Lead Coach: Senior National

Conor Hassard returned to Cavalier Aquatics in the Spring of 2024 and is currently in his fifth year with the program.  Hassard has previously spent time as a volunteer assistant at the University of Virginia and as an assistant coach at Villanova University and UNC Wilmington.  In 2025, Hassard was selected to be on the coaching staff for USA Swimming's National Junior Team.  He was one of six coaches at the 2025 National Junior Team Camp at the US Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Programs Hassard have been a part of since starting full-time coaching have won 11 conference or national championships in six years.

2020 - Villanova Women, Big East Championships
2021 - Villanova Women, Big East Championships
2022 - Virginia Women, ACC Championships
2022 - Virginia Women, NCAA Championships
2022 - Cavalier Aquatics Combined Team and Men's Team, YMCA National Championships
2023 - Cavalier Aquatics Men's Team, YMCA National Championships
2024 - UNCW Men's and Women's Team, CAA Championships
2025 - Cavalier Aquatics Combined Team and Men's Team, YMCA National Championships

In the 2024-25 season, Cavalier Aquatics won the Short Course YMCA National Championships in April.  They were the first place combined team, first place men's team, and second place women's team.  The program also finished second overall in the team standings at the Virginia Short Course Senior Championships in March.  The men's team notched a Top 5 Finish at the Speedo Winter Junior East Championships.  In the long course season, the program sent three swimmers to the US National Championships in June.  At this meet, Thomas Heilman qualified for his second United States World Aquatics Championships team in the 100m Butterfly, setting a new 17-18 National Age Group Record of 50.70.

Hassard worked with both the Senior Groups and Cavalier Orange Group in the 2022-23 season and primarily with the Senior Groups in the 2021-22 season.  Notable team accomplishments during this time include USA Swimming Gold Medal Club Recognition, a YMCA Short Course National Championship team title, and several Top-3 team finishes across Virginia Senior Championships and Age Group Championships meets.

At UNC Wilmington, Hassard worked primarily with the distance swimmers.  Both the women’s and men’s teams won the CAA Conference Championship in the 2023-24 season.  At that meet, the program had twenty A-Finals swims across the Women’s and Men’s 500 Free, 400 IM, and 1650 Free, including nine top-three finishes and four individual championship titles.  Freshman William Carrico was named the Conference Rookie Swimmer of the Year after winning the 500 Free and 400 IM, while setting the conference record in the 400 IM.

With the University of Virginia in the 2021-22 season, the women's team won the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row, and the men finished in the Top 10 for the third consecutive year.  Members of the program set numerous NCAA, US Open, and American records in 2022, and won several individual national titles at Speedo Summer Nationals.

With Villanova in the 2019-20 and 2020-21, Hassard handled men’s team recruiting and coached a group of distance and middle-distance athletes.  In his two seasons, the women’s team won the 2020 and 2021 Big East Conference Championships, and Hassard was named to the Women’s Coaching Staff of the Year at both meets.

In his first eight seasons as Virginia’s head coach, Todd DeSorbo has led his team to five NCAA titles and seven ACC Championships.

In addition to his duties at UVA, DeSorbo also was Team USA women’s swimming head coach at the Paris Olympics. During the Olympic Games, DeSorbo saw the U.S. women win 19 total medals (one mixed), including six gold medals (one mixed). The Cavaliers, which accounted for 25 percent of the Team USA 20-woman roster, came home with 11 total medals and several world records. For his accomplishments in Paris, DeSorbo was awarded the USA Swimming Coach of the Year at 2024 Golden Goggles Awards.

That type of success on the largest international state mirrors the amazing accomplishments DeSorbo has strung together during his time leading the UVA program.

In 2023-24, Virginia won its fourth consecutive NCAA Championship. UVA became the first program in ACC history to win an NCAA title in 2021 to start its streak. The Cavalier men have finished in the top-15 in five-straight national championships. UVA became just the third program in history to win four consecutive championships. DeSorbo is now tied for fourth among swim coaches in terms of all-time women’s NCAA team titles.

DeSorbo has been honored by the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association as its Women’s Divison I Coach of the Year in four consecutive years (2021-2024).

Prior to UVA, DeSorbo served as the associate head coach at NC State for six seasons. He worked primarily with the Wolfpack sprinters and was a developmental specialist. He oversaw the programs’ recruiting, training and day-to-day operations.  During his tenure at NC State, DeSorbo coached American Olympic gold medalist Ryan Held (2016 Rio 4×100 free relay), USA Swimming national champion Justin Ress and NCAA Champions in the 4×100 free relay (2016) and 4×200 free relay (2017). The NC State men won the last three ACC titles and the Wolfpack women captured the 2017 ACC title. Both NC State programs produced their highest finishes at the NCAA Championships this past season. The Wolfpack men placed fourth overall while the women’s team finished seventh.

