The Sterling girls volleyball team may not have made it as far into the Class 3A state tournament as it had hoped, but that didn’t stop senior Sydney Henry from putting together an All-Star season together.
On Monday night, CHSAA named Henry its 3A Player of the Year for her efforts. The award had been a long time coming for a player that’s been surrounded by the game her entire life.
“My mom has coached me ever since I was in the second grade,” Henry said. “She helped introduce me to the love of the game. Ever since I can remember, we would always pass back and forth in the backyard and see how many we could get. It’s the little things that mean most to me, always letting me win, giving me opportunities to be around high level volleyball, and mentoring my way through my career.”
Everything came together for her final season in the high school sphere. She excelled in the attack as she led the Tigers with 371 kills, 61 aces, 37 blocks and 420 assists.
“Our main goal was to make it to the state championship game,” Henry said. “We worked hard in practice and learned to be relentless. When we had grit, we were unstoppable. I’m so happy with the way we finished. We had such a huge jump from the start of the season to the end.”
Henry attributes a lot of her success to her club volleyball team, NORCO, which operates out of Loveland. Without her coaches and teammates, she said, she wouldn’t be the player she is today.
“Earning Player of the Year is such an honor and yes, I was extremely surprised,” she said. “There are so many great players in 3A so it really means a lot. It’s a nice feeling that I get to go out my senior year with this award.”
