Mike Bright, 2018

Mike Bright, 2018

Mike Bright attended Mira Costa HS and then El Camino Community College. He was key player on first USA Olympic Team in 1964 and started again on the 1968 Olympic Team as well as a being a member of 1972 USA national team that didn’t qualify for the Munich Olympics. He stayed with the USA program and won a silver medal at the 1973 Pan-Am Games. He was an 8-time USVBA national champion in 13 years of playing indoors for the Hollywood YMCA and a 9-time All-American.

He helped coach the Pepperdine women’s volleyball where his International HOF wife Patti was head coach. His daughter Bonnie played at UCSB for 2017 SCIVBHOF honoree Kathy Gregory. The 6-4 Bright was a dominating beach player who won 16 titles in 34 finals, playing mostly with 2017 SCIVBHOF member Mike O’Hara before a severe diving accident that caused paralysis cut his post-indoor career short. He is a member of the International VB HOF, CBVA HOF and received the USVBA’s All- Time ‘Great Player’ Award in 1983. He passed away September 22, 2017 at the age of 79.