Kapis recently completed ninth season as head volleyball coach and Assistant Athletics Director at Hawai’i Pacific University. Over the last five seasons, under Kapis’ tutelage, the volleyball team has been on a roll. The Sharks are 82-46 (.640) from 2010-2014.
In 2012, Kapis led HPU to a 17-8 record, including a 10-6 mark in the PacWest. The Sea Warriors jumped out to a 5-2 start after hosting a pair of tournaments, including a 3-2 victory against #24 Sonoma State. The Sea Warriors narrowly missed the postseason after winning 10 of their last 11 matches including a 3-1 victory over Division I Cal St Bakersfield on senior night.
In his first five seasons, Coach Kapis led the Sea Warriors to an improved win total since starting in the fall of 2006. In 2010, the Sea Warriors went 18-6 and led the nation in digs with 20.33 per set.
Overall, Kapis is 127-101 at HPU. Kapis has coached a pair of All-Americans, Barbara Martin in 2006 and Kyra Pelayo in 2011. During the 2011 season, Hawaii Pacific University was ranked as high as 6th regionally until the last week of the season.
A native of Santa Cruz, California, Kapis brings with him 20 years of coaching experience at all levels, including stints with San Jose State University, UCLA, and USA Volleyball junior programs.
Proir to HPU, Kapis spent three years as the head coach of San Jose City College where he guided the Jaguars to a then conference state record 26-5 mark. During that time Kapis also led San Jose City to its first and only State Championship appearance. Kapis left San Jose City College with an overall record of 63-27.
Kapis has also been very involved in the club volleyball world prior to coming to HPU. With coaching stints at both City Beach and Vision Volleyball clubs, he helped establish Club Yahoo! located in San Jose, California. In 2002, his 17’s club team finished tied for 5th in the Junior National Open Division. Nine players from that team went on to play Division I volleyball, seven of which received full scholarships. In his ten years of head coaching club volleyball, he has taken a team to Junior Nationals all but one year, with four of those years competing in the Open Division. While in Hawai’i, Kapis has worked on the club level with Jammers Volleyball Club.
From 1999 to 2005, and more currently from 2012-2013, Kapis has been heavily involved with the USA Volleyball High Performance Programs. He has served in the role of Associate Head Coach for the A3 and Future Select programs along with serving as an assistant coach for the A2 and A3 Junior National programs. Most prominently, Kapis filled the role of training coach in 2003 for the Youth National Team in Lake Placid, NY.
Prior to his position at San Jose City College, Kapis was the volunteer assistant at UCLA (2001) under legendary coach Andy Banachowski, and former San Jose State head coach Craig Choate (2000).
Kapis also adds international coaching experience to his already impressive resume. In 2005 and 2006, he traveled abroad with a team competing in Slovenia and the Czech Republic. Also during the summer of 2005 Coach Kapis led the NCVA Regional Youth Team in which they competed in the “Global Challenge” which was held in Salt Lake City and finished tied for 3rd place.
Kapis also coached at volleyball powerhouse Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California from 1997-1999. In that time Archbishop Mitty High School played in the State Championship match, and was also the semi-finalist of Northern California.
He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology from San Francisco State University, and holds his Masters Degree from St. Mary’s University of Moraga, California in Health, Physical Education, and Sports Administration. Kapis resides in Honolulu with his wife Elisabeth and sons William and Brendon.
| YEAR |
RECORD |
| 2006 |
9-15 |
| 2007 |
10-16 |
| 2008 |
12-13 |
| 2009 |
14-11 |
| 2010 |
18-6 |
| 2011 |
15-10 |
| 2012 |
17-8 |
| 2013 |
17-11 |
| 2014 |
15-11 |
| Total |
127-101 (.557) |
