Eventually growing to 6-foot-1, Julia Swanson was meant to be an athlete.
The only question for the freshman was: in which sport?
"I used to play basketball," said Swanson. "I love how [volleyball is] really intense and so fun, but still feminine. I used to play basketball, but I didn't feel girly and that turned me off."
So Swanson pursued volleyball. She ended up turning down a scholarship to California-Berkeley's top-25 volleyball team and top-25 academics, opting to play at the Palestra for the next four years.
"When I visited, I really liked the team," the Houston-area native said. "I liked [coach Kerry Carr] too but honestly what made me come here was the girls. By the end, I'd visited lot of schools but the team here was the most fun and I knew I'd fit in."
Swanson did not come to Penn to watch from the bench. She comes with an impressive resume including Texas all-state honors in 2007, as well as a stint on the USA national team in 2004.
"Had I gone to Cal I wouldn't have played until my junior year," Swanson said. "I knew I wanted to play early and focus on academics, though it was tempting to go to a school where you have thousands of fans."
But any playing time Swanson gets she'll have to earn. The Quakers have more than a full roster of 21 women, including outside hitters Anna Shlimak and Elizabeth Semmens who got the lion's share of the playing time last year.
"We want what's best for the team," assistant coach J. Chapman said. "Everyone wants to be part of the best team we can put together. If a underclassman is playing better than an upperclassman they know it. We don't really have to tell them."
Big things are already being expected of Swanson; the tall hitter has gotten a label from Chapman.
"She is a terminator. She has shots but she also pounds the ball. A good thing about her being a terminator is she has ball control and can play all the way around. We don't have to worry about pulling her out, because she can play back row too."
Swanson is not just at Penn to play volleyball. The Houston native says math is her favorite subject. She is also excited to get involved in some activities outside of the gym.
"I'm trying to get involved with all the Christian programs," she said. "I've wanted to get involved with an organization here. I was talking to a guy from Campus Crusades earlier. I definitely want to get really involved in that because I'm really into my faith."
Only time will tell if Swanson is Penn volleyball's savior.
