It’s official: Verona High School volleyball’s Hunter Coppola is making the switch from Hillbilly to Roadrunner. Coppola signed this morning with the University of Texas at San Antonio, an NCAA Division I program.
Coppola played volleyball all four years at VHS, and was a key part of Verona’s NJSIAA Group 1 championship team in 2017. She is a three-time All-State selection and All-American, and this year was part of the team that was the SEC American Division champion for the third straight year, a state sectional champion for the third straight year, and made its third straight trip to the group final.
She will be joining a team that is equally illustrious. UTSA’s volleyball team has made three NCAA tournament appearances, won five conference championships, and earned five regular season championship titles. “It’s a top 75 team,” Coppola noted this morning. “That’s crazy.”
Coppola says she signed with UTSA Volleyball because it “they have a great coaching staff.” Head Coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff was an All-American player at the University of Texas, and is UTSA Volleyball’s winningest head coach. Assistant Coach Dominique Gonzalez was a two-time national champion and four-year starter at Penn State.
“Everything’s bigger in Texas,” said Coppola. “Volleyball is bigger in Texas.”
Hunter Coppola’s Athletic Achievements
Varsity volleyball 2016, 2017, 2018; captain 2018
2nd Team All State, All Groups 2018
1st Team All State, Group 1, 2018
1st Team All SEC American Division 2018
Honorable Mention All-American 2018
Athlete of the Week 2018
Career 787 Kills/ 202 Blocks/ 64 Aces
1st Team All State, All Groups 2017
1st Team All State, Group 1, 2017
1st Team All SEC American Division 2017
Honorable Mention All-American 2017
Essex County Player of the Year 2017
Men of Essex Award 2017
Top 40 Junior Finalist for Prep Volleyball 2017
2nd Team All-Groups 1 2016
1rst Team All SEC American Division 2016
Honorable Mention Soph 79 Award
JV volleyball 2015
SEC American Division, Essex County & State Sectional Champions 2018
State Group 1 Champions 2017
SEC American Division, Essex County & State Sectional Champions 2017
SEC American Division, Essex County & State Sectional Champions 2016
