Veteran U.S. volleyball player doesn't mind standing out

Stacy Sykora is unique, not different.

At least that's the way she describes herself. Hardly anything about Sykora generates bland surface answers.

As part of her uniqueness, Sykora stands out because of her uniform. Her position, the libero, wears a different color jersey than her teammates.

On Friday, the U.S. indoor volleyball team sported its home white uniforms. Sykora donned a red jersey. It's a colorful decision for an equally colorful personality.

Sykora has five tattoos and 19 piercings, which she is allowed to keep in during games. She has a healthy obsession with McDonald's fast food, and has been known to dance in warm-ups and moonwalk in huddles.

Sykora is the team's jokester, energizer and leader.

She wears those titles proudly, especially now as she prepares to make her third bid for the Olympics.

A decade ago, the Olympic dream seemed far-fetched. It was about that time, when her collegiate career concluded, that the libero position was added to create further excitement in the sport.

"You can't compare (Olympic competition) to college," she said. "It's such a big step.

"It might not look like it from the naked eye, or from the outside looking in, but you could feel it. Digging a 100-mph ball is one of the greatest feelings actually that I've ever felt."

She was a solid outside hitter at Texas A&M, but her coach thought that Sykora's calling lay in the newly created libero position.

The position was fashioned for athletically gifted players. At 5-foot-9, Sykora was the perfect catalyst for that role.

Not only does she stand alertly at all times, but Sykora makes the game's most costly dives and digs. And, as a bonus, she is the team's lead cheerleader.

Sykora never takes a seat on the bench. In fact, she barely stands behind the court lines with the rest of her teammates who are not in the game.

She's always prepared to enter and make significant contributions at a position that doesn't always get its due.

"She's got a lot of energy during the game," teammate Nicole Davis said. "She's definitely one of the veterans on the team and she's got tons of experience."

About the only quantifiable measure of success for liberos lies in the number of digs a player collects. That's one facet that Sykora has done well as she's developed a fan base during a three-match exhibition series against Brazil in Colorado Springs.

Sykora looks to compete in her third Olympic Games this summer in Beijing. However, after her playing career is through, she would like to be an action star.

Sykora sees a connection between acting and volleyball.

"I think it'd be cool," she said smiling. "I act every day. Every day of my life is like being on set.

"Life is acting. There are a lot of eyes on me sometimes, lots of cameras and we have crowds. So it's kind of like you're acting. Playing volleyball could be considered acting, I think."

But if that doesn't work, Sykora would be content being remembered for what she does on the court.

"I would love to be known as a good libero. When someone says my name, I want them to say ‘She was a good libero, a good person, a good teammate,'" she said. "I think those three aspects are very important to me."

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Contact the Writer: 636-0215 or mario.aguirre@gazette.com