Julie Vollertsen
{{short description|American volleyball player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox volleyball biography
| name = Julie Vollertsen
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| nationality = American / Italian
| birth_name = Julie Jo Vollertsen
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|March 1, 1959}}
| birth_place = Syracuse, Nebraska, U.S.
| height = {{convert|184|cm|ftin|abbr=on|order=flip}}
| weight = {{convert|73|kg|lb|0|abbr=on|order=flip}}
| position = Outside hitter
| teamnumber = 9
| years = 1984–1988
| teams = Nelsen Reggio Emilia
| nationalyears = 1977–1984
| nationalteam = {{vbw|USA}}
| medaltemplates-title = Medal record
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Women's volleyball }}
{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }}
{{MedalSilver | 1984 Los Angeles | Team }}
{{MedalCompetition | World Championship }}
{{MedalBronze | 1982 Peru |}}
{{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games|Pan American Games}}
{{MedalSilver | 1983 Caracas | Team}}
}}
Julie Jo Vollertsen Melli (born March 1, 1959, in Syracuse, Nebraska) is an American former female professional volleyball player. Her main achievement is her part in the silver medal won by the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. She later moved to Italy to play professionally, settling in Reggio Emilia where she stayed after ending her playing career.
Career
=Palmyra High School=
The Nebraskan led the Palmyra High School volleyball team to their first appearance in the state tournament, earning Sunday Journal and Star All-State honors.{{cite web |url=http://journalstar.com/sports/local/olympic-volleyball-roots-grew-in-palmyra/article_4351c36a-dcec-58ab-8c5b-45fefa3c0f28.html |title=Olympic volleyball roots grew in Palmyra |last=Bamesberger |first=Michael |date=August 6, 2012 |website=Lincoln Journal Star |access-date=July 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808005729/https://journalstar.com/sports/local/olympic-volleyball-roots-grew-in-palmyra/article_4351c36a-dcec-58ab-8c5b-45fefa3c0f28.html |archive-date=August 8, 2012 |url-status=live }} {{subscription required}}
Graduating in 1977, she was later inducted into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame (in 1994).{{cite web |url=http://www.nebhalloffame.org/inductee.php?hofid=24&type=name |title=1994 Hall of Fame Inductee: Julie Vollertsen Melli (Palmyra) |author= |website=nebhalloffame.org |publisher=Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=July 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506190016/http://www.nebhalloffame.org/inductee.php?hofid=24&type=name |archive-date=May 6, 2016 |url-status=dead }}
=Team USA=
Straight out of high school, Vollertsen travelled to California to take part in a six-week tryout for the women's junior national volleyball team, she ended up being the only one to be kept on the team.
She progressed up to the senior United States national team, being chosen as an alternate for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, but the US did not go due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott.
Vollertsen was a part of a volleyball program that, since 1975, regrouped the national team players (of which she was the only one not from California or Texas) in Coto de Caza, California where they trained and lived together relentlessly under coach Arie Selinger. In effect, they constituted an organised team (though all amateurs, receiving only expenses) that played in as many tournaments worldwide as possible.{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-28-ss-5808-story.html |title=Members of U.S. Women's Volleyball Team Virtually Dedicated Their Lives to Winning a Gold Medal; Instead, They Had to Settle for a Silver Medal, but in Looking Back on the Experience . . . : They'd do it again |last=Crowe |first=Jerry |date=July 28, 1985 |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=July 21, 2015}}{{cite journal |last=Barry |first=David F. |date=March 1984 |title=Atari's Olympic team – U.S. women go for the gold medal |url=http://www.atarimagazines.com/v2n12/atarisolympicteam.html |journal=Antic |publisher=Atari |volume=2 |issue=12 |access-date=July 21, 2015}}
Team US and Vollertsen won a bronze medal at the 1982 World Championship, losing to hosts Peru in three games.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1734&dat=19840806&id=eE0gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WL8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4655,4485469&hl=fr |title=Volleyball team closes in on gold |author= |date=August 6, 1984 |website=Google News Archive |publisher=The Dispatch (Lexington) |location=Long Beach (California) |access-date=July 21, 2015}}
They added a silver medal at the 1983 Pan American Games.{{cite web |url=http://www.arielnet.com/articles/show/adi-pub-01196/introducing-the-real-america-s-team |title=Introducing The Real America's Team |last=Tarshis |first=Barry |date=March 1, 1984 |website=arielnet.com |publisher=US Airways |via=Ariel Dynamics |access-date=July 21, 2015}}
She served the winning point in the 1983 NORCECA Women's Volleyball Championship title game against Cuba in which the US finished undefeated.{{cite web |url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/07/16/The-US-ended-10-years-of-Cuban-domination-in/5738427176000/ |title=The U.S. ended 10 years of Cuban domination in... |last=Slater |first=Jim |date=July 16, 1983 |website=United Press International |location=Indianapolis |access-date=July 20, 2015}}
The main goal of all these efforts was the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics for which Team USA qualified as hosts.
