DALLAS, Texas, May 1, 2026 – University of South Florida beach volleyball player Julia Panko has been named to the 2026 Conference USA All-Conference Team. Panko earned Second Team All-Conference honors on Friday as Conference USA announced its postseason awards and all-conference selections.
 
Panko appeared in 32 matches competing primarily at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions for South Florida. She recorded 19 wins while consistently competing against top competition and helped lead the Bulls to 21 overall victories and an appearance in the Conference USA Championships in the program's inaugural season. Panko recorded a ranked win over No.16 North Florida and put together a nine-match win streak during the year. 
 
Alongside her partner Cornelia Crudu, Panko was named the Conference USA Pair of the Week during the opening weekend of the season after they posted a 4-0 record at the Green Wave invitational, which was highlighted by a ranked pair over No. 12 LSU and contributed to a team win against No. 20 Tulane. Panko, a transfer from FIU, wrapped up her collegiate career with 70 total wins.

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About USF Beach Volleyball
The University of South Florida Beach Volleyball program is the newest program in the now 21-team USF Athletics program. South Florida Beach Volleyball joined Conference USA on July 1, 2025. Pri Piantadosi-Lima was named South Florida's first-ever beach volleyball head coach on June 6, 2023. She also serves as the head coach of USAV Beach and the national team development program and was honored as the 2022 USA Volleyball Female Junior Coach of the Year. Before joining South Florida, Piantadosi-Lima helped launch the Eckerd College program in 2015 as an assistant coach and helped lead the program to its first AVCA national championship and two consecutive NCAA championship podium finishes.
– #GoBulls –