Olympic Experience

2008 Olympic Games (Silver)
2004 Olympic Games
2000 Olympic Games

World Championship Experience

2010 FIVB World Championship
2002 FIVB World Championship (Silver)

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MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 - Pan American Cup (Gold). 2010 – Pan American Cup (Bronze Medal)…FIVB World Grand Prix (Gold Medal)...Tour of Brazil...FIVB World Championship (Fourth). 2009 – Tour of Egypt…Pan American Cup (Fourth); FIVB World Championship Qualification Tournament – NORCECA Pool G (Gold)…FIVB World Grand Prix (Ninth)…Final Four Intercontinental Cup (Silver)...NORCECA Continental Championship (Fourth). 2008 – Pan American Cup (Fifth Place)...U.S. Olympic Team Exhibition for Volleyball versus Brazil...FIVB World Grand Prix (Fourth Place)...Olympic Games (Silver Medal). 2007 - FIVB World Cup (Bronze Medal). 2004 – Montreux Volley Masters (Silver Medal)…World Grand Prix (Bronze Medal)…Olympic Games (Fifth Place). 2003 – Montreux Volley Masters…Russia Tournament…Pan American Cup (Gold Medal)…World Grand Prix (Bronze Medal)…NORCECA Zone Championships (Gold Medal)…Texas Tour…World Cup (Bronze Medal). 2002 – Montreux Volley Masters…Russia Tour…Utah Tour vs. Italy…World Grand Prix (sixth place)…Italy Tour…World Championships (Silver Medal). 2001 – Montreux Volley Masters…World Championships Qualifying (first place)…World Grand Prix (first place)…NORCECA (first place)…World Grand Champions Cup. 2000 – BCV VolleyMasters...Grand Prix...Japan Tour...NIKE Americas' Volleyball Challenge...Olympic Games (fourth place)...Russia Trip. 1999 – Australia Trip...Brazil Tour...BCV Volley Masters...Japan Tour...NORCECA Championships...Pan American Games...World Cup.

INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2012 – Made her official return to international competition at the 2012 Pan American Cup following a devastating accident in April 2011...Played in six sets as a defensive specialist, turning in two digs. 2011 – Has not competed in 2011 due to recovery from injuries suffered in a bus accident in Brazil while competing for her professional club team, which resulted in 36 days spent in hospitals in Brazil and California. 2010 – Averaged 3.32 digs per set while serving as libero during six of the seven matches at the Pan American Cup…Recorded 12 digs in three-set win over Puerto Rico on June 19…Averaged 4.13 digs per set at FIVB World Grand Prix while playing 39 of 52 possible sets at libero helping USA to the gold medal…Averaged 6.00 digs per set against Italy on Aug. 13 and 6.33 digs against Japan on Aug. 29…During FIVB World Grand Prix Final Round, ranked as the tournament’s third-best digger with 2.26 digs per set…Averaged 2.59 digs per set in four matches of Tour of Brazil…Selected as Best Libero of the FIVB World Championship after averaging 7.13 digs and excellent service receptions per set in 11 matches (0.93 higher average than second-place finisher)…Led the Best Digger category at the World Championship with 4.85 digs per set, or 1.30 digs per set higher than second-place finisher…Reached 20 digs or more in five of 11 matches at the World Championship. 2009 – Played in 88 sets during 2009, second most on the team, compiling a 2.31 dig average…Played in six sets during two-match tour of Egypt resulting in two victories…Tallied five digs versus Egypt on April 10…Played four sets during the Pan American Cup, producing nine digs for a 2.25 average…Designated U.S. libero for FIVB World Championship Qualification Tournament – NORCECA Pool G…Helped U.S. win gold and berth into 2010 FIVB World Championship after earning Best Libero, Best Digger and Best Receiver at qualifying tournament…Averaged 5.00 digs per set at the qualifying tournament, in addition to a 75.90 pass/receive success percent in the Best Libero category…Turned in 18 excellent service receptions on 36 attempts in the qualifying tournament… Libero for the second two preliminary weekends of the FIVB World Grand Prix totaling six matches and 25 sets…Averaged 2.12 digs per set, including 13 digs in a three-set loss to Germany on Aug. 9…Shared libero duties at the Final Four Intercontinental Cup leading to a silver medal…Tallied 25 digs versus Dominican Republic in Final Four semifinal match on Sept. 12, followed by 12 digs versus Brazil in gold-medal match on Sept. 13…Tallied 59 digs in 24 sets for 2.46 dig average at NORCECA Continental Championship…Averaged three digs or more in three of six matches during NORCECA Championship. 2008 – Ranked third in the Pan American Cup Best Digger category with 1.73 digs per set...Turned in a 55 percent positive serve receive percentage on 85 attempts as teams served away from her at the Pan American Cup...Served as the tournament libero for the Pan American Cup, but missed the final match due to illness...Designated as the libero versus Brazil on June 13 and June 14...Recorded 15 digs versus Brazil in June 13 victory, followed by nine digs in June 14 loss...Served as designated libero for FIVB World Grand Prix Final Round after missing all of preliminary rounds...Ranked third in World Grand Prix Final Round in digs per set with 3.00...Totaled 20 digs versus Italy on July 12 and 17 digs versus China on July 13...Played in 11 sets during Olympic Games as the defensive specialist in critical late set situations, helping the USA to a silver medal in the event...In limited time on the court, averaged 0.55 digs per set and provided a 55 percent excellent serve reception percent. 2007 – Played in 21 sets at the FIVB World Cup as a late set defensive specialist. Totaled 19 digs for 0.70 digs per set. 2004 – Helped U.S. to silver medal at Montreux Volley Masters…Averaged 3.87 digs per set in leading Team USA to bronze at the World Grand Prix…Finished third in the Best Digger Category and fifth in Best Libero category at Grand Prix…Made second Olympic Games appearance as the Team USA libero. Earned Best Digger award at Olympic Games. 2003 – Helped the United States earn a bronze medal at the 2003 World Cup and a berth in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece…On the season she led the United States in digs (533) and digs per set (3.46)…Earned “Best Digger” honors at the Montreux Volley Masters. 2002 – Won a silver medal at the 2002 Women’s Volleyball World Championships…One of the world’s best at her position…Played professionally for Starfin Ravenna in Italy’s Serie A1. 2001 – Earned the Best Libero award at the Montreux Volley Masters after dominating both the serve-receive and digging statistical categories…Named the Best Digger at the World Grand Prix…Earned the Best Receiver award NORCECA Championships…Captured the Best Digger award at the season-ending World Grand Champions Cup…Played professionally for Mirabilandia Teodora Ravenna in Italy’s Serie A1. 2000 – Finished as the team leader in digs (553) for the second consecutive year…Named best Libero at the NIKE Americas' Volleyball Challenge, helping Team USA qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympics...Averaged 4.5 digs per game on the Japan Tour...Led the team with 68 digs and a 2.42 passing average on the Russia Trip…Was the leading digger at the BCV Volley Masters with 43 digs...Named Best Receiver at the Grand Prix, where she led the team with 133 digs…Placed second at the Olympic Games with 123 digs, including a career-high 26 against Korea in the five-set quarterfinal victory…Posted her 1,000th career dig in the bronze-medal match against Brazil. 1999 – Saw her first international playing time on the Australia Trip…Named best receiver at the BCV Volley Masters, and placed third in digging...Sparked the Americans’ defense on the Japan Tour, recording a career-high 22 digs in the June 30 match...Team’s primary passer and defensive player on the bronze-medal winning Pan American Games squad...Helped the Americans earn a three-match sweep of Brazil with 39 digs in 12 games...Tallied 53 digs en route to earning the best digger award at the NORCECA Championship...Recorded a team-high 153 digs at the World Cup...Recorded a team-high 456 digs.

COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 1998 – American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Second-Team All-American...AVCA All-District 5...First-Team All-Big 12...Led the team in kills (4.74) and digs per game (4.37)...Finished the season ranked No. 9 in the country in digs per game...MVP of the All Sport Challenge. 1997 – AVCA Second-Team All-American...Asics/Volleyball Honorable Mention All-America...AVCA All-District 5...First-Team All-Big 12...MVP of the Georgia Invitational...Led the team and ranked second in the conference in digs per game (3.80). 1996 – AVCA All-District 5...Named team defensive player of the year...Led the Big 12 in digs per game with a 4.01 average...Set a school record with 24 digs in a three-game loss to Michigan State in the NCAA tournament...Posted a career-high 30 kills in a victory over nationally-ranked Loyola Marymount. 1995 – Saw action in 29-of-30 matches as a true freshman...Led the team in kills in four matches and in digs three times.

PERSONAL: Parents are Ed Sykora and Sherian Richards…Also has two older sisters: Kim and Keri Sykora…Graduated from Burleson High School (Texas) in 1995 and majored in sports management at Texas A&M…Three-sport athlete at Texas A&M as she participated in track (1995-96) and basketball (1996-97) in addition to volleyball…Won Southwest Conference heptathlon championship in 1996 while at Texas A&M…Named a finalist for 2011 Women’s Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year…Hobbies include art and music with Dolly Parton being her favorite musical artist…Favorite movies are Dark Crystal and Beast Master…Favorite foods are sushi and Mexican…Favorite sport to watch is football and favorite team is Dallas Cowboys…Enjoys watching Cartoon Network…Admires Kerri Walsh most because she is an amazing player, but best of all, is an amazing and caring person…Happiest moment in life was making the national team and happiest moment in sports was defeating Korea in the 2000 Olympic Games.

