SPORTS BUZZ: Saint Mark’s Julia Yurkovich garners Gatorade award

“Winning an award as prestigious as Gatorade Player of the Year is such an incredible honor because recipients of this award have demonstrated exemplary character and leadership in addition to being good athletes,” Yurkovich said. “When someone enters the gym at Saint Mark’s, there is a wall of all the remarkable athletes that left their mark here at Saint Mark’s. The first time I saw that as a freshman, I knew I wanted my name to be on that wall too.”

The 5-foot-11 senior outside hitter led the Spartans to a 17-2 record and the state championship match this past season. She recorded 298 kills, 165 digs, 22 aces and 11 blocks during the season. A four-year starter for the Spartans, Yurkovich was a First-Team All-State selection for the third straight year and named the Delaware Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year.

“This year, she was an outstanding leader for our young team and really distinguished herself from the competition with not only her versatile and exceptional volleyball skills but her calming presence and infectious energy,” Saint Mark’s head coach Nancy Griskowitz said. “Julia is most known for her powerful offensive play at the net, however, she is a very talented six-rotation player capable of controlling a match from the front row or back.”

A National Honor Society member, Yurkovich volunteers locally at the Faithful Friends No-Kill Animal Shelter, Marydale Retirement Village, and the Easter Seals Volleyball Challenge, all while maintaining a 4.14 weighted GPA.

“I spent countless hours dedicating my time to improving my skills on the court, but I knew that my character, leadership, and academics would be just as important,” Yurkovich said. “Lucky for me, I’ve had great role models, such as my teachers, coaches, and especially my parents. They have all helped me develop into someone I’m proud of. Someone who thinks about service and is a good role model off the court. By winning this award, I hope that I demonstrated to my younger teammates that it’s important to put a priority on your academics, serve others in your community, and be a good leader off the court.”

Yurkovich has signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at Presbyterian College in South Carolina, where she will major in business management while also exploring opportunities in marketing and real estate.

“The one thing I am looking forward to most about playing at the collegiate level is the competition,” she said. “Anyone who has played volleyball with me would consider me a very competitive person, and I most definitely am. I strive to push myself and be the best I can on and off the court. Playing Division 1 volleyball will not be easy, as it requires a lot of hard work, training and dedication. However, I can’t wait to take on this new chapter in my life and push myself to be my best. I hope I can make my mark at Presbyterian College as I did here at Saint Mark’s.”

Her coach is confident she will succeed.

“She is without a doubt a phenomenal volleyball player but more importantly she is an incredible person, and we will miss her all-around talent next year,” Griskowitz said.

In my opinion only

Lebron James might be the new NBA all-time leading scorer, but I’ll take back the 1980s era of NBA basketball any day. … Any Eagles fan who doesn’t admit they would want the same defensive holding call made if the roles were reversed, is not telling the truth.

Wrapping it up

The DIAA Swimming State Championships take place on Feb. 23 (prelims) and Feb. 25 (finals) at the UD Rawstrom Natatorium (Little Bob). … The boys’ and girls’ basketball tournament brackets will be released next week. Several local teams should qualify. … The Blue Hen Conference wrestling tournament is Feb. 24-25 at Delcastle High School.

Until next time … have a great sports week!

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