Bronco Athletics

Santa Cruz Named Inaugural Brophy Beach Volleyball Coach

Joaquin Santa Cruz has been named the inaugural head coach of the Brophy College Prep Beach Volleyball Team, which will begin play this fall, Athletics Director Josh Garcia ‘07 announced. 

“We are excited to have Coach Santa Cruz launch this new program,” said Garcia.  “He brings an experienced coaching background that has benefited our volleyball program this spring and will continue with our newest program.”

Santa Cruz served as an assistant coach under Brophy Head Coach Tony Oldani this past spring, helping the Broncos to the AIA 6A Conference quarterfinals. Before Brophy, Santa Cruz was the Head Coach at Desert Vista for two seasons. He led the Thunder to the state playoffs in 2023 and the first round in 2024. He was also an assistant at Sandra Day O’Connor, winning the state championship in 2022. 

“I am excited to lead the launch of Brophy College Preparatory’s inaugural beach volleyball program,” said Head Coach Santa Cruz. “I am looking forward to building a competitive and supportive team from the ground up and am committed to creating a program that not only develops skilled volleyball players but also fosters leadership, teamwork, and character. I am proud to be part of this new chapter at Brophy and can’t wait to see the growth and success ahead.”

He served as the Assistant Club Director and head coach for the 14-1 team at Arizona Fear Volleyball Club since 2018. He has been the tournament scheduler for the USA Volleyball Arizona Region since 2021. 

He has led his teams to numerous USAV, AAU, and AZ Region titles, including the 2021 USAV Boys Club National Championship, 2022 USAV Boys Club National runner-up, and AAU Boys National 14 Premier third-place finishes in both 2023 and 2024. 

He is currently the Head Coach of the Boys U15 National Team for the 2025 Arizona Region High Performance program. He led the U15 and U17 teams to the Silver medal in 2022 and 2023.

He played at Ottawa University from 2018 to 2020 and was a two-time all-conference selection as a libero. He is the all-time career dig leader with 723 and ranked No. 2 in the nation in 2020 with 3.5 per set. 

Brophy will compete in the Desert Valley region this fall with Barry Goldwater, Boulder Creek, Deer Valley, Mountain Ridge, Notre Dame Prep, and Sandra Day O‘Connor.

Follow Brophy Beach Volleyball on Instagram @brophyprepbeach

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Brophy College Preparatory

4701 N. Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85012
Phone: 602-264-5291
Fax: 602-266-3642

Graham Family Sports Campus

4800 N. Seventh Street
Phoenix, AZ 85012