By Jerry Christensen | [email protected]

The alma mater is a sweet home to come back to. Class of 2014 graduate Jenna Markey accepted the appointment to come back to Brighton High School and coach the volleyball team. 

She returns to Brighton with plenty of experience. “I went to Brighton High School, I graduated and played at Angelo State University (San Angelo, Texas) where we won the conference, the conference tournament, the region, the regional tournament and I attended the Elite 8 National Championship Tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for the first time in program history,” Markey said. “I’ve been coaching at Club V for the last four years and an assistant coach at Park City High School for the last two. I’m excited to take everything I’ve learned and pour it into the Brighton program.”

She wants to take everything that she has learned and experienced since leaving Brighton and give it to student-athletes who are just like she was—hungry to “level up.” She knows the reputation Brighton has for competitive sports and is looking to instill an attitude of success. 

“I expect my athletes to level up every day. Pushing themselves to get 1% better on and off the court. To put in just as much energy that they put on the court into the classroom is the goal. Coaching for me is less about volleyball and more about developing younger generations into honest, hardworking and gritty individuals. I want my players to be passionate and respectful. I want other teams to look at us and admire us for the way we work and the way we are as student- athletes off the court,” Markey said. “The lessons I’ve learned from my coaches have stuck with me far beyond volleyball and help me solve problems every day.”

While Brighton routinely competes for the annual region trophy, it has been 16 years since its last state volleyball championship in 2006 under coach Jeremiah Larsen. Markey knows a bit about championships given her collegiate experience. 

“I’m so excited and honored to be back at Brighton and be given the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than just this sport we all love,” Markey said and added, “Go Bengals!”