Julianne brings senior discipline and strong court awareness to the middle. She recorded four blocks against South Effingham and did a good job taking away space against an offense Pope had identified as heavily pin-oriented. Her blocking approach shows preparation: she reads the matchup, gets her hands into useful space and works to create a predictable defensive picture behind her.

That preparation is part of her recruiting value. Kopach spoke after the match about using film and tendencies to prepare for where South Effingham wanted to attack, and her execution reflected that understanding. She demonstrates the volleyball IQ to connect scouting information to what is happening in real time. For a middle, that ability to read and apply a defensive plan can be as valuable as raw blocking numbers. ~ Samantha Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga