Our team
The Alliance Fencing Academy’s international coaching team consists of eleven full-time and six part-time assistant coaches from Cuba, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and the United States. Our coaches have been sharing their professional expertise in the Greater Houston Area in Houston, Katy and The Woodlands since 2004
Andrey Geva (Russia - Israel - USA)
Founder / Head Coach / Managing Director
2013-2021 Team USA National & Olympic Coach
USA Fencing Hall of Fame Inductee, Class 2024
40 years of coaching experience
2004 - Present
Coach Andrey is the founder of Alliance fencing Academy and is one of the preeminent epee coaches in the United States. He served as the U.S. Women’s Epee National Team Head Coach from 2013 to 2021, leading the team to an unprecedented level of international success. Under his leadership, the U.S. Women’s Epee Team won its first ever gold medal on the World Cup Circuit in May 2018, followed by a historic Senior World Championship gold medal in July. The U.S. National Women’s Epee Team finished the 2017–2018 season as the No. 1 team in the world and maintained its top level during the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 seasons. Coach Geva coached the Women’s Epee Team during both the Rio and Tokyo Olympics.
Since founding Alliance Fencing Academy in 2004, Coach Geva has trained Olympians and World Team members at the senior, junior, and cadet levels. Under his leadership, Alliance Fencing produced three Olympians, six World Champions, multiple European Cadet Circuit and Junior World Cup champions and medalists, and over 50 U.S. national champions in all age categories and divisions.
In 2006, he was named the U.S. Fencing Association Developmental Coach of the Year. Coach Geva is a USA Fencing Hall of Fame inductee, class of 2024.
Prior to founding Alliance fencing Academy, Coach Andrey worked as the Senior Coach at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and as the Israeli National Team Coach, developing six Israeli National Champions, multiple Junior World Cup champions and finalists, and a Cadet World Championship bronze medalist. Due to his contributions to the Israeli National Team, he was inducted into the Cosell Sports Hall of Fame in Jerusalem, Israel.
Coach Geva began his fencing career in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he received the prestigious “Master of Sports of USSR” award.
Natalie Dostert (Germany - USA)
Epee Coach
Team USA National & Olympic Coach
15 years of coaching experience
Coach Natalie worked as an epee coach at the Olympic Fencing Club in Bonn, Germany, from 2010 to 2015, where she was nominated as the designated fencing coach for the German Cadet National Team. She was a Junior National Team Champion. Coach Natalie joined Alliance Fencing Academy in 2015 and has been vital to the development of the club’s competitive fencers, producing highly ranked national and international fencing medalists. From 2021 through 2025, Natalie served as Team USA National and Olympic Coach for Women’s Epee, leading her team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Dorian Jimenez (Cuba - USA)
Epee Coach
15 years of coaching experience
Coach Dorian began learning fencing in Cuba and achieved success as an athlete in national and international tournaments. He was a Junior National Cuban Champion and a Junior World Cup finalist. Coach Dorian served as Head Epee Coach and Fencing School Professor at “Manuel Fajardo” in Villa Clara province, Cuba, where he produced many national and international medalists. Dorian joined Alliance in 2016 as an epee coach and has played a key role in coaching and developing our national and international medalists.
Suzette Wheeler (USA)
Epee Coach / Home School Coordinator
18 years of coaching experience
Coach Wheeler began taking fencing lessons from Coach Andrey Geva in 1999. She participated in numerous North American Cup and U.S. National tournaments, eventually becoming a finalist at the Summer National Veteran Championships. Suzette joined Alliance as a coach in 2008 and has been instrumental in training our national medalists in The Woodlands. Coach Wheeler also works as a homeschool coordinator, assisting Alliance competitive fencers who choose to dedicate more time to fencing.
Aleksandr (Sasha) Smerdin (Kyrgyzstan - USA)
Epee Coach / Pro-Shop Manager / Armorer
30 years of coaching experience
Coach Sasha joined Alliance Fencing Academy as an Epee Coach in 2019, after serving as Associate Head Coach at The Ohio State University. During his 18 years coaching at Ohio State, Coach Sasha helped lead the team to three NCAA team championship victories, three NCAA team runner-up finishes, three individual epee titles, and 18 individual first-team All-American finishes. Originally trained as both a fencer and a coach in Kyrgyzstan, Coach Sasha was a member of the Kyrgyz national team from 1992 to 2000. He brings a technical and classical approach to the Alliance coaching staff.
Carlos Santa Maria (Guatemala - USA)
Epee Coach
15 years of coaching experience
Coach Carlos began fencing in 1990 in Guatemala. He was a multiple-time Guatemalan National Champion and participated in Junior and Senior World Championships as well as the Pan American Games during his fencing career. Coach Carlos achieved top-8 results at both the Central American and Caribbean Games. His coaching career began in 2010 when he became the Guatemalan National Youth Coach. Coach Carlos moved to the United States in 2013, where he coached at various clubs before joining Alliance as a coach in 2018.
