Shelton shines during All-Star Week
Danville volleyball player Sydni Shelton attended All-Star week for the annual North-South game in Montgomery.
Shelton left for Montgomery Tuesday and returned on Thursday. Practices were held every day, and the team was able to go on a few fun excursions during the stay, including a trip to the movies and the bowling alley. The players also helped host a mentoring camp for local kids of all ages.
Shelton played for the winning North team in a come-from-behind set.
“I don’t remember my stats or the score, but I know we won,” Shelton said. “We all played pretty well even though we lost the first game by so much. We were able to turn it around in the second game and take the set in the third.”
Shelton finished the match with five kills, four digs and one block for the North in a 15-25,25-16, 25-12, 25-9 win.
The upcoming Danville senior has verbally committed to play volleyball for the Owls at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga. She will sign with them this November.
Shelton said the All-Star experience was good practice for her college career.
“I learned a lot from Brewer’s volleyball coach Coach Smith,” Shelton said. “The two-a-day practices and the higher level of competition was definitely good for me. I’m sure that’s more along the lines of how it will be in college.”
Shelton started playing volleyball back when she was in seventh grade after playing basketball since she was very young. She still plays both basketball and volleyball for Danville, but she said she puts more focus on volleyball.
“I started basketball first, but volleyball is my passion,” Shelton said. “I started playing club volleyball for Smith Lake, and I know that’s it’s going to get me an education, so I’m more serious about it. Basketball is more of fun sport that I don’t have to worry so much about.”
She said she had looked forward to playing in an All-Star game for years now.
“I always dreamed of getting asked to play in a North-South game,” Shelton said. “Every since I started volleyball, I’ve hoped for that call that I was good enough to go to the All-Star game. It was fun playing at such a high caliber of competition and getting to know all of my competitors that I had heard of from playing but never really met.”