Bonnie Bright's family was featured in Volleyball Magazine on the list of the top ten families in volleyball. Her volleyball career began early as she was born to volleyball Olympian Patti Bright and Olympian and Beach Volleyball Legend Mike Bright. Bright grew to love volleyball as she was carted around to her parent's tournaments and beach games, as well as to Pepperdine University’s practices and matches while her mom was the head women’s volleyball coach. She and her mom often put in one-hour-long pepper sessions in the back yard and in the racquetball court at Pepperdine University, and they started playing in beach tournaments together when Bright was twelve. Her parents allowed her to tie a hammock (as a volleyball net) across the back yard to play against friends. When she was old enough, she rode her bike (12 miles each way plus a steep climb up the mountain to get home) or took the bus to Santa Monica's State Beach to play the seven games a day recommended by her father. State Beach was the home of many volleyball greats those days and Bright had the opportunity to play with and against most of them (Sinjin Smith, Nancy Cohen, Elaine Roque, Liz Masakayan, Liane Sato, Eric Sato, Dain Blanton, Dane Selznick...the list is too long to mention everyone). When Bright got her driver's license, it was off to the beach and open gym every chance she got! At home, she constantly did approach and squat jumps, ran the hills and bumped and set to herself.

The hard work and training paid off and earned Bright a scholarship to UC Santa Barbara, where she started as an outside hitter and broke the digging, service ace and assists records her freshman year. Her career has been stalled several times by car accidents. The first one, at the start of her third year at UCSB, caused a rotated vertebrae in her neck. This, dashed the dreams of following in her parent’s footsteps.

Bright came back and managed to compete on the pro beach circuit and made it to the top of the CBVA list in 1999, which earned her and her partner the honor of being runners up for the Pan Am games. Bright earned MVP at USA Volleyball Nationals in 2011 for Women’s 45’s. She also launched her own beach volleyball club in the back yard!

People playing with large balls on a sandy outdoor court with a fence and clear blue sky in the background.

Qualifications

USAV All American Nominated a Top 10 Family of USA Volleyball,

All Time Pro Beach WPVA and AVP

Runner Up Pan Am Games 1999

Scholarship to UC Santa Barbara, Outside Hitter

D1 High School State Champion, 1982

Daughter of Two Volleyball Olympians

Third Generation Volleyball Player (and coached a fourth)

Proud member of the Volleyball Pioneers

Impact Certified Beach Coach

Head Coach, Mission Vista High School 2014

10 Year Indoor Club Coach Indoor

Master Coach at GA Beach

A woman diving in the sand while a woman in a bikini watches a volleyball during a beach volleyball game.

When coaching, Bright emphasizes technique (passed down through four generations of volleyball players), proper court positioning and a solid understanding of game strategy; creating players with a high volleyball IQ. Her goal is to create team-oriented players with well-rounded volleyball skills, respect and dignaty for others, and a strong work ethic. "That's what makes a player stand out!"