They started the competition with a 3–0 win against West Germany.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/archive/sports/1984/08/01/volleyball-long-wait-short-odds/7b75f0d7-fb32-4726-854f-3da980dc2e8a/?resType=accessibility |title=Volleyball: Long Wait, Short Odds |last=Wilbon |first=Michael |date=August 1, 1984 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=July 21, 2015}}
The second game proved tougher, with opponents Brazil winning the first two sets. The United States then rallied to a 3–2 victory, with Vollertsen serving nine consecutive winning points in the fourth game after a 5-5.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/02/sports/american-women-win-in-volleyball.html |title=American Women Win in Volleyball |author= |date=August 2, 1984 |website=The New York Times |agency=United Press International |page=B10 |location=Long Beach (California) |access-date=}}
With the win, the team had already set the best ever Olympic record for the Women's National Volleyball Team, besting the solitary win obtained in 1964.{{cite web |url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/08/01/The-loser-wont-necessarily-lose-today-in-the-Olympic/7562460180800/ |title=The loser won't necessarily lose today in the Olympic... |last=Shook |first=Richard L. |date=August 1, 1984 |website=United Press International |location=Long Beach (California) |access-date=July 21, 2015}}
In the third group game against world champions China, in which the already qualified teams were playing to avoid a semifinal matchup with Japan, she had a crucial impact off the bench, scoring points off serves and spikes as the US earned a 3–1 upset.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/05/sports/sports-of-the-times-volleyball-s-team-america.html |title=Sports of the Times; Volleyball's Team America |last=Vecsey |first=George |date=August 5, 1984 |website=The New York Times |location=Long Beach (California) |access-date=July 21, 2015}}
The semifinal against Peru was a rematch of the 1982 world championship, this time Team US were victors, with Vollertsen scoring two decisive serves to win the first game.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1984/08/06/us-women-make-1st-volleyball-final/1cc6a4dc-19b5-4fc0-8a8b-f8e58e1bba69/ |title=U.S. Women Make 1st Volleyball Final |last=Gorney |first=Cynthia |date=August 6, 1984 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=July 21, 2015}}
Meeting China again in the final, Vollertsen and the US could not repeat their earlier victory and were beaten 3–0. Their silver medal was still a historic first medal for any national volleyball team (the Men's side would win a gold medal a few days later).{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=110&dat=19840808&id=nxxOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NEoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6704,7984321&hl=fr |title=Chinese shatter U.S. dreams of volleyball gold |last=Bock |first=Hal |date=August 8, 1984 |website=Google News Archive |publisher=Ludington Daily News |agency=Associated Press |location=Long Beach (California) |access-date=July 21, 2015}}
=Reggio Emilia=
Vollertsen moved to Italy after the tournament, joining professional side Nelsen Reggio Emilia {{in lang|it}} in 1984.{{cite web |url=http://www.fipavre.it/it/archivio/1984/presentata-ufficialmente-la-nuova-nelsen |title=Presentata ufficialmente la nuova Nelsen |author= |date=October 1, 1984 |website=fipavre.it/ |publisher=Federazione Italiana Pallavolo Reggio Emilia provincial committee |access-date=July 20, 2015 |language=Italian |trans-title=The new Nelsen is officially presented}}
She played four years with the side, being eliminated from title contention on three occasions by perennial champions Teodora Pallavolo Ravenna {{in lang|it}}.{{cite web |url=http://ricerca.gelocal.it/gazzettadireggio/archivio/gazzettadireggio/2004/10/26/ES4PO_ES407.html |title=La famiglia Melli, tutta casa e canestro |last=Zagnoli |first=Vanni |date=October 26, 2004 |website=Gazzetta di Reggio |access-date=July 20, 2015 |language=Italian |trans-title=The Melli family, everything house and basketb}}
She did win a CEV Cup in 1986,{{cite web |url=http://www.fipavre.it/it/archivio/1986/battute-le-tedesche-nelsen-campione |title=Battute le tedesche: Nelsen campione |author= |date=February 1, 1986 |website=fipavre.it/ |publisher=Federazione Italiana Pallavolo Reggio Emilia provincial committee |access-date=July 20, 2015 |language=Italian |trans-title=The Germans are beaten:Nelsen is champion}} adding an Italian cup later that same year.{{cite web |url=http://www.fipavre.it/it/archivio/1986/alla-nelsen-la-nuova-edizione-di-coppa-italia |title=Alla Nelsen la nuova edizione di Coppa Italia |author= |date=March 1, 1986 |website=fipavre.it/ |publisher=Federazione Italiana Pallavolo Reggio Emilia provincial committee |access-date=July 20, 2015 |language=Italian |trans-title=The new Italian cup edition [goes] to Nelsen}}
Vollertsen retired after the 1987–88 season.{{cite web |url=http://www.fipavre.it/it/archivio/1988/l-addio-della-vollertsen-alla-pallavolo |title=L'addio della Vollertsen alla pallavolo |author= |date=April 1, 1986 |website=fipavre.it/ |publisher=Federazione Italiana Pallavolo Reggio Emilia provincial committee |access-date=July 20, 2015 |language=Italian |trans-title=Vollertsen's farewell to volleyball}}
Post playing career
After retiring as a player, she started a coaching career (with youth teams), which she ended in 1991, after the birth of her first child.
