By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — Harlingen High outside hitter Juli Bryant is only a sophomore, but she has made quite a name for herself.
As a freshman in 2019, Bryant was named the Valley Morning Star’s All-STAR volleyball newcomer of the year after accumulating more than 300 kills. She followed up her strong rookie year by recording 186 kills in the COVID-19-shortened season to help the Lady Cardinals clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2014 and win a bi-district contest. Bryant is the Valley Morning Star’s All-STAR volleyball offensive player of the year in 2020.
“It’s pretty exciting, especially being a sophomore, to get an award like this. I know there’s a bunch of amazing players on other teams,” Bryant said. “When I told the news to my family, it was awesome to see their excitement. (Thanks to) my family, the coaching staff, my teammates and, of course, the man above. They all have been very supportive about my volleyball career and keep pushing me to be a better athlete, and to keep fighting through the toughest times.”
Bryant went into the 2020 season on a mission to make the most of her limited time on the court. Last season, she saw a banner honoring another Rio Grande Valley player for reaching 1,000 kills in her career. That motivated Bryant to set a goal for herself to be Harlingen High’s first player to reach 1,000 kills, and despite playing only a dozen matches this season, she’s nearly halfway there with 492 career kills.
“I need to reach that goal before I graduate,” Bryant said. “It was upsetting not having tournaments because that’s where I get the most practice and those kills. I know I can get it. I don’t usually have much confidence in myself, but for this particular sport and for that goal, I’m confident I can reach it by the time I graduate.”
Lady Cardinals coach Joslynn Torres said having Bryant striving for that goal is beneficial for the team and the outside hitter’s personal growth. Torres and Bryant both said this challenging season was helpful for the sophomore’s mental maturity as she was forced her to learn to move on from mistakes instead of dwelling on them.
Positive affirmation and a reminder to breathe from Torres and teammates aided Bryant’s growth and made her a stronger player as the season progressed. That notion is exciting for Torres, who is already looking forward to seeing Bryant’s continued development in the coming seasons.
“She’s really big on her attack. She wants the ball to come down hard every time, so I have to tell her, ‘Hey, a kill’s a kill. As long as it hits the ground, you’re getting us where we need to be,’” Torres said. “Going along this journey with her has been a blessing. She’s a good kid, and we have such a good relationship. The best part is that I get to go along the ride with her. It’s always nice to have an athlete like her that’s raw. I’m really excited for these next two years.”
Bryant is looking forward to building the program in her final seasons. She’s an efficient blocker as well as hitter, and she’s ready to keep making big plays to enjoy celebrating with her teammates and rack up the wins.
“Those moments are indescribable, when I get a great block on someone else’s great player (and) help the team by getting great kills,” Bryant said. “(They bring) hope that we can do push through, we can make an impact and show teams that we can do great things. It’s really awesome to have such an impact on my team.”