BOCA RATON, Fla. — For any coach, Boca Raton Community High School volleyball star Natalie Depaula would be considered a model student-athlete.
"She's just a model example for what type of athlete we want to have in our program," head coach Andrew Sloan said.
Both in the classroom and on the volleyball court.
"What I love about volleyball is just, like, how competitive it is and, like, how I get to play with, like, amazing friends and how you can make, like, friendships," Depaula said.
Depaula was born in the United States but spent her time in Brazil until she was 6. The adjustment was tough for her.
"Coming to (the) US definitely was, like, difficult," Depaula said. "But, after a couple (of) years and, like, the basics of what you do in elementary, it definitely helped. But, picking (it) up was kind of hard."
Although difficult, she still found a way to focus on her studies while dominating on the court for the Bobcats and claiming last year's all-county player of the year.
"I think throughout the whole journey, she was able to prove herself over and over again," Sloan said. "And, you know, a lot of coaches that vote (for the honor), they see that."
Soon she'll be taking her talents to the next level, just down the road at Florida Atlantic University.
"What I'm mostly excited about (at) FAU is definitely getting to play at a higher level in volleyball and experiencing, like, a new environment and new culture," Depaula said.
But until then, she's just focused on her classwork and her time left as a Bobcat.
"Just the whole program and getting to play with, like, teammates that I've been playing (with) for so long," she said. "And missing the home games, the away games, just, like, the culture."