Sabrina Bracken was just a sophomore when she joined the St. Francis High girls’ volleyball team that won a Central Coast Section title in 2008.
The former Sharks star will return to the court, only this time she’ll be holding a clipboard and hopefully resurrecting the program back to the top.
St. Francis announced Wednesday that Bracken, 32, will take over the girls’ volleyball program for the upcoming 2024 season. She is replacing Daisy Lopez after just one season at the helm.
“I think that going back and coaching varsity, and [junior varsity], is going to be just a really positive impact for everyone,” she said. “I want a really strong culture with all three of the teams together…I just want the best overall experience for everyone.”
Bracken—who at the time went by the surname Webb—was part of the Sharks team 16 years ago that captured the program’s first and lone section title after beating Castilleja School of Palo Alto in the CCS Division V finals.
The Aromas native went on to play at Cabrillo College and was on the San Jose State University beach volleyball team during its inaugural season.
During her fifth year at SJSU, she became the student assistant coach for the women’s indoor volleyball team.
Bracken currently works with the Hollister Fire Department as a fire inspector. She also runs the Fire Explorers Program for local high school students to attend once a month.
She coaches the youngsters on fire service with hands-on activities that includes physical training, powerpoint presentations and skills training.
St. Francis Athletic Director John Ausman said Bracken understands what it takes to have a commitment to compete at a high level.
“Anytime you bring back an alum who’s played the game that she’s coaching at our school, and then played it at a high level where they won, and then went on and played in college, that’s a slam dunk,” he said.
Ausman was pleased to see Bracken was excited, yet serious about having a competitive and committed team proud to play for the program.
“I really do feel like our young ladies have lucked out with this hire, especially where we are in the timeline,” he said.
The fall season officially kicked off Aug. 9. The first day of competition is set for Aug. 29, giving Bracken just weeks to assemble a school of Sharks before the season opener at Scotts Valley High on Sept. 9 at 7pm.
Bracken had no idea Ausman was in search of a head coach until Sharks girls’ basketball assistant coach Randy Braga—who was Bracken’s head coach way back when—altered her about it.
“I am a fresh start with these girls, which I think is a benefit to them because they have a fair playing field to show me all the skills they have. I’m not coming in with any favorites,” Bracken said.
Bracken wants to let it be known each player will have every opportunity to prove to her why they should earn a spot on the team. She’ll start by analyzing both skill and condition levels, but at the same time just letting them play.
“A little bit of conditioning, but more just getting our hands on the ball and playing as a team,” she said.
Bracken will most likely share stories of her glory days and playing under former coach Denise Sheldon, who stepped down following the 2008 championship season.
Since then, the Sharks have had 10 different coaching changes including Bracken’s recent hire.
“[Sehldon] was very respectable. She was a coach first, and then she was a friend if she had to be, but even then she still scared you,” Bracken said. “I’m not saying I want to scare these girls at all, because I want them to be able to come with me to have a problem…I look up to [Sheldon] and her coaching style to how I’m gonna apply it to mine.”
Bracken said as cheesy and cliche as it sounds, she just wants both the players and coaching staff to leave everything on the court.
“Even if we had a good loss, we tried our absolute best, and it was still a really great game to watch, and we felt good on the inside about it,” she said. “If we can walk away from every game like that, then I think that that’s going to be a great season.”
