photo credit: Emma Cugino
High school domination, three national championship wins, No. 1 volleyball player in the state and a college commitment to the University of Texas – these are just a few major achievements made by senior volleyball player Emma Cugino.
Cugino gained interest in the sport at the age of 10 after watching her sister play, and she soon joined a club team called Mintonette Sports Volleyball Club. This club play led up to her freshman year of high school, where she very easily earned a spot on the varsity team.
“Emma has been the starting libero on varsity since her freshman year. Even as a sophomore, she was a leader on our team that finished state runner-up,” PE Teacher and Head Volleyball Coach Katie Duy said.
The libero’s task is no easy one either, as it is a position that requires utmost attention to the play at all times. Additionally, it is the position with the last line of defense to the portion of the court that’s out of bounds.
“The libero is the backbone of the defense and touches a lot of first contacts. If a team cannot pass on serve, receive or play defense well, they are not able to run any type of offense and score points,” Duy said.
She has continued to play with Mintonette Volleyball throughout her career and improve her skills through the club, achieving incredible achievements along the way.
“Her club team has also had a great amount of success, winning three national championships, and she was the MVP of the AAU National Championship in 2024. Emma was ranked the No. 1 player in the state by MaxPreps,” Duy said, referencing Cugino’s achievements in her high school years.
This success caught the eye of many different colleges extremely early on, leading to her having many different schools reach out and giving her many options for school commitments. She eventually landed at the University of Texas, which she has been committed to since 2024.
“My freshman year of high school was when colleges started reaching out to me, and I started going to camps. I went to a Texas camp and fell in love with the campus and coaching staff. It felt like a home away from home. I knew that was where I wanted to go. Then, the day came around that coaches could finally talk to me, and I committed to Texas that day,” Cugino said.
While the sport of volleyball is incredibly intensive on skill development, it also requires a lot of teamwork and synchronization, which can make or break a team incredibly easily. And Cugino is the embodiment of a leader in the gym.
“She is fearless, embraces adversity and leads by example for everyone in our program. She is selfless and willing to do what is best for the team and her work ethic and motivation are always at her best,” Duy said.
Part of this leadership role she has taken on has included helping the team through its low points in the season. In any sport, things can happen unexpectedly, such as injuries that cause the team’s synergy to drop. In the event of this, the team needs to stay strong and maintain strength, and Cugino demonstrates this tremendously.
“Last season, we had a situation where we dealt with injuries to multiple players, and she was willing to try a new position even though she had no experience. She has always learned from losses and used them as motivation to improve,” Duy said.
This teamwork and selflessness shown by Cugino, combined with her skill, is what makes her as versatile, athletically strong and prepared for her future as a volleyball player in college.
“From the moment Emma stepped in the gym, she has always been a competitor with great work ethic and discipline. She will be very successful in Texas,” Duy said.
