Troy University Athletics
Troy’s Julia Brooks Heads to Portugal
1/18/2024 3:42:00 PM | Volleyball
TROY, Ala. – Senior Julia Brooks has signed a professional volleyball contract to head to Portugal to continue her career with the Esmoriz GC.
The Esmoriz GC is slated to compete in the top volleyball league across Portugal.
"We are extremely proud and excited for Julia," head coach Josh Lauer said. "She left an amazing legacy here at Troy and watching her pursue her dream of playing volleyball professionally will be fun. We look forward to her first professional match next week, and we can't wait for her to showcase her passion and skill to a brand-new volleyball community in Portugal."
Becoming the third Trojan to play professionally, Brooks follows in the footsteps of Marija Zelenovic and Megan Gilroy. Brooks sits atop the Troy record book in total, solo and block assists.
"She will always be part of our Troy volleyball family and one of the best representatives of what it meant to be a student-athlete at Troy University," Lauer said.
Brooks finished her career as a Trojan with 1,435 kills, 108 solo blocks, 321 block assists, 429 total blocks and 1,713.5 points. The St. Louis, Mo., became the first Trojan to amass 1,435 kills and 449 blocks in her time on the court.
She was a three-time All-Sun Belt honoree, with two first-team selections and one second-team selection.
Brooks told the Troy Messenger "Ever since I got to Troy – and realized it could be a possibility – I definitely started looking into it more and tried to reach out to people that I knew were playing professionally. Once I got to Troy, it definitely became a goal for me."
Esmoriz GC is set to resume their season on January 21, where they will compete against the GC Santo Tirso.
The Esmoriz GC is slated to compete in the top volleyball league across Portugal.
"We are extremely proud and excited for Julia," head coach Josh Lauer said. "She left an amazing legacy here at Troy and watching her pursue her dream of playing volleyball professionally will be fun. We look forward to her first professional match next week, and we can't wait for her to showcase her passion and skill to a brand-new volleyball community in Portugal."
Becoming the third Trojan to play professionally, Brooks follows in the footsteps of Marija Zelenovic and Megan Gilroy. Brooks sits atop the Troy record book in total, solo and block assists.
"She will always be part of our Troy volleyball family and one of the best representatives of what it meant to be a student-athlete at Troy University," Lauer said.
Brooks finished her career as a Trojan with 1,435 kills, 108 solo blocks, 321 block assists, 429 total blocks and 1,713.5 points. The St. Louis, Mo., became the first Trojan to amass 1,435 kills and 449 blocks in her time on the court.
She was a three-time All-Sun Belt honoree, with two first-team selections and one second-team selection.
Brooks told the Troy Messenger "Ever since I got to Troy – and realized it could be a possibility – I definitely started looking into it more and tried to reach out to people that I knew were playing professionally. Once I got to Troy, it definitely became a goal for me."
Esmoriz GC is set to resume their season on January 21, where they will compete against the GC Santo Tirso.
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