Meet the TNT Volleyball Team Coaches
Director/Coach Barb Clark
Co-Founder of TNT Volleyball in 1995
Currently, Coach Clark is the Chief Operating Officer of TNT Volleyball, Inc. as well as a teacher of semi-private volleyball lessons. This season Coach Clark is the JV Women’s Volleyball Coach up at Carthage College, in Kenosha, WI.
Her extensive coaching background spans 28 years. In addition to coaching several boys and girls TNT Club teams at the same time, her background includes: Most recently, Carthage College JV Women ’09, Freshmen A Girls Volleyball Coach at Libertyville HS ’04, ’05, ’06 and ’07; Summer Camp Coach and Co-Director of the Carthage College summer volleyball camps ’05, ’06, ’07, ’08, ‘09; As well as, Head Coach of Varsity Girls and Boys at Deerfield HS ’01-’03 and was named the Pioneer Press “Coach of the Year” 2001. Head Girls Coach at Lake Zurich HS ’95 & ’96. Girls Asst. Coach at Stevenson HS ’93 & ’94. Boys Freshmen A Volleyball Coach at Glenbrook South HS ’91–’96. Clark has coached volleyball clubs and summer camps in Southern California, Seattle, WA, Michigan and Illinois.
As a player, Clark earned a scholarship to play for D-I Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (‘79-‘83), and was named All-State setter her junior year. She continued playing, after graduating with a Bachelor’s in Marketing from SIU-C (’84), capturing 2nd team All-American honors at the USA Volleyball Nationals (’93). She received her Secondary Teaching Certificate in 2001 to teach Business, Health and Physical Education. Barb graduated from Waukegan East High School in 1979.
Coach Leanne Ulmer
Co-Founder of TNT Volleyball in 1995
Currently, Coach Ulmer is in her 10th year as Carthage College’s head women’s volleyball coach (260-73, 9 years). She has a .781 winning percentage through the 2009 season! She also is in her ninth year as senior woman administrator in the Carthage Athletic Department. This years team has continued an unprecedented conference win streak of 44 conference wins in a row under the direction of Coach Ulmer!! That’s 6 years in a row as Conference Champs!! Their overall record this season is 33-6 ('09).
Ulmer was named College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) "Volleyball Coach of the Year" for the 5th time in 2009! Also in 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2008……as well as American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Midwest Regional “Coach of the Year” in 2006, and AGAIN in 2007!!! Last year, they were ranked as high as 6th in the country!!! They are currently ranked 8th in the Country!
A native of San Bernardino, CA, she served as head girl’s volleyball coach at Lincolnshire-Stevenson High School from 1993-2000 (227-75-2, 8 years) and the boy’s volleyball coach from 1997-2000 (99-13, 4 years). Ulmer had eight-consecutive 20-win seasons in girls’ volleyball and four 30-win campaigns, with three conference championships, five regional titles and two sectional championships. Her 2000 boy’s team finished second in the Illinois High School Association championship after winning league, regional and sectional titles. Ulmer has served for three years on the NCAA Division III Midwest Region Championship Committee and is currently serving a fourth year. Since 1995, she has been the co-director of the TNT Volleyball, Inc. in Buffalo Grove, IL.
Ulmer received her bachelor’s in social relations from California-Riverside in 1979, where she played volleyball, basketball and softball. Her 1979 volleyball team won the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national championship, and Ulmer was inducted into that school’s athletic hall of fame in 1986.
Following a brief playing career in 1979 with the New York Stars of the Women’s Professional Basketball League, Ulmer returned to California-Riverside in 1981 as an assistant women’s basketball coach before becoming head coach for both girl’s volleyball and girl’s basketball at San Bernardino’s San Gorgonio High School from 1982-84. She also played on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) mini-tour from 1989-91.
