Simone Ortega spent the 2016-17 school year with the San Francisco volleyball program as assistant indoor coach and co-head coach of USF's beach volleyball squad.
Ortega came to the Dons by way of the San Jose State, where she served as an assistant of the Spartans since 2014, getting their fledgling beach program off the ground.
Ortega's coaching focus has revolved around the outdoor game, where she serves as a tryout evaluator, A2 coach and A1 assistant coach with the USAV Beach High Performance Program. Along with experience on the national level, she has been working to grow the sport of beach volleyball in Northern California as the founder of SandLegs Beach Volleyball Club.
As well as possessing solid coaching experience on the sand, she played professionally in 2011 and '12 on the Wide Open, Pro Beach and National Volleyball League (NVL) tours. Ortega was ranked third in the California Beach Volleyball Association at the conclusion of her playing career.
On the indoor side, Ortega has more than a decade of experience at the Golden Bear Volleyball Club where she's held several positions, including head coach.
A 2004 economics graduate of UC Berkeley, Ortega played for the Bears in 2000.
