June 23, 2023
Coach Sabla Takes the Helm for the Defending Champs
By Francisco Claudio
The Westcliff men's beach volleyball team will see a familiar face take over the head coach role as Fernando Sabla transitions into this position.
Sabla was most recently the assistant coach for the women's beach volleyball team which was crowned the 2023 Cal Pac champs and took third place at the NAIA Women's Beach National Invitational.
He will take the helm after coming off a great postseason with the women's team and look to help lead the men to another great season with aspirations of being back-to-back champs.
Sabla first fell in love with the sport as a young adult and found a path to play indoor volleyball in college which eventually led to qualifying and playing professional beach volleyball.
After that, Sabla continued his volleyball career but on the corporate side serving as the Director of Operations of Professional Beach Volleyball for p1440 where he was the lead in activating an Olympic qualifying FIVB Tournament for the Tokyo Olympics.
Afterward, he started his own beach volleyball club (Vamos Beach Volleyball Club) to be able to coach youth and aspiring collegiate players.
Sabla also spent time coaching collegiate athletes at Orange Coast College as an assistant in the early 2000s.
"I love teaching and seeing players develop their skills," Sabla said. "From youth to professional athletes, I like being the person that helps athletes achieve their goals. I want to help people be the best versions of themselves.
"If in the process of helping athletes be better humans, we win a championship, it's even better."
The Warriors will look to defend the AVCA Fall Collegiate Beach Championships title after taking down Webber International last fall to win the inaugural event.
In the process, Westcliff will look to continue to write its name in the history books if they can become the first back-to-back champions if they win the national title again.
Westcliff finished last season 14-2 and 7-0 in conference play.
Now Sabla will shift his focus on recruiting and bringing together returning athletes to create the best team possible.
"I look for players who have humility, are open-minded, and have the willingness to continue to grow and get better," Sabla said. "When those characteristics are combined with good to great athletic ability it usually leads to elite-level players.
"With both academics and athletics when you put in the work, you get the results."
It's safe to say that this might be the best fit for both sides as the future looks bright for the men's beach volleyball 2023 fall season.