Ben Bodipo-Memba Position: Assistant Coach

Ben Bodipo-Memba agreed to become an assistant coach with the California volleyball team, head coach Rich Feller announced Feb. 2.

Bodipo-Memba joins the Golden Bear family via UC Irvine, where he was an assistant coach for the past three seasons. Exceptionally experienced at both the collegiate and national levels, Bodipo-Memba brings a distinguished volleyball resume with him to Berkeley.

By accepting the Cal position, Bodipo-Memba comes home in more than one way. Originally from nearby Novato, Calif., he returns to his native Northern California. His younger brother, Jose, lettered in basketball with the Bears in 1996. Additionally, his father, Eduardo, received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Cal. During his senior year of high school, Bodipo-Memba played for Golden Bear volleyball and practiced at Cal. In Berkeley, Bodipo-Memba rejoins former coaching comrade in Jennifer Carey, with whom he coached at Georgia Tech.

With the Anteaters, Bodipo-Memba served as recruiting coordinate with good reason for PrepVolleyball.com lauded his 2010 class with a "High Honorable Mention" and he helped sign 2009's 24th-best class.

In the summers of 2009 and 2010, Bodipo-Memba helped coach the U.S. Girls' Select A1 National Teams (GSA1), which competed at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships.

For seven seasons, Bodipo-Memba served on the Georgia Tech coaching staff as associate head coach in 2008 and 2007 and as an assist from 2002-06. During his time in Atlanta, Bodipo-Memba helped guide the Yellow Jackets to three NCAA Tournament appearances, two Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles and an ACC Tournament championship. In 2007 and 2008, Bodipo-Memba coached alongside current Cal assistant coach Jennifer Carey.

Bodipo-Memba steered the Ga. Tech offense for five seasons before moving into the defensive coordinator position in 2007, when he helped produce three honorable mention All-American middle blockers and four all-conference selections. The 2008 season saw Bodipo-Memba guide the Yellow Jackets to lead the ACC in kills and assists with two Georgia Tech middle blockers ranking third and fourth in hitting percentage. Middle blocker Callie Miller earned honorable mention All-America honors in 2008 after finishing 26 in the nation in hitting percentage under Bodipo-Memba's tutelage.

As the 2009 USA Volleyball High Performance USA Select AI head coach, Bodipo-Memba worked with some of volleyball's elite athletes. During that 2009 summer, he guided the team to a bronze medal at the U.S. High Performance Championships in Ft. Lauderdale. In 2008, he was an assistant for the U.S. Women's National A2 team that captured gold at the U.S. Open Championship.

Bodipo-Memba played collegiately at San Diego State and Grossmont College in the late 1980s. He received his degree in physical education at Canbury University in 2007.

He earned a starting spot at middle blocker for the U.S. Olympic Festival Silver Medal team in 1990 and also competed from 1993-95 with the U.S. national team. Bodipo-Memba played professionally in Finland for Raison Loimu in 1996. He also enjoyed a susccesful run at the US Open Adult National Championships from 1993-2007.

Bodipo-Memba began his coaching career at the high school level in San Diego, where he managed the San Diego Volleyball Club from 1994-97. In 2005, he assisted the U.S. national team, joining head coach Jenny "Lang" Ping's staff for the Pan American Cup and helping the team qualify for the 2006 World Grand Prix. His collegiate coaching career began in 1997 at Western Carolina.

Bodipo-Memba spent six years representing the ACC on the AVCA Assistant Coaches Committee and is also a member of the AVCA Education and Publication Committee, representing all assistant volleyball coaches. He continues to play in the annual U.S. Open Adult Championships, where he helped his 2005 squad to the bronze medal in the Open division.