High School Coach of the Year in 2016. He currently teaches and serves as a high school athletic director in Vancouver.
“Apex is a community that prides itself on the relationships. The medals and championships are secondary to the connections that have been formed within our organization. People have met lifelong friends and even life partners as members of our club. Bonds extend to the coaching staff, which is made up mostly of proud alumni wanting to share their experiences and expertise with the next generation of Apex athletes.”
ken@apexvolleyball.com
Chanh Vuong
Vice President
Chanh co-founded the club in 2005 and has served as a vice president ever since. He has coached a plethora of high school and club teams in both genders, and currently works as a high school teacher in Vancouver.
“We see Apex as more than a volleyball club. We aim to build individuals that excel under stress, are valuable members of a fun and successful team, and are leaders on and off the court. That said, Apex has always connected members of the community together and it’s always been a goal that these relationships strengthen and last beyond ‘high school sport’. Apex is like our second family, and we are proud of the connections we build here.”
chanh@apexvolleyball.com
Gabriel Burlacu
Technical Director - Boys
Gabriel comes to the West Coast and Apex via Ontario, where he grew up and eventually played in the CIS/U Sports for the University of Windsor Lancers of the OUA. His high level playing career extended from the hardwood onto the sand, where he represented Canada on the FIVB World Tour for 10 years. More recently, Gabriel coached with the UBC Men’s Volleyball team, where they were 2024 conference and national bronze medallists. He currently serves as the Director of Beach Volleyball with NEWWAVE Volleyball, and as a head coach at Kitsilano Secondary, where he has turned the boys volleyball program into provincial contenders in a few short years. His high level domestic and international experience will serve our club well as we expand our programming under Gabriel’s vision and guidance.
td.boys@apexvolleyball.com
Erick Chou
Technical Director - Girls
Nearing ten years of coaching experience, Erick Chou currently serves as an assistant coach with Simon Fraser University Women’s Volleyball program, the program coordinator at Volleyball Canada’s Burnaby Regional Excellence Program, a provincial team coach with Team BC, and Apex’s lead technical consultant for our girls teams. You’ll often see Erick coaching at camps & clinics as he aims to develop youth of all ages across the provinces both as athletes and as future leaders.
td.girls@apexvolleyball.com
Club Administrator
info@apexvolleyball.com
Susy Ng
Treasurer
treasurer@apexvolleyball.com
Boys Coaches
12U Boys
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
12/13U Boys
13U Boys
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
14U-1 Boys
14U-2 Boys
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
15U-1 Boys
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
15U-2 Boys
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
16U-1 Boys
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
16U-2 Boys
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
17U-1 Boys
17/18U Boys
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
18U Boys
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
Girls Coaches
12U-1 Girls
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
12U-1 Girls
12U-2 Girls
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
13U-1 Girls
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
14U-1 Girls
Kat Itakura
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
14U-2 Girls
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
15U-1 Girls
15U-2 Girls
James Fong
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
TBA
Head Coach
16U-1 Girls
Brent Hall
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
16U-2 Girls
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
17U-1 Girls
Lara Tagulao
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
17U-2 Girls
TBA
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach
18U Girls
Steve Sung
Head Coach
TBA
Assistant Coach