VSP Spotlight: Ursuline Basketball Star Julia Riina

05/05/2026 | Velocity Sports Performance |

This week’s VSP athlete spotlight shines on basketball star Julia Riina. Julia is a point guard for The Ursuline School & currently plays her club ball with The Riverside Hawks & previously with The Empire State Blue Flames. 

When Julia came to us in July of 2024, her goals were simple: get stronger, get faster, & get more powerful so that she can dominate on the court. Let’s just say… the hard work, consistency, & grit that Julia has put in over the past couple of years has CLEARLY paid off!!!

Let’s dive into it!

Strength 

When testing upper body strength & force output we use the following tests:

  • Push Ups
  • 90/90 ISO hold
  • ISO push test
  • ISO pull test

When testing lower body strength & force output we use the following tests:

  • ISO belt squat
  • ISO mid thigh pull 

So let’s see how she improved:

  • Push Ups: 4 to 16 (+300% increase) 
  • 90/90 ISO hold: 5 to 31 (+520% increase)
  • ISO push test: 31 to 42 (Right) 26 to 36 (Left) (+35.5% increase) & (+38.5% increase)
  • ISO pull test: 44 to 61 (Right) 45 to 51 (Left) (+38.6% increase) & (+13.3% increase)
  • ISO belt squat: 89 to 285 (+220.2% increase)
  • ISO mid thigh pull: 142 to 241 (+69.7% increase)

So clearly, strength & force output improved but what about her power output?

Power

When testing power output we use the following tests:

  • Vertical Jump (Height)
  • RSI (Reactive Strength Index)
  • Broad Jump
  • Triple Jump

So let’s see how she improved:

  • Vertical Jump (Height): 12 to 17.4 (+45.8% increase)
  • RSI (Reactive Strength Index): 19.44 to 47.74 (145.5% increase)
  • Broad Jump: 55 to 67 (+21.8% increase)
  • Triple Jump: 167 to 196 (+17.4% increase)

Short answer, Yes. Julia’s power along with her strength & force output most definitely improved. 

But what about her acceleration, top speed, & COD?

Acceleration, Top Speed, & COD

When testing acceleration, top speed, & COD  we use the following tests:

  • 10 YD Dash
  • 30 YD Shuttle
  • 5-10-5 Shuttle
  • Treadmill Top Speed 

So let’s see how she improved:

  • 10 YD Dash: 1.97 to 1.78 (9.46% improvement)
  • 30 YD Shuttle: 6.44 to 5.99 (7.0% improvement)
  • 5-10-5 Shuttle: 5.46 to 4.94 (Right) 5.57 to 5.07 (Left) (8.89% improvement) & (9.0% improvement)
  • Treadmill Top Speed: 11 to 15 (36.4% increase)

So… strength, power, & speed all improved. But how did she apply these new found attributes to the court?

On Court Success

This past season, Julia dominated on the court. She helped lead her team to a conference championship while receiving 1st team all conference, section, & league awards. She was able to use her strength, power, & speed to blow by defenders & be way more physical getting rebounds & playing defense.  

We are super proud of how Julia has improved on & off the court in the past year & we can wait to see how she continues to progress at the high school & eventually college level!  

Written By:

Jake Lebovitch – Assistant Director of Performance & Content Manager 

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