Hampton senior Resch vocal leader for volleyball team

By: John Grupp
Saturday, October 10, 2020 | 11:01 AM

For the past two years, Hampton’s Julia Resch has drawn loud cheers before her volleyball matches even start.

She has received stadium-wide applause at football games and from packed gyms before basketball games.

Resch is a golden-throated senior who performs the national anthem before the Talbots’ matches and then anchors the back row as the undefeated team’s starting libero.

“When we had our first game versus Knoch, I heard her sing for the first time and she is just unbelievable,” Hampton first-year coach Annie Bozzo said. “It’s beautiful. I was definitely taken aback.”

Resch comes from a family of musicians, including her father and brother. Her dad plays guitar, piano and bass and “was in a reggae band when he was younger,” said Resch, who began singing at a young age but never has taken formal lessons.

Hampton athletic director Bill Cardone pointed out Resch to Bozzo during the team tryouts and informed the coach, a former Shaler standout and Syracuse setter, of the 5-foot-4 senior’s vocal gifts.

Bozzo soon learned Resch’s value in the matches. She is a consistent defender and vocal force for the Talbots, who improved to 9-0 overall, 8-0 in Section 5-3A with a 3-1 victory over Knoch on Oct. 6.

“She’s a great leader,” Bozzo said. “After any big play, she is the first person you see rallying the team together, screaming, cheering everybody on. Her energy on the court, the girls need it. They look to it.”

The Talbots, who have reached the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs each of the past four years, were scheduled to play at Fox Chapel on Oct. 12 and host Freeport on Oct. 13.

Resch, who along with some of her volleyball teammates last year joined the school’s burgeoning bowling team for the first time, embraces her role as an animated leader.

“Being on the court is really hard if you let the energy get down,” Resch said. “It’s a really easy sport to get down really fast. … Being someone on the court and having the other seniors also be there and supporting everyone, it really helps.”

Resch started singing the national anthem at Hampton athletic events when she was a sophomore. She said “it’s a fun little tradition we have instead of listening to the recording over the speaker.”

Soon enough, she was singing at occasional Hampton football and basketball games. While she won’t have large crowds this season because of covid-19 restrictions, she admits the pressure is greater at 3,000-seat Fridley Field compared to a typical volleyball match.

“Football is a lot scarier actually when I sing the anthem,” she said. “Especially because the speakers have a delay, so I’ll hear myself singing it, and I’ll be like, ‘Oh, gosh.’ But when (they cheer), that’s the best part.”

Tags: Hampton