Women's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – CSUN head women's volleyball coach Aquiles Montoya has finalized his 2024 coaching staff after announcing the additions of Greg Faulkner and Haley Walz as assistant coaches.
Faulkner transitions from the CSUN men's volleyball program where he has served as an assistant coach since 2019, while Walz will begin her first season at CSUN in 2024.
"I am ecstatic to announce the hiring of Greg and Haley to our staff," said Montoya. "The blue-collar work ethic that we are demanding from our program is shown in this staff, as these two are some of the hardest working people I know within the coaching world. Our staff will be seen as young and energetic but will not lack professionalism and experience. I can't wait to get to work with them and what we will accomplish together."
Faulkner completed his sixth season as a member of the CSUNmen's volleyball coaching staff in 2024. Faulkner began his CSUN coaching career an assistant coach under Jeff Campbell in 2019 and has worked under Theo Edwards for the past two seasons (2023, 2024).The Matadors finished the 2024 season with an overall record of 13-16 and were ranked No. 14 in the nation.
A four-year letterwinner and All-MPSF middle blocker at CSUN from 2011-2015, Faulkner ranks 10th in school history with 304 total blocks. He was named to the MPSF All-Freshman Team in 2011 before earning honorable mention accolades following his junior and senior seasons in 2014 and 2015.
Following his collegiate career, Faulkner played professional volleyball for Volei Club Banatal in Caransebes, Romania in 2015-16 and for Club Regatas in Lima, Peru from 2016-17. He was named Best Middle Blocker of the LNSV League helping Club Regatas to a second-place league finish.
He began his coaching career as the head coach of the Girls JV squad at Palos Verdes High School in 2017. He was also the head coach and assistant for the Palos Verdes Boys' squad which went to win the 2017 Bay League title. Faulkner also served as an assistant coach at Harvard-Westlake High School in Studio City, Calif. He helped his varsity team to a CIF Division I State Championship in 2021 as well as a 2021 CIF Southern Section Regional Championship.
For the past six years (2017-23), Faulkner has also coached at various levels for Surfside Volleyball Club in Palos Verdes, Calif. He spent the past year (2023-24) working for SC Legends Volleyball Club.
The Long Beach native was named Division II City Section Player of the Year at Westchester High School in Los Angeles. He helped his team to the 2010 City Section Championship compiling a record of 15-3.Faulkner graduated from CSUN in 2015, earning his bachelor's degree in urban studies and regional planning with a minor in geographical information science and technology.
"There could not be a more perfect hire to assist me in my first year at CSUN, than Greg Faulkner," said Montoya. "Greg is a Matador to his core, as he was a great student-athlete on the men's team during his collegiate career, and for the past couple years he has been on the men's volleyball staff under Theo Edwards. He will have immediate responsibility in recruiting Southern California student-athletes and defensive schemes for us in the future."
Walz comes to CSUN from the University of Arizona where she served as Director of Volleyball Operations during the 2023 season.
At Arizona, she was responsible for the day-to-day operations for both the Wildcats' indoor and beach programs while also supervising student workers and planning/coordinating summer camps.
Shealso worked as Sports Performance Coach at New Athlete in Vancouver, Wash., from 2022-23, and served as the Communications Director and Volleyball Supervisor for the Underdog Sports League on Portland, Ore., during the same period.
A 2021 graduate of Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore., Walzearned her bachelor's degree in kinesiology before earning her master's degree in athletic administration from the University of Cincinnati in 2024.
During a decorated four-year career with Boxers, Walz was named Northwest Conference Libero of the Year and Freshman of the Year in 2018. She would go on to earn honorable mention All-Northwest Conference honors in 2019 when she finished the season with 488 digs, 35 aces, and 66 assists.
"I knew early on that Haley would be successful in whatever she pursued, as I had the luxury of recruiting and coaching her during her collegiate career," added Montoya. "Luckily for us, she wants to keep pursuing collegiate coaching and will thrive in this scenario. With her experience in multiple levels of collegiate volleyball, she will be a huge part in the training of our first contact."
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