Prior to working at NC State, DeSorbo spent five seasons as the assistant coach at UNC Wilmington. At UNCW, DeSorbo assisted with all facets of the Seahawk program, including recruiting, student-athlete development and practice. During DeSorbo’s tenure in Wilmington, the Seahawk men won five of 10 straight CAA titles and the women finished in the top-three of the conference every year.  Student-athletes directly under his tutelage set 35 school records, earned 100 all-conference honors, won 32 individual and relay conference championships, and collected 80 top-three conference finishes.

Prior to joining the UNCW staff full-time, DeSorbo served as the head swim coach for the Cape Fear Aquatic Club from 2005-07, and was a graduate assistant at UNCW from 1999-2000.

DeSorbo began his collegiate swimming career at Kentucky before transferring to UNCW in 1998-99. As a senior at UNCW, DeSorbo was named CAA Championships Swimmer of the Meet in 1999 after winning titles in the 200 backstroke, and both the 200 and 400 individual medley. He set school records in both the 200 and 400 individual medley, and made the All-ECAC team in 1999 by winning the 400 individual at the Eastern Championships.

DeSorbo holds two accounting degrees from UNCW, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1999 and a master’s degree in 2000. A native of Salisbury, N.C., DeSorbo is married to Lauren Suggs. They have one son, Jack, and one daughter, Cate.

Lead Coach: Cavalier Blue, Wahoo Blue

Dave Anderson is entering his third season with Cavalier Aquatics for 2024-25. He previously spent the last three years with 757 Swim in Williamsburg, VA where he was the lead coach of two groups and worked as an assistant with every group (ages 5-18). Dave spent his last two summers as the Head Coach of the First Colony Flyers, winning the VPSU Championship two years in a row.

Growing up, Dave swam for Williamsburg Aquatic Club and Lafayette High School, where he earned All-State honors as well as the team winning the state championship his senior year. He attended Hampden-Sydney College where he broke 2 individual records and 3 relay records. After his freshman year, Dave retired from swimming to focus on tennis. At Hampden-Sydney, he played in the #1 doubles spot and the #3 singles spot. 

Dave enjoys working with swimmers of all ages and brings a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm to Cavalier Aquatics. His coaching philosophy is to make swimmers enjoy swimming and enjoy competition.

Lead Coach: Senior Blue

Paige Hulsizer has been swimming since early childhood and began swimming competitively year round in middle school. In high school, she swam for her club, high school, and summer teams. Paige continued to swim at Lafayette College and was named to the college's NCAA Student Athletic Advisory Committee her sophomore, junior, and senior years. She was voted Co-Captain of the Women's Team her senior year.

In high school, Paige began coaching for her summer league team, working with the pre-team before moving up to the swim team with swimmers ages 4-18. She continued throughout high school and college and was a head coach for 3 years.

Following college, Paige worked for a nonprofit, Best Buddies, focused on social inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and later for an association management company planning scientific conferences.

Paige and her husband have been living in Charlottesville for 9 years and have two girls. Paige recently returned to swimming with the Cavalier Masters and began coaching the Masters group in early 2025.

Lead Coach: Senior Orange

Logan Redondo joined the University of Virginia coaching staff as the Director of Professional Performance and Data Analysis in August 2025.  He started at the same time with Cavalier Aquatics as the Senior Orange lead coach.

B efore he arrived at UVA and Cavalier Aquatics, Redondo served as the head senior coach for the Mission Viejo Nadadores for four years. During Redondo’s time with the Nadadores, his swimmers earned 10 gold medals at Junior Nationals and won two individual high-point awards. His swimmers have set three national age group records, three Junior National meet records, more than 10 Southern California Swimming records and multiple Philippine and Venezuelan national records. He took the club from having no athletes above the US Open level to having seven US Nationals qualifiers, four US Junior National team members, three Olympic Trials qualifiers and one senior national team member on the United States, Philippines and Venezuelan squads.

Before coaching the club, Logan swam for Mission Viejo, representing the Nadadores at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials, finishing 18th in the 1500m freestyle at the 2016 Olympic Trials.

Redondo swam four years at the University of Minnesota, representing the Golden Gophers at the Big Ten and NCAA championships. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BS in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sport Psychology.

Lead Coach: Sabre Blue, Wahoo Orange

Desmon Sachtjen joins the program in May 2024 following a highly successful collegiate swimming career at the University of Minnesota. 

