UTEP Assistant to Lead High Performance Volleyball Team
UTEP assistant volleyball coach Julie Allen has been chosen to lead the Sun Country region High Performance team announced by High Performance Director Jim Giacomazzi on July 10.
“I am very honored to be chosen for this position,” Allen said. “This is great opportunity to help me further develop my training techniques as a coach and also get the UTEP program out to volleyball players from around the region.”
The HighPerformance team is a developmental level of the United States Volleyball Association High Performance team designed to provide top training opportunities to a wide range of junior volleyball players.
There are 39 regions that are represented at the junior level. The Sun Country region consists of New Mexico, the panhandle, and west Texas.
“The program is designed to pinpoint some of the better players of the Sun Country region,” said Giacomazzi. “We are looking for quality coaches to help lead the program and not only teach the other athletes what to do, but also teach their peers.”
Allen enters her fifth season as an assistant coach to the Miners’ volleyball program in 2014.
She serves as the team’s technical coordinator while also working with the setters, running offense and liberos. In addition to scouting opponents and game preparation, she is the lead recruiter for the 2014 and 2016 incoming classes.
In 2013 Allen guided setter Malia Patterson to 1,118 asssits, ranking her 83rd in the nation and seventh in the league. She tallied 40 or more assists in 10 matches, including a season-high 48 assists against Tulsa (11/15) while adding 18 digs. Patterson registeredseven double-double matches in her final season as a Miner. The setter finished the season with 232 digs, 72 kills, 41 blocks (35/6) and 12 service aces.
Allen also coached Xitlali Herrera to be ranked 14th in the nation, third in C-USA and first on the team in points, totaling 5.11 points per set. Herrera was named the C-USA Offensive Athlete of the Week after leading the team a 3-0 victory over Rice (10/20) with a match-high 12 kills with only one error and .611 hitting percentage. The middle blocker topped off her career with three all-tournament selections.
On the defensive side, Allen mentored starting libero Victoria Valencia. She registered seven showings of 20 or more digs, including a career-high 38 versus Oral Roberts (9/6/13) to earn the top spot in the UTEP recordbook. The El Paso native tallied double-digit dig showings in 49 matches in her career with the Miners. She was also named to the UTEP Invitational All-Tournament team.