Coach Sean Connelly—Boys TNT 18
Coach Connelly is a Special Education teacher at Cyd Lash Academy; a behavioral disorder school in Gages Lake. In ’05-’06 and ’06-‘07 he was the Head Girls Volleyball Coach and the JV Boys Volleyball Coach at Vernon Hills High School. This is his 13th year coaching. He has previously coached at Buffalo Grove, Prospect, Elk Grove, and St. Patrick High Schools. He also coached at Circus VBC and was the Director of Shamrock Volleyball Club. In the summer of 2007, and 2008, Coach Connelly was a head coach at the Carthage College Volleyball Camp. He is USAV IMPACT Certified. This is Coach Connelly’s 4th year with TNT and is our Boys 18-1 Coach, and was the Girls 15-1 Coach in the Spring of ’08. He and his wife, Margaret, have a son, Brady, 4 yrs. old and a daughter, Abbey, 1 yr. old! Coach Connelly is in the middle of course work to complete his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership.
Coach Lukasz Janowicz—Boys TNT 18
Coach Lukasz, originally from Poland, currently lives in Vernon Hills since 2006. This is his third year with TNT. He graduated in 2005 from AWF Poznan with a Master’s Degree in Physical Education; Specializing in Volleyball Coaching. He is also USAV IMPACT certified. At the age of 10, Lukasz started his journey as a volleyball player. He played in many high league teams as a representative of his Hometown, his State and the University he attended. He also played Beach Volleyball for six years. His professional experience as a coach started in Poland. Lukasz coached FKS Poznan for 2 years and he worked as an assistant coach for the University level team for one year. Coach Lukasz and his wife, Monika, have a 7 year old son, Timmy. Lukasz attends CSI Institute where he is taking English classes. Volleyball is not the only sport Lukasz loves. In his free time, he does Kite surfing and in the winter time Snowboarding.
Coach Sejal Vaughn—Girls TNT 15’s
Coach Vaughn is a tenured teacher at Glenbrook South HS (GBS), currently teaching World History and AP Psychology. This is her 15th year coaching volleyball. Coach Vaughn is USAV IMPACT certified and also is an IHSA Certified Referee for Boys’ and Girls’ Volleyball. She has coached at Glenbrook South High School, West Chicago High School and Glenbard North High School. She also coached for Side-Out Volleyball Club and the past 3 summers was a head coach at the Carthage College Volleyball Camp. We are very excited to have her wealth of experience as a coach and as a teacher here at TNT for her 4th year. Coach Vaughn is a graduate of DePaul University and has a Master’s degree from Northern Illinois University. Her daughter, Risha, is in 5th grade. Coach Vaughn has recently been engaged to be married! Wedding: June ’10!!!
Coach Gillian Falknor—Girls TNT 17’s
Coach Gillian Falknor is new to the TNT staff after coaching in several boys and girls high school programs in the Northwest Suburbs. Currently, Coach Falknor is the JV/Varsity Assistant Girls Coach at Buffalo Grove High School. As a student-athlete she played at Division I Bradley University and majored in history education. After graduating she coached sophomore girls with TNT coach, Sean Connelly at Vernon Hills High School and varsity boys at Buffalo Grove High School before leaving to play professionally in Spain with Bring it USA Volleyball. After a shoulder injury sidelined her volleyball career, Coach Falknor began teaching in District 214 and coached several high school girls and boys teams including the first Lake Zurich High School boys’ varsity team. Her younger brothers are alumni of TNT Volleyball Club and she looks forward to being a part of a successful volleyball club that develops players into strong student-athletes. Coach Falknor is USAV IMPACT certified.
Coach Tim Falknor—Boys 18's Assistant Coach
Coach Tim Falknor is new to TNT this year. He has a very strong background in volleyball as a player and a coach. We are thrilled to have him strengthen our staff this season. He is also one of Coach Gillian Falknor’s younger brothers. Tim graduated from Buffalo Grove High School in 2006 where he played varsity volleyball for 3 years. His playing career in HS Club Volleyball gave him experience with Adversity VBC. In 2008, he was the Assistant Coach for the Buffalo Grove HS Varsity Boys team. Also, in ’08, Coach Tim had a chance to coach the U15’s Adversity Boys Elite Team. He went on to play professional volleyball overseas, in France, for the ’08-’09 season. Coach Tim has plans to return to France next summer. Coach Tim Falknor is USAV Certified.