Sports

TRINITY LEAGUE ATHLETE PROFILE: JULIANNA REISINGER

Santa Margarita Volleyball

By Jenelyn Russo     1/3/2017

As one of the taller students in her class during her elementary years, it was often suggested to Julianna Reisinger that she should play volleyball.

“People always told me I should take up volleyball,” says Reisinger. “I never had an interest in it. I kind of brushed it aside. I actually thought I wanted to be a soccer player.”

 

 

But watching the beach volleyball athletes during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, along with being in attendance when the Santa Margarita Catholic High School girls volleyball team won their CIF championship in 2008, solidified her decision try the sport.

“I was amazed,” says Reisinger, “and I said, ‘I know this is what I want to do.’”

Her decision proved to be a good one. As a captain on the team, the senior Eagle libero is a defensive specialist and excels at being placed in positions of leadership.

“I really love [playing libero] because it is naturally a leadership role,” says Reisinger. “I just love that…my teammates look to me as the one who’s making these defensive plays, and I love having that responsibility. I love knowing that my teammates are counting on me.”

The two-year varsity player had a chance to be a part of school history last fall as she and her fellow Eagles brought a girls volleyball CIF Championship back to campus, their first such title since Reisinger watched the 2008 squad complete the same goal. Alongside securing a Trinity League Championship, Reisinger and her teammates knew this was their year.

“We went into every single game looking at it as this is what’s preparing us,” says Reisinger. “The actual CIF (championship) game (versus league rival Mater Dei) is something I’ll never forget.”

Head varsity coach, Katy Daly, feels Reisinger was a huge contributor to the team’s success, as seen with her being named 1st Team All-CIF and 1st Team All-County.

“Julianna knows the game of volleyball and has a calm presence about her,” says Daly. “She was a great defensive player and allowed the Eagles to run a great offense.”

Away from the sport, Reisinger is a part of Santa Margarita’s Chamber Choir, as the Coto de Caza resident loves to sing. She is also a manager for the Eagles baseball team, and serves her community through organizations such as Lion’s Heart, National Honor Society and Stand Up To Cancer.

Reisinger is headed to Purdue University in the fall, where she will play volleyball for the Boilermakers in addition to studying engineering. She credits her grandmother, whose steady faith in the face of many trials has been inspiring for the 17-year-old.

“Faith is a huge part of my life,” says Reisinger. “I always try to remember that God has a plan for me. Things [may not be] going well right now, but there’s always something better that’s going to come right around the corner.”