University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Photo by: Adrian Etheridge
Julia Borges to Play Professionally in Switzerland
05.19.2020 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE – Former UNC Asheville volleyball standout Julia Borges will be taking her talents to Switzerland as she is set to play for VBC Cheseaux of the Swiss National League A – the top professional league in the country.
In addition to playing for the Swiss Cup domestically, Cheseasux – located in Lausanne, Switzerland – competes for the Confédération Européenne de Volleyball (CEV) Cup, which is one of the largest volleyball championships in the world.
Borges will head to Switzerland in August to begin training, with the season set to begin in September, should health concerns allow. The season is scheduled to run through April.
A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Borges just completed her undergraduate degree in psychology and is one of 33 Bulldog student-athletes who graduated this spring.
"Being a professional volleyball player is a dream come true for me," Borges said. "I can't wait to start my career. Even though I love psychology, volleyball is my true passion, and I'm very grateful for this opportunity."
Borges came to UNC Asheville prior to her junior season after spending her first two years at the junior college level, earning all-conference honors as a sophomore at Broward College.
The 5-11 right side made a tremendous impact for the Bulldogs in 2018, earning Second-Team All-Big South honors. During her junior season, she totaled 234 kills and 129 digs, appearing in all 28 matches and 100 sets.
Borges elevated her game even further as a senior, collecting First-Team All-Big South accolades after finishing fifth in the league with 2.99 kills per set. She led the Bulldogs in kills (265), points (323.5), total blocks (66) and solo blocks (19), while finishing third on the team with 247 digs.
She was the only player in the Big South in 2019 to be named the conference's Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week. She earned the defensive honor, September 16, after combining for 31 digs and 14 total blocks in three matches.
In a stellar two-match home stand in league play, Borges earned the Big South Player of the Week, November 4, after recording 12 kills on a career-best .500 hitting percentage against Charleston Southern. She followed that up with career-highs in kills (23) and digs (19) in a comeback victory against Presbyterian.
Without the opportunity to go to a university and compete in sports in Brazil, Borges hopes that her journey to the United State to play volleyball and earn her degree will inspire the next generation of athletes in her home country.
"In Brazil we don't have the opportunity to play competitive sports and go to a university at the same time, unfortunately," Borges said. "So, I decided to leave Brazil and come to the United States. It was not easy at all, but it was definitely worth it. Hopefully, it will inspire other athletes back home to do the same."
Borges took the opportunity she had with the Bulldogs and made the most of it. She will always be thankful to UNC Asheville for helping her grow as a player, student and person.
"I loved to represent Asheville," Borges said. "I'm very proud of all the work we put in as a team every single day. They pushed me to become not only a better player, but also a better person."
In addition to her Big South accolades last season, Borges also earned recognition on the Georgia Tech Invitational All-Tournament Team in the season's opening weekend and the UNC Asheville Invitational All-Tournament Team hosted inside the Justice Center.
After a stellar collegiate career, Bulldog Volleyball head coach Frederico Santos is excited for Borges to be a representative of UNC Asheville as she continues playing at the professional level.
"We are very happy for Julia! This is a fantastic opportunity for her to continue to play at the next level, in one of the great leagues in Europe," Santos said. "Julia is a tremendous athlete and volleyball player who has great potential to keep getting better."
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In addition to playing for the Swiss Cup domestically, Cheseasux – located in Lausanne, Switzerland – competes for the Confédération Européenne de Volleyball (CEV) Cup, which is one of the largest volleyball championships in the world.
Borges will head to Switzerland in August to begin training, with the season set to begin in September, should health concerns allow. The season is scheduled to run through April.
A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Borges just completed her undergraduate degree in psychology and is one of 33 Bulldog student-athletes who graduated this spring.
"Being a professional volleyball player is a dream come true for me," Borges said. "I can't wait to start my career. Even though I love psychology, volleyball is my true passion, and I'm very grateful for this opportunity."
Borges came to UNC Asheville prior to her junior season after spending her first two years at the junior college level, earning all-conference honors as a sophomore at Broward College.
The 5-11 right side made a tremendous impact for the Bulldogs in 2018, earning Second-Team All-Big South honors. During her junior season, she totaled 234 kills and 129 digs, appearing in all 28 matches and 100 sets.
Borges elevated her game even further as a senior, collecting First-Team All-Big South accolades after finishing fifth in the league with 2.99 kills per set. She led the Bulldogs in kills (265), points (323.5), total blocks (66) and solo blocks (19), while finishing third on the team with 247 digs.
She was the only player in the Big South in 2019 to be named the conference's Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week. She earned the defensive honor, September 16, after combining for 31 digs and 14 total blocks in three matches.
In a stellar two-match home stand in league play, Borges earned the Big South Player of the Week, November 4, after recording 12 kills on a career-best .500 hitting percentage against Charleston Southern. She followed that up with career-highs in kills (23) and digs (19) in a comeback victory against Presbyterian.
Without the opportunity to go to a university and compete in sports in Brazil, Borges hopes that her journey to the United State to play volleyball and earn her degree will inspire the next generation of athletes in her home country.
"In Brazil we don't have the opportunity to play competitive sports and go to a university at the same time, unfortunately," Borges said. "So, I decided to leave Brazil and come to the United States. It was not easy at all, but it was definitely worth it. Hopefully, it will inspire other athletes back home to do the same."
Borges took the opportunity she had with the Bulldogs and made the most of it. She will always be thankful to UNC Asheville for helping her grow as a player, student and person.
"I loved to represent Asheville," Borges said. "I'm very proud of all the work we put in as a team every single day. They pushed me to become not only a better player, but also a better person."
In addition to her Big South accolades last season, Borges also earned recognition on the Georgia Tech Invitational All-Tournament Team in the season's opening weekend and the UNC Asheville Invitational All-Tournament Team hosted inside the Justice Center.
After a stellar collegiate career, Bulldog Volleyball head coach Frederico Santos is excited for Borges to be a representative of UNC Asheville as she continues playing at the professional level.
"We are very happy for Julia! This is a fantastic opportunity for her to continue to play at the next level, in one of the great leagues in Europe," Santos said. "Julia is a tremendous athlete and volleyball player who has great potential to keep getting better."
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