The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Catching up with Juliann Faucette (2007-10)
07.18.2014 | Volleyball
TexasSports.com checks in with former Volleyball standout Juliann Faucette.
Juliann Faucette, USA Volleyball bio available here
An AVCA All-America First Team selection and National Freshman of the Year award winner in 2007, Juliann Faucette (2007-10) bounced back to claim AVCA Third Team and Volleyball Magazine Second Team honors in 2009 as a junior and was returned to AVCA and Volleyball Magazine First Team status in 2010. In 2007, she paced the Longhorns with a team-best 445 kills, ranked second on the team in kills per-set (4.49) and third in digs per-set (2.51), while hitting at a .324 clip. As a junior, she helped UT to the NCAA Championship match and averaged 3.17 kills, 1.46 digs and 0.71 blocks per-set, while hitting .284. In 2010 she was the Big 12 Player of the Year and led Texas to the NCAA Semifinals for the third-straight season. As a senior, Faucette averaged 3.94 kills, 2.53 digs and 4.55 points per-set en route to earning All-Big 12 First Team honors for the fourth time and claiming AVCA All-Central Region First Team honors for the third time (2007, 2009-10).
How did UT prepare you for the U.S. National Team?
UT prepared me for the National Team by being one of the most competitive environments in the practice gym. Everyone on our team for the four years that I was there was very good coming out of high school. Jerritt and the coaching staff made it clear to me that I would have to earn my spot on the court; very similar to how it is in the USA gym. There were no days off and I am so thankful for experiencing that at an early age.
Can you talk about the feelings you get when putting on the red, white and blue uniform before each match?
The feeling I get when putting on the red, white and blue jersey is unmatched. It is such an honor to be able to represent your country in the sport you love. Even if it just an inter-squad scrimmage, I still get the chills when I see my name on the back of the jersey.
How is playing for the national team similar to college volleyball and how is it different?
Playing for the National Team is similar to college volleyball because you get the same sense of commodity. We aren't playing for money, we are playing for a cause, for the team and for something much bigger than ourselves. I felt that way in college and I feel that way on the USA team now. It is different from college volleyball because the competitive level is so much higher and the game improves even more. Every detail counts, where as in college we could sometimes still get away with taking plays off or making more mistakes than the international level allows.
How did Jerritt Elliott's coaching style helped prepare you for the national team stage?
Jerritt uses statistics and really shows us the importance of them. That really prepared me for the next level because the difference between two amazing players is a very small percentage. He also used a lot of similar drills that the National Team coaches use and really focused on the serve and pass game.
Looking back on your time at UT, what was your favorite memory and can you describe it for me?
My favorite memory was going from the locker room to the elevator. I always loved that feeling I got when we would bang on the elevator walls to let the crowd know we were coming out and that we were prepared. I loved praying with the team in there and looking at each one of my teammates in the eye to confirm that we were all ready to go. When we would come out of the elevator I would always be the last one to come out; it was tradition. Nothing beats that feeling to this day. The Texas crowd and the amazing fans we have are unbeatable and I miss it so much. I will never forget where I came from.
