The team
Get to know us!
Argo Arak
Head coach
Argo Arak has the 5th category of EKR coaching. He has won 5 Estonian beach volleyball championships, the first of which was received in 1997 and the last in 2021. championships. For many years Argo also represented Estonia in the indoor national volleyball team. He has trained young athletes at Selver volleyball club for 7 years and for a few years he coached the Tallinn University women's team in the Estonian Champions league. He has earned the title of the best women's team coach and also the title of the best youth coach in his hometown Viljandi. This year, in addition to being the head coach of the Volley Academy, Arak continues as a youth coach at Selver volleyball club and the head coach of the Tallinn University first league team.
Andres Leismann
Coach
Andres interest in sports started with swimming, which he actively engaged in for 10 years. In parallel with swimming, he also started volleyball trainings at the age of 9 when Anu Karavajeva invited her to practice. His knowledge, attitude, and authority did not leave anyone unnoticed, and that's how that all started, and at one point, volleyball became Andres' main hobby.
Andres came into contact with training for the first time at the age of 18, when he was occasionally coaching Anu Karavajeva's girls training group in Viimsi.
Andres has also come into contact with the guidance of children/young people through Taekwondo, which he practiced for some time. Fun facts! Andres' coach there was Mihhail Kõlvart, the current mayor of Tallinn.
About coaching, Andres says very nicely: "You could say I like it!" He feels an inner desire to give feedback to players/enthusiasts, which later could raise their levels one step higher
Merilyn Jõearu
Coach
Volleyball has been a part of Merilyn's life for 21 years, of which 7 seasons she has played in various women's teams in the Estonian Women's Champions League.
Merilyn has played beach volleyball for 10 seasons. In 2020, she took third place at the Estonian championships. During the 2020/2021 season, she trained parallely with Maret Kuuse, both in the Women's Champions league and in beach volleyball in Ülemiste Beach House indoor hall.
Merilyn enjoys sporty lifestyle and always recommends that everyone shoud learn a little volleyball, because with volleyball you can find friends and new acquaintances everywhere, be it the local town square or at the beach in any country!
Inga Parve
Coordinator
Inga graduated from Viljandi Sports School, majoring in volleyball. Already at a young age, special attention was paid to beach volleyball, which is Inga's passion and which she fills with her free time. For 2 seasons Inga organized Pirita beach volley cup series, for many years managed the volleyball section at Swedbank Sports Club and conducted beach volleyball training. Four times she has participated in the BeachBox Camps, where she was able to train under the guidance of top beach volleyball players. She also gained good experience as a volunteer in the organizing team of the Beach Major Series in Vienna.​
Fun fact! Inga is the 2019 Estonian Champion in snow volleyball, when it was organized for the first and so far the only time!
At Volle Academy, Inga's vision is to popularize beach volleyball through tactical playing skills, community development, and to create a systematic preparation on career ladder of a young beach volleyball player - to offer them a springboard to achieve their goals.
Janne Arak
Academy's little helper
Janne has never played volleyball in her life, and this field came into her life with the arrival of her husband Argo. By now, Janne has become a volleyball enthusiast who lives with the games, the players, and the promotion of the field in Estonia. In addition to her husband, her daughter is also infected with the volleyball bug, who already bravely figures in the ranks of the youth team, so volleyball has infiltrated her life well over the years. Although playing volleyball is unfamiliar to Janne, she still appreciates active lifestyle as she enjoys playing tennis.
At Volley Academy, Janne helps to tie up loose ends and puts the numbers in order. Her wish is for Volley Academy to become one big community where both new to the sport and advanced players can find a place for themselves!