Known for her setting skills and team leadership, Patti Bright was a force in American volleyball for 39 years, as an Olympian, a perennial Nationals champion, coach, and role model.

Patti’s record speaks for itself. In her long and illustrious career, she was a member of the 1964 and 1968 U.S. Olympic Teams and the 1963 U.S. Pan American Team. In United States Volleyball Association (USVBA) competition, Patti was named first-team All-American “Open Division” in 1963, 1965, and 1968, and second team in 1964. She was named Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) First Team All-American in 1970 and received USVBA Most Valuable Player Awards in 1994, 1995, and 1996.

In 1983, Patti was recognized as a USVBA All-Time Great Player.

She has coached volleyball at Santa Monica High School (Santa Monica, Calif.), Los Angeles College and Pepperdine University where her teams maintained winning records of over 90%.

Patti has also run youth volleyball camps and practices for over 20 years. Many who have attended have become scholarship athletes and college stars. Several have gone on to the Olympics including, Lianne Sato, Linda Chisholm, and Liz Masakayan.

To this day, Patti remains a tough competitor, taking Women’s 40’s MVP and First Team honors at the USA Volleyball Open Championships at Westover Air Reserve Base in 1995 and at Dallas in 1996.

With her induction Patti joins her husband, Mike Bright, in the Hall of Fame. Mike, enshrined in 1993, was a three sport Olympian; volleyball, paddleboard, and surfing. He also excelled in beach volleyball and basketball. Patti’s mother, Bertha Lucas, has promoted volleyball and has been a member of the Olympic Volleyball Committee.