Daily Journal Girls’ Water Polo Player of the Year: Sacred Heart Prep’s Ellison Brush

Instead of being the last-line of defense, Brush and the SHP defense are really the tip of the Gators’ offensive spear and with a lockdown goalie backing the team, the Gators have achieved lofty heights, even by their lofty standards.

“I think defense wins championships and that’s evident based off the last three years,” said Brush. “We have amazing offensive players... but I think our attention to detail on defense is what helps us win.”

Polo defense is certainly team-centric and SHP is no exception, but in those moments the Gators needed a big defensive play from one of their senior captains, Brush usually delivered.

So much so that she was named the Central Coast Section MVP and now adds Daily Journal Girls’ Water Polo Player of the Year honors.

“I had a lot of teammates who lifted me up to become better,” Brush said.

That extends to the coaching staff, that saw a shock coaching change about a month into the season. Jamie Frank, who took over the SHP girls’ program ahead of the 2018 season, was let go, replaced by Adriana Reed.

Frank has since been named the girls’ polo coach at Menlo School and head of the aquatics’ program.

Reed joined the Gators’ coach staff last year, but she is not just a random coach. She is a 2007 SHP graduate, who went on to star and coach collegiately at San Jose State.

Brush credits both of them for helping reach that heights that have continuing her career at University of Southern California next year.

“We all love (Frank). He’s an amazing person and I wouldn’t be who I am without him. It was a big shock for all of us (when he was let go). Nobody wants to get that news in the middle of the season. It was difficult. … We were thrown such a curveball,” Brush said. (But Reed) has helped me grow in literally every way possible. … She spent a lot of time with me. … Being a part of Sacred Heart water polo was a blessing, but having her come in was the cherry on top.”

It seemed Brush was destined to play water polo. Her father and uncle both played at the highest levels. Her uncle, Jeff Brush, was a goalie for the Cal squad and was named the NCAA Player of the Year in 1987.

But Brush was a soccer player, as well, growing up. When it came time for her to decide which sport to specialize in, she chose water polo — and started out as a field player. She eventually found her way into the cage and never left.

“It stuck with me,” Brush said.

Brush credits Reed for really elevating her game, but the fact of the matter is — Reed is not a goalie coach. She was also a field player, but she helped Brush read the game from an offensive perspective.

“I have no goalie background,” said Reed, who is the Gators’ interim coach. “But being a scorer, I can help them see things from my view. Give [Brush] that view from a scoring perspective.”

The work has paid off handsomely over the last couple of seasons as the Gators seem to have risen to a different level. The 2024 team might have been the best squad in program history, going 28-2. They dominated the competition on their way to West Catholic Athletic League, Central Coast Section and Nor Cal championships.

The 2025 version of the Gators, however, looked a little bit different. SHP graduated a number of key pieces, including 2024 Daily Journal Girls’ Water Polo Player of the Year Vivian Golub and 2023 Daily Journal Girls’ Water Polo Player of the Year, Natalia Szczerba. Those two had combined for more than 200 goals during their SHP careers.

“Last year, our team didn’t really change much (from 2023). … Last year, I felt like our team was really, truly special,” Brush said. “This year, we had a really good feeling … but we didn’t know what to expect. We put a lot of trust into a lot of young talent, which can be real scary.”

About the only change from last year to this year was the scores. Games were tighter in 2025 and as a senior, Brush had to take on even more of a leadership role.

“She knew how to get to girls going. How to get them pumped up,” Reed said. “The second half of the season, we played a lot of one-, two-goal games. We went into overtime in the CCS finals.

“A lot of people think it’s Xs and Ox and to me, it’s not. It’s about wanting it.”

SHP went 29-3 this season, winning one and losing one more game than last season. The Gators captured another West Catholic Athletic League title before adding their third-straight CCS Open Division crown, beating rival Soquel 13-10 in double overtime.

SHP came up short of a second consecutive Nor Cal title, however, falling to Carondelet-Concord.

“It’s your job (as a goalie) to block the ball,” Brush said. “My mindset is, there are six other people here (on my team) to help me that help us be successful.”