Vollertsen was incorporated into the Emilia Romagna provincial Olympic Committee in March 2009, as athlete representative on the board. She was elected vice-president later that year.{{cite web |url=http://ricerca.gelocal.it/gazzettadireggio/archivio/gazzettadireggio/2009/11/27/ES5PO_ES504.html |title=Julie Jo Vollertsen eletta vice presidente |author= |date=November 27, 2009 |website=Gazzetta di Reggio |access-date=July 20, 2015 |language=Italian |trans-title=Julie Jo Vollertsen elected vice-president |archive-date=February 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217030233/http://ricerca.gelocal.it/gazzettadireggio/archivio/gazzettadireggio/2009/11/27/ES5PO_ES504.html |url-status=dead }}
In 2013, she was reappointed in the former role until 2016.{{cite web |url=http://emiliaromagna.coni.it/emiliaromagna/emiliaromagna/notizie/36-territorio/emilia-romagna/3841-umberto-suprani-nuovo-presidente-del-coni-dell-emilia-romagna.html |title=Umberto Suprani nuovo presidente del CONI dell'Emilia Romagna |last= |first= |date=January 23, 2013 |website=emiliaromagna.coni.it |publisher=Italian National Olympic Committee Emilia Romagna Regional committee |access-date=July 20, 2015 |language=Italian |trans-title=Umberto Suprani new president of the Emilia Romagna CONI |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064607/http://emiliaromagna.coni.it/emiliaromagna/emiliaromagna/notizie/36-territorio/emilia-romagna/3841-umberto-suprani-nuovo-presidente-del-coni-dell-emilia-romagna.html |url-status=dead }}
Honors and achievements
=Individual=
- Sports Illustrated's 50 Greatest Sports Figures from Nebraska: #48 (selected: 1999){{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1999/12/27/274011/the-50-greatest-sports-figures-from-nebraska |title=The 50 Greatest Sports Figures From Nebraska |author= |date=December 27, 1999 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=July 21, 2015}}
- Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame: 1994
=International=
- Summer Olympics: 1984 Los Angeles {{silver medal}}
- World Championship: 1982 Peru {{bronze medal}}
- Pan American Games: 1983 Caracas {{silver medal}}
- NORECA Championship: 1983 Indianapolis {{gold medal}}
=Club=
- CEV Cup: 1986
- Italian Cup winner: 1986
Personal
Vollertsen met Italian journalist Leopoldo Melli in Reggio Emilia when he interviewed her for a show. They would start dating soon after and were married in 1989.
She later became an Italian citizen.{{cite web |url=http://www.comunedinovellara.gov.it/servizi/notizie/notizie_fase02.aspx?ID=7324 |title=Educare con lo sport: una sfida possible |author= |date=October 5, 2013 |website=comunedinovellara.gov.it |publisher=Novellara commune |access-date=July 21, 2015 |language=Italian |trans-title=Educating through sport: an achievable challenge}}
They have two children together, professional basketball player Nicolò Melli was born in 1991 and played for Reggio Emilia side Pallacanestro Reggiana, whilst Enrico, born in 1996, has also played basketball for that same team.
As a family, they received the Premio Reverberi (Oscar del Basket) {{in lang|it}} Champion award in 2014 for their contribution to sports.{{cite web |url=http://gazzettadireggio.gelocal.it/reggio/cronaca/2014/02/01/news/una-mamma-argento-olimpico-1.8588871 |title=Una mamma argento olimpico |author= |date=February 1, 2014 |website=Gazzetta di Reggio |access-date=July 21, 2015 |language=Italian |trans-title=An olympic silver medalist mum}}
References
{{reflist|3}}
External links
- {{sports links}}
- [https://nebhalloffame.org/julie-vollertsen-melli-palmyra/ Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame]
- [https://women.volleybox.net/julie-vollertsen-p11456 Volleybox.net Profile]
- {{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/vo/julie-vollertsen-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418045249/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/vo/julie-vollertsen-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 18, 2020 |accessdate=July 21, 2015}}
{{United States women's volleyball squad 1984 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vollertsen, Julie}}
Category:American volleyball coaches
Category:American women's volleyball players
Category:Naturalised citizens of Italy
Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in volleyball
Category:People from Syracuse, Nebraska
Category:Volleyball players at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Category:Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Category:American expatriate volleyball players in Italy
Category:20th-century American sportswomen
Category:Volleyball players at the 1983 Pan American Games
Category:Medalists at the 1983 Pan American Games
Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in volleyball