Stacy Sykora, a two-time All-American, three-time volleyball Olympian and Director of several Nike Volleyball Camps in Las Vegas, was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame on March 12, 2022. Sykora expressed that she is honored to be granted this award, as Texas is where she developed her love and passion for volleyball.
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., March 24, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Stacy Sykora, a two-time All-American, three-time volleyball Olympian and Director of several Nike Volleyball Camps in Las Vegas, was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame on March 12, 2022. Sykora expressed that she is honored to be granted this award, as Texas is where she developed her love and passion for volleyball. Sykora made a name for herself as a volleyball player and continues to be an idol and inspiration amongst the volleyball community as a coach and inspirational speaker.
During her time at Texas A&M, Sykora competed on the women's volleyball team as an outside hitter from 1995-98 and still holds several school records. She ranks fourth with 1,586 total kills and is one of nine players in Aggie history to finish with over 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. In addition to her impressive collegiate volleyball career, Sykora won the Southwest Conference title in the heptathlon for the track and field program in 1996 and competed on the basketball team in 1997.
Competing on the Olympic volleyball team had always been a dream for Sykora, but she was considered to be too undersized to play a front row position at the international level. Sykora transitioned to the back row and became the first player on the U.S Women's National Team to play the libero position. She was a member of the U.S. National Team from 1999 to 2012, making an appearance in three Olympic Games, during which time she claimed a silver medal for Team USA in 2008. In 2010, Sykora was named USA Volleyball Player of the Year.
Sykora's playing career unfortunately ended prematurely in 2012 due to a head injury endured from a bus accident. Though she could no longer compete professional, Sykora's love and passion for the sport kept her closely tied to volleyball, continuing to have a huge impact on the game and in the youth volleyball community.
Sykora currently runs her own youth volleyball club in Las Vegas, Sykora Academy, and is the Head Volleyball Coach at the Alexander Dawson School in Las Vegas. In addition, she directs the Nike Volleyball Camps at Durango High School and The Alexander Dawson School in Las Vegas.
"Volleyball has taken me around the world and provided me with memories and relationships I will treasure forever," Sykora said. "I can not think of anything I would rather do than share my love and appreciation of the game that gave me so much. When you join me in the gym, I promise you will enjoy volleyball even more by the time camp ends. You will have fun, make friends, and get better at volleyball."
Campers will have the opportunity to see and touch Sykora's Olympic medal at camp, Sykora shared. "I will never forget the first time I held an Olympic medal. It changed my life. It made me feel like I could be an Olympian if I worked hard enough, and that's why I bring my Olympic medal to every session of camp. Every other month of the year it collects dust in my closet, but once summer comes around, I am so excited for campers to see and hold it. If a girl from Burleson, Texas can become a 3x Olympian, anyone can!"
About US Sports Camps
US Sports Camps (USSC), headquartered in San Rafael, California, is America's largest sports camp network and the provider of Nike Sports Camps. The company has offered summer camps since 1975 with the same mission that defines it today: to shape a lifelong enjoyment of athletics through high quality sports education and skill enhancement.
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