Rooted In The Program: Pohlmann And Moon's Lifelong Bond With North Florida Athletics
9/15/2026 2:00:00 PM | Volleyball
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - When senior libero Emma Pohlmann was offered a spot on the University of North Florida Volleyball team in her senior year of high school, she held a familiarity with the program that a typical Division I student-athlete rarely experiences.
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Pohlmann was born in Birmingham, Ala., and moved to Jacksonville when she was 6 years old. Her initial two years living in Jacksonville paved the way for Pohlmann to begin playing volleyball. Little did she know, it was the relationship with her grandfather that would uniquely inspire her journey to play collegiately for the Ospreys.
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After moving back to Birmingham when she was 8 years old, Pohlmann kept close ties to North Florida's program. However, her familiarity with North Florida extended beyond the summer volleyball camps she attended annually at UNF. Pohlmann's grandfather, Lee Moon, was North Florida's athletic director from 2009-21.
Growing up, Pohlmann's family routinely traveled to Jacksonville for vacations while Moon served as athletic director. As she became more accustomed to the university, it became more than just a college campus. It turned into a home away from home.
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"I saw the floors being renovated, I saw the campus growing and things were changing," Pohlmann said. "It was always more of a home feel than it was just being in a different place. I was so familiar with it from a young age. I loved being here in Jacksonville."
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While living over 400 miles away in Alabama through middle and high school, Pohlmann's passion for the Ospreys never wavered. When North Florida would travel to schools nearby, Pohlmann made it a mission to be in attendance.
Pohlmann also made a habit of being around the UNF volleyball players as much as possible, hoping to catch interactions with the student-athletes when time allotted. She'd stick around after matches to say hello, make her presence known and was sure to follow each player on Instagram.
"The day that I was offered the position to play here, it was an immediate sigh of relief," Pohlmann said. "Throughout my recruiting process, there wasn't another school that I had in mind. It was instilled in my head that I was going to be at UNF. It was one of the greatest days of my life and I'll never forget that feeling."
Having the opportunity to play at the highest level of collegiate athletics while wearing North Florida across her chest is Pohlmann's favorite part about being an Osprey. Reflecting on the early stages of her playing career, Pohlmann emphasized the importance of having Moon as a grandfather.Â
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"If it wasn't for [Moon], then I wouldn't have known about UNF at such a young age," Pohlmann said. "I probably wouldn't have been as interested in playing college volleyball if it wasn't for him introducing me to North Florida. I have to give him all the credit for that. With his guidance and support, I was able to show him I [could] do this."
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To this day, Pohlmann and Moon have conversations regarding their pride in representing North Florida Athletics. It holds a deeper meaning than a win or loss on the court. Competing for UNF was a goal Pohlmann set out for herself that largely came to fruition through a unique relationship with her grandfather.Â
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Staying in the family, Pohlmann's cousin, Connor Witherington, was an infielder for the North Florida Baseball program from 2024-26. The fellow Birmingham native and grandson of Moon arrived on UNF's campus one year before Pohlmann.
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"It made the transition from leaving home that much easier for me," Pohlmann said. "Having a close-aged cousin on campus in the athletic department definitely made the transition way more fun."
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Though Pohlmann credits her initial comfort with North Florida to her relationship with her cousin and grandfather, Moon made it clear that the college she chose to attend was entirely up to her.
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"Just because I was at UNF doesn't mean she had to go here," Moon said. "I told her you have to go where you want to be. I never influenced that decision."
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In her career at North Florida, Pohlmann has played in 96 matches while appearing in 325 sets. As a senior libero in 2026, Pohlmann has started in all nine matches this season and leads the team with 120 digs, 3.53 digs per set, and nine aces. She tallied a career-high 19 digs to go with three aces at Appalachian State on Saturday.
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Pohlmann is on pace to cruise past her single-season career high in digs and digs per set. She's led the Ospreys in digs in six of their nine matches this season. Moreover, Moon takes great pride in how Pohlmann has progressed, mentioning her increased role this season.
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"She gets it from developing her own personality as a competitor," Moon said. "I was really happy that she earned the starting libero spot because she didn't tell me at any point over the summer. She's come a long way from where she was three years ago."
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Witherington saw Pohlmann's determination firsthand in his three seasons playing for the North Florida Baseball program. With that, he understands just how much work Pohlmann has put in to make the most of her opportunity.
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"She's in her senior season with playing time in all four years at UNF," Witherington said. "Being a former college athlete, I know how hard it is. She's getting the fruits of her labor now, and I think she understands that. It's great to see that she's succeeding on the court and off."
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As Witherington witnessed Pohlmann's growth as a player, he credits their grandfather for helping her adjust to college life. Moon's experience as UNF's athletic director provided Pohlmann with a different college experience from that of the average grandfather asking how classes are going.Â
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"Being able to talk to him and get the mentorship that he has blessed us with [has been great]," Witherington said. "A lot of kids go into college as freshmen and kind of get lost in living alone, especially being far from home. [Moon] knew everything that we were stepping into as freshmen, and I think that that helped us a lot."
