Sharp eager to make most of her opportunity
The former Siloam Springs volleyball standout will play in the All-Star game at 6 p.m. Friday.
Shaylon Sharp is happy to get to play in one more high school volleyball match before moving on to the next level.
Sharp, a 2018 Siloam Springs graduate and former Lady Panther standout, will play for the West All-Stars on Friday at 6 p.m. in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game at the Farris Center on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
“It is cool to represent Siloam,” Sharp said. “I thank Coach (Joellen) Wright and Coach (Rose) Cheek for it, because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them.”
Sharp missed the first half of her senior season at Siloam Springs in the fall of 2017 after suffering a torn ACL during club season between her junior and senior year.
Siloam Springs struggled without Sharp, going 1-9 over its first 10 games. When
It is cool to represent Siloam. I thank Coach ( Joellen) Wright and Coach (Rose) Cheek for it, because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them.
Shaylon Sharp Former SSHS volleyball player
Sharp returned, the Lady Panthers got on a hot streak and finished with a 16-7 record over its last 23 games.
Siloam Springs reached the state semifinals and snapped a streak of six straight seasons of being eliminated in the quarterfinals. Sharp finished the season with 237 kills and a .370 hitting percentage.
“She definitely earned her spot (on the All-Star team),” said Siloam Springs head coach Joellen Wright. “She was respected. Even going into the voting, coaches (thought) she had a great comeback season. That’s a really hard injury to come back from. They really respected her play at the end of the season and wanted to reward her with this. It’s a really good thing.”
Sharp signed with Missouri Southern in November to play college volleyball. She recently completed her final club season with Ozark Juniors, but she’ll get to play with several of her club teammates Friday in the All-Star game.
“I’m excited I get to play with my team from Ozark, because most of them are on there,” she said. Her club teammates include Hailey Warner (Fayetteville), Isabella Gibbany (Harrison), Emily Harris (Rogers), Hannah Martin (Rogers) and Timber Riley (Bentonville).
Sharp is also excited to get to play in the same All-Star game that her sister, Makenzie, played in as a senior in 2012 before going on to play four years at Lyon College.
“I’ve always looked up to her,” Shaylon Sharp said. “Since she was in the All-Star game, it’s always been a goal for me to be in it.”
Wright said she’s pleased for the younger Sharp sister to get the same chance as her older sibling.
“I’m happy for her,” Wright said. “Following in her sister’s footsteps a little bit, Makenzie got to do that. It’s always nice to have a representative from our school. I think she’ll do a great job.”