Richmond volleyball standout Juliana Kaufmanis will be continuing her career with the UBC Thunderbirds this fall.
The McMath secondary graduate and perennial Team B.C. player headlines the Thunderbirds 2012 recruiting class that also includes Danielle Brisebois (Bolton, ON) and Emily Cicon (Courtenay, BC).
"We are very excited to welcome these three tremendous athletes, who not only excel athletically, but also scholastically," said UBC head coach Doug Reimer.
"This and their commitment to develop, were important factors in bringing them into the T-Bird program."
Kaufmanis, a 6-foot outside/middle, won four consecutive B.C. titles with her club team, Thunder Volleyball, and was named a tournament all-star after each one of those victories. Her team tied for fifth place at the national club championships in May.
Kaufmanis was part of the provincial U16 team in 2009 and 2010. She made the U17 BC team in 2011.
"Juliana brings a wide range of attributes and skills," said Reimer. "The first aspect that you are impressed with is her jumping ability and strength in the front row.
"But as you look more closely you realize that her passing skills are perhaps the best part of her game, which is great to see. She also is a pleasure to work with and is a great teammate."
Kaufmanis was also a standout for her high school team, earning first team provincial all-star honours in helping the Wildcats place fifth at the 2011 B.C.
"AAAA" Championships. She capped off the year by being named High School Female Athlete of the Year by the Richmond Sports Council.
"I chose UBC for its great academics and volleyball program," said Kaufmanis. "I also am completely in love with British Columbia and am so excited to be able to study in such a beautiful place."
Kaufmanis' father, Eric, is a former star athlete himself, who captained the Indiana University golf team in his senior year. He then went on to golf professionally in Canada and Australia.
"I believe that the key strengths that I will be bringing to UBC are my willingness to try new things and my ability to laugh at myself," added Kaufmanis, who will be entering UBC's Faculty of Science.
"I find laughing at yourself when you get six-packed makes it sting a lot less and lets the team laugh without feeling guilty too."
