Angela Spoja enters her fifth season as the head volleyball coach at Cal Poly Humboldt after being hired in July 2022. With more than 30 years of coaching experience spanning the community college, NAIA, and NCAA Division I levels, Spoja has built a reputation for developing successful programs, fostering academic excellence, and mentoring student-athletes on and off the court.
Since arriving at Cal Poly Humboldt, Spoja has focused on building a strong, student-athlete-centered culture rooted in accountability, trust, and personal growth. Her emphasis on creating an environment where student-athletes feel supported and valued has led to exceptional roster stability. Following the 2025-26 season, the Lumberjacks had no student-athletes enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and return 15 players from the previous year's roster—an indication of the culture and commitment that has been established within the program.
Spoja has also prioritized academic excellence throughout her tenure. Under her leadership, the Lumberjacks have earned multiple CCAA All-Academic honors and continued success in the classroom. During her first season, the team posted a 3.21 cumulative GPA, including a 3.52 GPA during the spring semester—the program's highest single-term GPA since 2010. Continuing that commitment to academic success, the Lumberjacks concluded the 2025-26 academic year with a 3.35 team GPA, reflecting the program's dedication to excellence both on the court and in the classroom.
In addition to her role at Cal Poly Humboldt, Spoja founded True North Volleyball Club to address the growing need for high-level club volleyball opportunities in Humboldt County. Since its inception, the club has experienced rapid growth, providing local athletes with year-round training and collegiate recruiting opportunities while allowing them to compete at a high level without leaving the region. Entering its third season, True North Volleyball Club is positioned to compete successfully in both the Northern California Volleyball Association (NCVA) and the California Empire Volleyball Association (CEVA), further expanding opportunities for athletes throughout Northern California.
Prior to Cal Poly Humboldt, Spoja served as the Interim Head Coach at Eastern Washington University during the Spring 2022 season after serving as the Eagles' Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator from 2020 to 2021. During her tenure, Eastern Washington earned back-to-back trips to the Big Sky Conference Championships for the first time in six years while maintaining a team GPA above 3.5.
Before joining Eastern Washington, Spoja spent seven seasons as the head coach at The Evergreen State College (2013-2019), where she transformed the Geoducks into a competitive NAIA program. After inheriting a team that had gone winless over the previous two seasons, she became the winningest coach in program history with 68 victories. During her tenure, she coached Evergreen's first NAIA All-American, first Freshman of the Year, and first Athlete of the Year. She also served as advisor for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and 95 percent of the student-athletes she recruited remained at Evergreen through graduation.
From 2005 to 2012, Spoja was the head coach at Tacoma Community College, where she established one of the premier junior college volleyball programs in the Northwest. She was named Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) Coach of the Year three times (2006, 2007, and 2010) and earned Western Region Coach of the Year honors. Under her leadership, the Titans compiled a 155-60 overall record, captured five consecutive Western Region Championships (2006-2010), and twice completed undefeated league seasons. More than 40 student-athletes continued their careers at four-year institutions, including several at the NCAA Division I level.
In addition to her collegiate coaching career, Spoja served as the Director of South Sound Volleyball Club (formerly Edge Volleyball Club) from 2006 to 2020. During that time, she helped more than 50 student-athletes earn opportunities to compete at four-year colleges while building one of the region's most respected club programs.
Throughout her coaching career, Spoja has been recognized for her commitment to academic success. At Tacoma Community College, the volleyball program consistently posted the highest team GPA among all athletic programs, with more than 90 percent of her student-athletes earning associate degrees before transferring to four-year universities.
A native of Lakewood, Washington, Spoja earned her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Eastern Washington University, where she competed on a volleyball scholarship from 1995 to 1997. She also competed professionally on the AVP and AVP Next tours from 1997 to 2009.
In 2021, Spoja earned her Master of Arts in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine.
Angela and her husband, Jaron, have been married for over 28 years. Together they have three children—Sydney, Jaron Jr., and Sophia—and are the proud grandparents of Manny, Estella, and Elaine, who joined the family on June 25, 2026.
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