Vika Irby (Kazakhstan - USA)
Office Manager
7 years of coaching experience
Vika is the Alliance Office Manager for all locations and is in charge of scheduling all private lessons between coaches and students. She fenced competitively for Kazakhstan, becoming a national epee medalist in her home country. She joined Alliance Fencing Academy as an Assistant Coach in 2016 and has been influential in the development of Alliance’s competitive youth fencers.
Thomas (TJ) Petrosewicz (USA)
Epee Assistant & Youth Coach / Athlete
Coach TJ began fencing at Alliance Fencing Academy in 2012 and became an assistant and youth coach in 2022. He has competed in numerous U.S. National and North American Cup tournaments, with top results including 3rd place at the 2015 Cadet Junior Olympics, 2nd place in Junior Team at the 2016 Junior Olympics, and 10th place at the 2019 NCAA Championships. TJ focuses his instruction for young students on fundamental skills, strategy, and physical training.
Luisa Santa Maria (Guatemala - USA)
Epee Youth Coach / Athlete
Luisa began fencing in Guatemala in 2010. She was the Women’s Epee Youth National Champion for several years, culminating in a gold medal at the 2012 Pan-American Youth Championship in Costa Rica. Luisa moved to the United States in 2014 and started training at Alliance in 2015. She has been an assistant coach and youth coach with Alliance since 2019.
Jamie Miller (Great Britain - USA)
Epee Coach
29 years of coaching experience
Before joining Alliance, Coach Jamie Miller worked with GB Teams at World and European Championships at the Cadet, Junior, and Senior levels for several years. Although trained in both the Italian and French schools of fencing, Coach Jamie studied fencing coaching at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary, worked alongside Germany’s Olympic coaches, and most recently spent two years at the International Fencing School in China. In 2021, he was recognized at the British Fencing Awards for his outstanding contribution to innovation and raising standards. As head coach at some of the world’s top private schools and coach to Cambridge University, he brings extensive knowledge and experience in combining top-level sport with high academic achievement.
Natasha Geva (Belarus - Israel - USA)
Accountant, Advertising,
Media and PR Coordinator
Mrs. Geva is the driving force behind the success of Alliance Fencing Academy. While Coach Geva focuses on the athletes’ achievements, Natasha works behind the scenes to ensure Alliance Fencing Academy remains one of the largest and highest-ranking clubs in the nation. Natasha is also the point of contact for media. inquiries.
Oleg Knysh (Russia - USA)
Epee Coach / Athlete
3 years of coaching experience
Born in the U.S., Coach Oleg learned fencing in St. Petersburg, Russia as a child. He was a Cadet and Junior National Champion and a member of the Russian National Team. As an elite athlete, Oleg won several Junior World Cup tournaments and served as an Olympic sparring partner for the senior team.
Oleg moved back to the U.S. in 2023, where he continued his fencing journey and began his coaching career at Alliance.
Oleg is one of the top U.S. epee fencers. He was a Senior North American Cup Champion, a multiple-time medalist, and is a current member of the Team USA international squad. Oleg has represented Team USA at the 2025 Senior World Championship.
Coach Oleg brings modern perspectives on epee fencing and his personal experience to his students.
Alexander (Alex) Fray (USA)
Epee Coach / Athlete
3 years of coaching experience
Coach Alex began fencing at Alliance Fencing Academy in 2012 and became an assistant and youth coach in 2022. He has medaled in numerous U.S. National and North American Cup tournaments. Alex is a Junior North American Cup Champion and a three-time Junior National Team Champion.
Coach Alex focuses his instruction of young students on fundamental skills, strategy, and physical training.
Anton Piskovatskov (USA)
Epee Coach / Athlete
3 years of coaching experience
Anton began his fencing career at the Alliance Fencing Academy in 2004 under the guidance of his stepfather and Alliance head coach, Andrey Geva.
Anton was one of the top national and international épée fencers in the USA. He is the 2017 North American Division 1 Champion, a bronze medalist at the Junior World Cup, and a silver medalist at the European Cadet Circuit. Anton has represented Team USA at two Junior World Championships, the World University Games, and numerous World Cup tournaments. He finished the 2015 international junior season ranked 13th in the world. Anton received an athletic scholarship to Pennsylvania State University and graduated in 2019.
Coach Anton has been a full-time epee coach at Alliance since 2022. He brings valuable national and international fencing experience and focuses on fundamental skills, strategy, and physical training when coaching young students.
Paul Fauser (France - Switzerland)
Epee Coach
13 years of coaching experience
Coach Paul is a French national. He learned fencing in France, where he became an accomplished athlete, earning multiple medals at both World and European Championships. After finishing his competitive career, Paul dedicated himself to coaching. He received a French Fencing Coach Diploma from the French Fencing Federation and a Fencing Education Expert Diploma from the Federal Office for Sport in Switzerland. Before coming to Alliance, Coach Paul served as a Swiss National and Olympic Coach for Women’s Epee. His team earned multiple medals at senior World Cup events, and two of his personal students qualified for the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics.
Coach Paul brings French-style modern coaching ideas and competitive international experience.