Chris joined the WAVE Staff in 2026!

Born into a volleyball family, Chris Shaffer has been playing volleyball ever since he learned to walk. Born and raised in Thousand Oaks, he grew up playing every second he could whether it be on the beach, on the court, or even just on the grass with his parents and sister.

Currently an aspiring AVP and FIVB beach professional athlete and former member of the San Diego Wild professional indoor team, Chris has been a USA beach collegiate national team member and won several medals at the high school club level. He furthered his volleyball career and education at the University of California San Diego and has been a San Diegan ever since. He has several top 10 AVP finishes as well as winning a silver medal for USA beach in a NORCECA international event.

Chris’s passion for the game is mirrored in one of his coaching philosophies “play with joy” and he emphasizes that a love for the sport is critical for success at every level whether it be our youngest players, learning for the first time or high-level athletes competing at the collegiate and professional levels.

Chris has coached a variety of teams and players of all levels from high schoolers at Del Norte, Saint Augustine, OLP, and La Jolla, to working with and coaching AVP professionals and collegiate all Americans.

Most recently, Chris led his Bishop’s Boys’ Volleyball team to its first ever Open division championship along with a #6 national ranking and received coach of the year honors for the San Diego section. Prior to coaching at WAVE, he coached at COAST Volleyball Club for 8 years and won an open division bronze medal at nationals with his 15 boys team in 2026 and 2024 along with his teams ranking in the top 5 nationally for each of the last 3 seasons.