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With her senior season underway, Pohlmann isn't focused on personal accolades or achievements. After three years with the program that she once dreamed of competing for, she's focused on helping North Florida reach a level it has yet to experience in her career.Â
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"I just want to put my best foot forward and go all out for my senior year," Pohlmann said. "I want to work hard for the team. We still haven't won an ASUN [Conference] championship yet. We haven't gotten to experience the NCAA First Round. I would love to be a part of that and push the team to get there."Â
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Pohlmann was born in Birmingham, Ala., and moved to Jacksonville when she was 6 years old. Her initial two years living in Jacksonville paved the way for Pohlmann to begin playing volleyball. Little did she know, it was the relationship with her grandfather that would uniquely inspire her journey to play collegiately for the Ospreys.
Â
After moving back to Birmingham when she was 8 years old, Pohlmann kept close ties to North Florida's program. However, her familiarity with North Florida extended beyond the summer volleyball camps she attended annually at UNF. Pohlmann's grandfather, Lee Moon, was North Florida's athletic director from 2009-21.
Growing up, Pohlmann's family routinely traveled to Jacksonville for vacations while Moon served as athletic director. As she became more accustomed to the university, it became more than just a college campus. It turned into a home away from home.
Â
"I saw the floors being renovated, I saw the campus growing and things were changing," Pohlmann said. "It was always more of a home feel than it was just being in a different place. I was so familiar with it from a young age. I loved being here in Jacksonville."
Â
While living over 400 miles away in Alabama through middle and high school, Pohlmann's passion for the Ospreys never wavered. When North Florida would travel to schools nearby, Pohlmann made it a mission to be in attendance.
Pohlmann also made a habit of being around the UNF volleyball players as much as possible, hoping to catch interactions with the student-athletes when time allotted. She'd stick around after matches to say hello, make her presence known and was sure to follow each player on Instagram.
"The day that I was offered the position to play here, it was an immediate sigh of relief," Pohlmann said. "Throughout my recruiting process, there wasn't another school that I had in mind. It was instilled in my head that I was going to be at UNF. It was one of the greatest days of my life and I'll never forget that feeling."
Having the opportunity to play at the highest level of collegiate athletics while wearing North Florida across her chest is Pohlmann's favorite part about being an Osprey. Reflecting on the early stages of her playing career, Pohlmann emphasized the importance of having Moon as a grandfather.Â
Â
"If it wasn't for [Moon], then I wouldn't have known about UNF at such a young age," Pohlmann said. "I probably wouldn't have been as interested in playing college volleyball if it wasn't for him introducing me to North Florida. I have to give him all the credit for that. With his guidance and support, I was able to show him I [could] do this."
Â
To this day, Pohlmann and Moon have conversations regarding their pride in representing North Florida Athletics. It holds a deeper meaning than a win or loss on the court. Competing for UNF was a goal Pohlmann set out for herself that largely came to fruition through a unique relationship with her grandfather.Â
Â
Staying in the family, Pohlmann's cousin, Connor Witherington, was an infielder for the North Florida Baseball program from 2024-26. The fellow Birmingham native and grandson of Moon arrived on UNF's campus one year before Pohlmann.
Â
"It made the transition from leaving home that much easier for me," Pohlmann said. "Having a close-aged cousin on campus in the athletic department definitely made the transition way more fun."
Â
Though Pohlmann credits her initial comfort with North Florida to her relationship with her cousin and grandfather, Moon made it clear that the college she chose to attend was entirely up to her.
Â
"Just because I was at UNF doesn't mean she had to go here," Moon said. "I told her you have to go where you want to be. I never influenced that decision."
Â
In her career at North Florida, Pohlmann has played in 96 matches while appearing in 325 sets. As a senior libero in 2026, Pohlmann has started in all nine matches this season and leads the team with 120 digs, 3.53 digs per set, and nine aces. She tallied a career-high 19 digs to go with three aces at Appalachian State on Saturday.
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Pohlmann is on pace to cruise past her single-season career high in digs and digs per set. She's led the Ospreys in digs in six of their nine matches this season. Moreover, Moon takes great pride in how Pohlmann has progressed, mentioning her increased role this season.
Â
"She gets it from developing her own personality as a competitor," Moon said. "I was really happy that she earned the starting libero spot because she didn't tell me at any point over the summer. She's come a long way from where she was three years ago."
Â
Witherington saw Pohlmann's determination firsthand in his three seasons playing for the North Florida Baseball program. With that, he understands just how much work Pohlmann has put in to make the most of her opportunity.
Â
"She's in her senior season with playing time in all four years at UNF," Witherington said. "Being a former college athlete, I know how hard it is. She's getting the fruits of her labor now, and I think she understands that. It's great to see that she's succeeding on the court and off."
Â
As Witherington witnessed Pohlmann's growth as a player, he credits their grandfather for helping her adjust to college life. Moon's experience as UNF's athletic director provided Pohlmann with a different college experience from that of the average grandfather asking how classes are going.Â
Â
"Being able to talk to him and get the mentorship that he has blessed us with [has been great]," Witherington said. "A lot of kids go into college as freshmen and kind of get lost in living alone, especially being far from home. [Moon] knew everything that we were stepping into as freshmen, and I think that that helped us a lot."
Â
With her senior season underway, Pohlmann isn't focused on personal accolades or achievements. After three years with the program that she once dreamed of competing for, she's focused on helping North Florida reach a level it has yet to experience in her career.Â
Â
"I just want to put my best foot forward and go all out for my senior year," Pohlmann said. "I want to work hard for the team. We still haven't won an ASUN [Conference] championship yet. We haven't gotten to experience the NCAA First Round. I would love to be a part of that and push the team to get there."Â
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