BUILT TO ENDURE

By Brandon Petersen

Westcliff University did not just hire a basketball coach. It hired a competitor shaped by adversity, discipline, championship expectations, and nearly a decade immersed in Southern California women's basketball culture.

When Westcliff University Athletic Director Cesar Rivas began searching for the next leader of the Warriors women's basketball program, he was not simply looking for someone who could draw up plays or organize practices. He was searching for someone capable of rebuilding momentum, reconnecting culture, and guiding a program forward after one of the most difficult seasons in its history.

In Sierra Vaglica, Westcliff believes it found exactly that.

"Coach Vaglica is exactly the type of person we were looking for to lead our women's basketball program," Rivas said. "Her experience, knowledge of the Southern California women's basketball landscape, and passion for developing student-athletes made her a natural fit for Warrior Nation."

The hire comes at a pivotal moment for the program. Just one season removed from a year derailed by injuries that ultimately prevented the team from completing its schedule, Westcliff now turns toward a new era led by one of the region's rising young coaches.

For Vaglica, however, resilience is not a new concept. It has followed her throughout nearly every stage of her basketball journey.

Long before she became a coach, Vaglica was simply a young athlete trying to find her place in sports. She first entered athletics through soccer at the age of four before eventually transitioning into basketball near the end of seventh grade. From there, the game quickly became central to her life.

Growing up in Orange County, Vaglica developed through the highly respected OC Rhythm basketball club before attending Woodbridge High School, where she established herself as one of the top guards in the area.

"I was a score-first point guard," Vaglica said.

At Woodbridge, she became a four-year varsity player, two-year captain, and two-year starter while earning All-CIF Southern Section honors, All-City recognition, and Pacific Coast League accolades. During her senior season, she was named the city's MVP after helping lead the Warriors to another league championship.

But even early in her career, basketball forced her to confront adversity.

During her sophomore year of high school, Vaglica suffered a torn ACL, an injury that would test both her physical and mental toughness. Still, she returned and continued ascending, eventually earning the opportunity to continue her career at Vanguard University.

What followed there would shape nearly every aspect of the coach she would later become.

Vaglica arrived at Vanguard as a point guard, but after suffering a second ACL tear during her freshman season, her game evolved. The explosiveness and downhill attacking style that once defined her had to change. Instead of allowing the setback to derail her career, she adapted.

Over time, she transitioned into a shooting guard and became known throughout the conference for her perimeter shooting ability.

"I finished up my last three years at Vanguard as a shooting guard and I was known throughout the conference for my shooting behind the arc," Vaglica said.

The transformation was more than positional. It required patience, humility, and reinvention. Those experiences now heavily influence the way she approaches coaching and player relationships.

After completing her playing career as a two-year starter and two-year captain, Vaglica initially considered pursuing professional opportunities overseas. Instead, the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly changed those plans and ultimately redirected her future toward coaching.

Rather than viewing the moment as a disappointment, she embraced it as an opportunity.

"I took that as a sign to jump right into my coaching career," Vaglica said.

She immediately returned to Vanguard, the same program that had shaped her as a player. While beginning her coaching career part-time, she simultaneously pursued a master's degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration at Concordia University Irvine.

The grind was demanding, but it accelerated her growth quickly.

Over the next several years, Vaglica became part of one of the region's most successful programs, contributing to championship teams at both the NAIA and NCAA Division II levels. During the 2023-24 season, she helped Vanguard capture a GSAC Championship as an assistant coach before taking on an even larger role during the 2025-26 campaign.

Serving as the lead assistant coach, Vaglica helped guide Vanguard to a historic season that included the program's first-ever PacWest Conference Championship, PacWest Tournament Championship, and NCAA Tournament appearance.

"Having someone who has been part of building a championship culture at Vanguard University brings tremendous value to our department," Rivas said. "We believe Coach Vaglica has the vision, energy, and competitive mindset to help elevate our program into a national contender."

Yet while the championships stand out on paper, Vaglica consistently returns to relationships, accountability, and personal growth when discussing the type of culture she hopes to build at Westcliff.

"As a coach I am someone that cares deeply about my players," Vaglica said. "At the same time, I am a coach who will tell my athletes what they need to hear, which is not always what they want to hear."

That balance — demanding but supportive — sits at the center of her philosophy.

"I want every athlete to feel challenged but also supported," she said. "Success is built through preparation, communication, and consistency. I believe great teams are built on trust, unselfishness, and hard work."

For Vaglica, the role of a college coach extends far beyond wins and losses.

"If players leave the season more confident, more disciplined, and better teammates than when they started, then we succeeded," she said. "While winning games is great and something my staff and I will try to do, winning in life is far greater."

That philosophy now arrives at a Westcliff program eager to turn the page after a difficult year.

Rather than avoiding discussion about last season's injury struggles, Vaglica addressed them directly, emphasizing the importance of rebuilding confidence, restoring stability, and reconnecting the culture inside the program.

"A season impacted heavily by injuries can affect confidence, morale, and continuity, but I also think those situations can strengthen a program if they're handled the right way," Vaglica said.

Her plan moving forward centers on trust, communication, depth, and daily consistency. She emphasized the importance of reconnecting with returning players while building a roster capable of sustaining success through adversity.

"Players need to feel that there's a clear vision moving forward and that everyone is invested in building something positive again," she said.

Recruiting will play a major role in that process, particularly within Southern California, where Vaglica already possesses deep ties throughout the high school, JUCO, and club basketball communities.

"I'm looking to recruit players who are competitive, coachable, and genuinely team-oriented," Vaglica said. "Talent obviously matters, but I believe culture wins over time."

She also emphasized toughness, basketball IQ, communication, and versatility as key traits for future Warriors.

"I want positive competitors," she said. "Players who love basketball, support their teammates, respond well to coaching, and handle adversity the right way."

Rivas believes those qualities align perfectly with the future Westcliff hopes to create.

"Her enthusiasm for her players, commitment to excellence, and ability to build meaningful relationships both on and off the court are exactly what our program needs as we continue to grow and strengthen the future of Westcliff Women's Basketball," he said.

As her introductory interview came to a close, Vaglica shifted away from basketball strategy and accomplishments, instead focusing on gratitude.

She thanked God, her family, former mentor Russ Davis, and the many people who helped guide her journey to this point.

In one of the interview's most emotional moments, she reflected on her father.

"Dad, I miss you so much and I pray every day that I am making you proud in all that I do," Vaglica said.

She also offered a heartfelt message to Davis, the longtime coach who first recruited her to Vanguard nearly a decade ago.

"You pushed me beyond what I thought was my limit, but you made me a better coach and person because of it," Vaglica said. "I learned so much under your leadership, not just about the game, but about what it means to be a coach, a leader, and a professional."

Now, for the first time in her career, the program is hers to lead.

And at Westcliff, a new chapter begins with a coach who believes culture comes first, relationships matter most, and adversity is not something to fear, but something to grow through.

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If you are interested in playing for Westcliff Women's Basketball, please fill out our online application: https://connect.westcliff.edu/ register/athleteapp