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09/17/2020 12:00 AMJuliet Young was one of the biggest reasons why the Guilford High School girls’ volleyball squad had a banner campaign last year. Juliet collected a couple of major accolades for her performance on the court, while helping Guilford achieve history as a team.
Juliet, who plays the libero position, recorded team-best totals with 405 digs, 75 aces, and a 94.4 serving percentage as a junior captain last season. Juliet helped Guilford win its first SCC title in 25 years and advance to the Class L state final on its way to an overall record of 23-4. Guilford took the SCC crown with a 3-2 victory over Shelton, a Class LL school, in the conference final.
“It meant a lot, because Guilford hadn’t won since 1994. It was a big deal, and we also beat a very competitive team who was not in our class,” Juliet says. “Also, we had been preparing for Shelton for days, so having it all come together was incredible.”
Juliet started playing volleyball when she was in the 7th grade. She was interested in trying a different sport after having focused on tennis for several years.
“I wanted to try something fun and more team-oriented,” says Juliet. “I love the competitive thrill of high levels and the team aspect where you come together after every point.”
Juliet earned All-SCC First Team and All-State Second Team honors while contributing to Guilford’s 2019 championship run. She’s also received Scholar Athlete recognition the past two years and intends to play volleyball in college.
After serving as captain in her junior year, Juliet is reprising that role as a senior. Head Coach Head Coach Laura Anastasio describes Juliet as a competitive player and a mature leader.
“Juliet makes everyone on the court feel comfortable. She is hard on herself and has high expectations for herself, but she is so supportive of all of her teammates and lets them know they are doing a great job,” Anastasio says. “Juliet is also a great leader off of the court. She is very strong academically and cares for her teammates off of the court. Last year, she came up with an idea to have team activities to create relationships and camaraderie.”
Juliet credits Coach Anastasio for helping her develop her volleyball skills. Juliet is hopeful that Guilford will be able to play its season this fall.
“Coach Anastasio is very supportive and does a great job of listening to her players,” Juliet says. “If we feel we need to focus on one aspect of the game or can think of any drills that would help us in a game, or just improve in general, she is open and flexible to trying any of it. Always ready to try new things, her flexibility has certainly allowed our team to develop and grow to be successful.”
In addition to playing for Guilford, Juliet hones her craft by competing for her club volleyball team. Juliet practices two or three times a week for seven months during the offseason.
“I really have an opportunity to raise my level and work on technique,” says Juliet. “I also strength train in a local gym [South Madison CrossFit].”
Juliet values how cross training allows her to stay in shape in preparation for the volleyball court. Something else that Juliet values is the steadfast support she gets from her family.
“I spend a lot of time with my family, two dogs, and twin sister [Eve],” Juliet says. “My family is ridiculously supportive of me, and I would not be where I am today without them.”