Desmon accepted a walk-on position with Minnesota in 2019 and made the most of his opportunity.  He was voted hardest worker by his teammates on three separate occasions as he transformed himself into a multiple time Big Ten scorer.  During his senior season he broke the Minnesota School Record, held by US Olympian David Plummer, in the 200y Backstroke.  During his career, he also garnered team awards for his improvement in the pool, dedication to making gains in the weight room, enthusiasm and dedication to sport, along with being named a multiple time Academic All-Big Ten and CSCAA Scholar All-American in the classroom.

Desmon’s positive personality, selfless leadership, and passion for his team/sport led to his Gopher teammates voting him captain during his final two season in Minneapolis.  He was also entrusted by the head coach to oversee and lead the University Swim Camp over the past three summers working with swimmers from 6-18 years of age.

Desmon earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Marketing Education in May 2023 and his Master’s Degree in Sports Management in May 2024.

Lead Coach: Junior Hoos

Coach Chris is a long-time resident of the Charlottesville area and has contributed greatly to the Central Virginia swimming community, both in USA Swimming and summer league.  Joining Cavalier Aquatics ahead of the 2021-22 season, Chris brings a wealth of effective swimming knowledge and experience formed from 32 years of coaching experience as well as a highly successful swimming career of his own.

During his years of coaching, Chris has worked with multiple Olympic trial and Senior National qualifiers, numerous Junior National qualifiers, a host of Division I, II, and III collegiate swimmers (many of whom went on to be conference champions), multiple state record holders, a National Age Group record holder, and a men's State Age Group Championship for mid-size teams.

As a swimmer, Chris competed at the highest level and was an Olympic Trials qualifier in the 100 Backstroke. During his time at Clemson University, Chris qualified for the Men's NCAA Championships, received ACC Honorable Mention awards, and set a Clemson University Medley Relay record. Other accomplishments include:

• Senior Nationals qualifier in the 100 Back, 200 Back, and 200 IM
• 2-time YMCA National Champion in the 100 Back
• Top 3 Finish at Junior Nationals in the 100 Back
• Junior Nationals Finalist in the 200 Back, 200 IM, and 400 IM
• Multiple state record holder in the 100 Back and 200 Back

This is Alissa's first season as an assistant coach with Cavalier Aquatics, working with the Junior Hoos, Wahoo Blue, and Sabre Blue groups. Alissa grew up in Northern Virginia and swam competitively year round. She consistently finished in the top 6 in NVSL All Stars in the 50 breaststroke, and was a member of a record-breaking relay for 7 of her 10 years on the team. Alissa swam for Langley High School from 1998-2001 and the girls team won the AAA district, regional, and state championships all 4 years. Additionally, Alissa was a member of several Potomac Valley clubs and was an Eastern Zones qualifier. She was a founding member of Machine Aquatics. While Alissa was recruited by several NCAA teams for swimming, she ultimately attended the University of Virginia from 2002-2007 on a scholarship for the Women's Rowing team. Her Novice 8 was the ACC gold medal winner and ACC Crew of the Week, and UVA won consecutive ACC Championships in 2003-2007. Alissa was on the ACC Honor Roll and she graduated with a Masters in Teaching and Bachelors in Sociology. While attending UVA, Alissa coached in the Charlottesville summer swim league, the JSL, for four seasons and was an assistant CYAC coach for one year. She then taught special education full time before switching careers to be a full-time parent of three kids. Recently, Alissa has been an elementary school teacher and group fitness instructor. Inspired by the great coaching she received as a student athlete, Alissa took on the Head Coach position at Fairview in the JSL in 2023 and continues to lead the program.

Wesley first fell in love with swimming at the age of six when she joined her local summer swim team in Northern, VA. Her love for swimming only grew as she began coaching. Wesley started coaching developmental swim programs in Northern, VA where she was trained under the philosophy that when swimmers are taught proper technique, speed will follow. She carried this philosophy to Charlottesville where she worked for the Virginia Gators for three years as a coach for the Developmental (6-10 years), Junior (11-14 years), and Senior Speed and Technical programs. The past four summers, Wesley worked as the Head Coach for Fry’s Springs Beach Club, where she loved getting the opportunity to introduce so many children to swimming and train young coaches. 

Wesley graduated from the University of Virginia with a Masters in Teaching Elementary Education and Special Education. She currently works as an upper-elementary Special Education Teacher in Albemarle County Public Schools, and has previously worked at the middle school level.

With an emphasis on teamwork and effort, Wesley holds all her swimmers to high expectations. It is her goal that they grow up to be competent, confident, and respectful athletes and young adults. She is excited to join Cavalier Aquatics as an Assistant Coach where she is committed to fostering a love for the sport.