Verna Julaton begins her eighth season with the 49ers, recently promoted to Associate Head Coach. Helping in all facets of the program, Julaton has continually guided the 49ers as mainstays in the annual Conference USA Championships including their semifinal run in the spring of 2021. Julaton recently guided current setter[ Annika Wetterstrom](https://charlotte49ers.com/roster.aspxrp_id=7915) to 2,000 career assists in her climb up the program record books along with recently graduated outside hitter[ Sydney Rowan](https://charlotte49ers.com/roster.aspxrp_id=7912) to multiple school records and the latest addition to the program's 1,000-kill/1,000-dig club. Julaton also aided former libero Yumi Garcia in winning three-straight Conference USA Libero of the Year awards adding to the long list of conference accolades. As a team, the 49ers have established themselves in all major categories of the record book including hitting percentage, digs/set, and block assists.  Prior to coming to Charlotte, Julaton served as Director of Denver Volleyball Club, Denver, CO, where the weekend prior to joining the 49ers, she coached her 18s team to a gold medal at the Pacific Northwest Qualifier and earned a bid to 2015 USA Volleyball Nationals in New Orleans. Prior to taking the reins in Denver, she was an assistant coach at Alabama State University. Julaton joined the staff at ASU headed by her mentor and former US national player Penny Lucas-White. Julaton helped establish the program by recruiting players that won back-to-back SWAC Championships and earned two trips to NCAA Volleyball Championships. Prior to ASU, Julaton spent 15 seasons as an assistant coach for the Air Force Academy. In that time, Julaton brought her expertise to the Falcons' volleyball program in her administrative, recruiting, summer camp and on-court coaching duties, Julaton worked primarily with the Air Force Setters/Defensive Specialists. She gained notoriety as a recruiting coordinator bringing all levels of athletes to the Academy, which still boasts the nation's toughest admissions standards. While at Air Force Academy the program produced numerous All-Conference and All-Academic players including a Rhodes Scholar. A native of Colorado Springs and graduate of Widefield High School, Julaton returned to her stomping grounds in 1996 from just up Interstate 25, where she coached at Metropolitan State College of Denver. She spent five years as an assistant coach for the Roadrunners, before acting as the interim head coach for five months. With the Roadrunners, she gained experience in scouting, recruiting and practice organization, as well as in strength and conditioning program development. As an assistant coach, Julaton helped Metro State to two conference championships and two NCAA Division II regional berths. During her tenure at Metro, she acted as a coach and administrator for the Metro Roadrunner Volleyball Camp for five years and as the director of Metro's summer volleyball doubles tournament. A keen administrator as well as coach, Julaton served as the facility coordinator and travel coordinator for eight other sports during her five-year stint at Metro State.   Prior to her coaching days, Julaton was a complete impact player at Metro State. She was a two-year letter winner for the Roadrunners (1987-88), after spending the first two years of her collegiate career at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, CO (1985-86). As a freshman with the Mavericks, Julaton earned Rookie of the Year honors. One year later, she led Mesa State to the district championship and a seventh-place finish in the NAIA National Championships with an overall record of 42-9.  The 1986 team earned the induction into the 2014 Colorado Mesa Hall of Honor. The Mavericks won all seven conference matches to claim its third straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship. The team also won its third straight district championship   Playing primarily as a setter, Julaton dominated the court during her two years at Metro State, garnering first-team All-Continental Divide Conference honors in her first year. Julaton's second season was even more impressive than the first, as she earned Most Valuable Player honors from the conference and was named a first-team AVCA All Region selection.   She compiled 2,703 assists and an 8.98 per-game average in two seasons at Metro State. Those marks are ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, on the program's all-time charts. In addition, Julaton is ranked third in the Roadrunners' single-season record book after collecting 1,757 assists during the 1988 season.   Julaton was first inducted into the Metro State Hall of Fame in 1998 as a member of the 1987 and 1988 volleyball teams. In 2017 as assistant coach the 1993 team earned the induction honor after their 32-5 season that saw an appearance in the NCAA Tournament's second round and highest ranking of 3rd in the top 25 AVCA Poll. The Roadrunners went 13-1 in conference play and had three different win streaks of twelve, seven and six-in-a-row. The team's hitting percentage of .294 is still the best mark for a single season.     In 1997, she spent the spring as a defensive specialist/setter on the Colorado Thunder professional volleyball team, helping the team to the inaugural National Volleyball Association (NVA) championship title.   In 1989, she earned the Sportswoman of Colorado All-Around Award, for her significant achievements in both volleyball and basketball. Julaton was inducted into the Metro State Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 1998.   Julaton earned her bachelor's degree in physical education from Metro State College of Denver and earned her master's degree in management from University of Phoenix.  She is also a first-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do.