KimiKa Rozier

At fifteen, Kimika began playing volleyball later than most. While many girls around her in Southern California had been playing for years, she was stepping onto the court for the first time. She couldn’t have known it then, but that first step would lead her into a game that shaped her life.

Club volleyball wasn’t cheap, but Kimika’s drive helped her find a way to pay for it. For three years, she laid tile, working long hours on her knees before heading straight to practice. The work was tough, but it taught her grit. Catching up would take more than natural talent; it would take the mindset to keep showing up when she didn’t feel like it, learn through failure, and push through when the path got hard.

That late start, along with the determination she built along the way, led Kimika to compete at the Division I level in the Pac-10 at Washington State University, then at the University of South Florida. The game carried her farther than she ever imagined, giving her the opportunity to play professionally for ten years across twelve countries, alongside some of the best athletes in the world.

Through it all, Kimika learned that jerseys, teams, and accolades were only part of the story. Her deepest confidence came from the person she was becoming each time she prepared, overcame a challenge, and chose to see every opportunity as a chance to grow.

Those are the lessons she brings to every session she coaches and every athlete she mentors. Kimika knows firsthand what it feels like to start late, feel behind, and wonder if all the work will lead to the outcome you hope for. She also knows that where you begin doesn’t determine how far you’ll go. With grit, an open and growth-minded attitude, and the determination to keep working, athletes can keep growing and discover they’re capable of more than they imagined.

What began as a handful of private lessons grew into Triad Volleyball Academy, a place where young athletes receive intentional coaching, see the game and themselves in new ways, and learn to work through challenges with confidence and perspective, both on and off the court.

Her hope is that the athletes she has the opportunity to coach leave with more than just a stronger understanding of the game but a stronger understanding of the tools it takes to become the best version of themselves, tools they can carry not only throughout their athletic journey but well into every part of lives.