Getting to Know Stacy Sykora

What are the top songs in your iPod?
Everything you can imagine, I guess you can say that I “collect music”, from all over the world and I have over 100GB of it….

What kind of car do you drive?
Land Rover and a Harley Davison

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Art, Music, Video editing and basically anything to do with a computer…

What do you envision doing as a career after competing for the national team?
Becoming a famous moving star….Just Kidding, I really don’t know, I am still a kid and never really want to grow up

Other than family, who would you like to invite to complete a dinner foursome (individuals can be dead or alive)?
Angelina Jolie, Gia Marie Carangi, Jim Carey and Steven King

Where would you like to spend a week’s vacation?
Driving my motorcycle in Texas

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Modena, Italy

What is your favorite room in your house and why?
Right now, in Italy, the living room because it is the biggest

What is the one luxury item that you could not do without?
My computer

Rank the following types of television programs in order you like best: Reality TV, crime dramas, game shows, sit-coms, music television, cable news, sports.
sports, crime dramas, music television, game shows, sit-coms, reality TV, cable news,

What is your favorite television program?
I don’t watch much TV but here in Italy, I like Walker, Texas Ranger, you should see them speak Italian it is great!

What is your favorite movie?
The Dark Crystal, Beast Master and Gia

What is your favorite book?
Ummmmmm, I don’t read

Who is the funniest player on the women’s national team?
I laugh at them all :)

Who is the most under-rated player on the women’s national team?
Robyn Ah-Mow Santos and Lindsey Berg

Are you a morning person, afternoon person or night person?
Night

What is your pre-match ritual?
Visualize, elevate the legs, write down my goals, listen to music and dance

On an airplane, would you rather, sleep, read, work on a computer or talk with the person sitting next to you?
Work on the computer and talk

What is the best thing about competing on the USA Women’s National Team?
Doing the thing I love and loving doing it with the people I love

What is your favorite volleyball drill?
Any defensive drill

What sport would you be competing in if not for volleyball?
HMMMMMMM….Basketball, Heptathlon, Triathlon or a Soccer Goalie….

Who is your favorite athlete?
Flo Jo

What is your favorite food?
Sushi or Mexican

What is your favorite restaurant to eat at?
Casa Rodriguez in Bryan, Texas or Sushi Town in Las Palmas, Spain

How many different languages can you converse in?
Italian and Spanish but I understand a lot of similar languages

What was your favorite subject in school?
Anatomy

What is your fondest child-hood memory?
I have so many, story telling is my life so to have to choose one right now, I would say, making commercials and a workout video with my friends in Burleson and honestly thinking I was gonna make it big one day on the big screen, I just recently watched them, yep, embarrassing

What fad were you involved in during junior high school that many would be surprised to learn?
Good Ole High Bangs, mine could stop the wind in its tracks

If you could see any musical act or performer (dead or alive) in concert, who would it be?
Michael Jackson

If you won the lottery, what is the first thing that you would buy or pay for?
Everything my family members ever wanted

If you could live as one other person (celebrity or not) for one day, who would it be?
Bin Laden, so when the day was over I would tell George where he is hiding :)

If you could have one super power, what would it be?
To stop, start, reverse and fast forward time

If a movie was made about your life, which actor or actress would you want to play you?
Angelina Jolie

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?
My house with full plumbing and everything it has in it in Vegas. A plane with a pilot so I can leave when I wanted and a Super Wal-Mart

If you could live in another time period for a week, which one would you choose?
The Future, so I can bring back the ideas of the future and invent them first and be a millionaire

If you could be on the cover of one magazine, which one would you choose?
I don’t really know magazines but I would say Vogue, I guess

What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Unique, misunderstood, square

What is your favorite holiday?
I don’t really like holidays but I like the post-halloween candy sells

What is your favorite season – winter, spring, summer or fall?
Summer

What is one off-the-court talent that you have?
Art

What was the most defining moment in your life?
Coming back to the National Team

What are your most prized possessions?
My Motorcycle and House

What is your motto?
Keep Dreaming, No Excuses No Regrets…Life is Short, you never know what the next second is gonna bring so Live

What reality show (American Idol, the Apprentice, the Real World, Survivor, Big Brother, etc.) would you be best on?
I think I could make a clean sweep :)

What is your pet peeve?
Napkins on teeth

What communication tool do you use most often – text messaging, talking on the cell phone or e-mail?
Text messaging.

Posted and updated: Dec. 5, 2012

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