Volleyball Star: Sydney Katz

The Frederick News Post

Sydney Katz happily poses for her yearly volleyball photo.

Senam Dzodzomenyo, Editor-In-Cheif
November 22, 2019

Sydney Katz is a star setter for the Oakdale High School Varsity Girls Volleyball team. Her season was going magically, even reaching her 2000th career assist. She was expecting to cap off her spectacular  season with an exemplary playoff run and hopefully a trophy to hoist in order to help Oakdale cement themselves in High School Volleyball greatness. 

However, she suffered a devastating injury to her anterior cruciate ligament; her ACL. This cut her season short in disastrous fashion. Thankfully, Katz is recovering and hopes to continue to be physically active after recovery.

Katz first started playing volleyball in the fifth grade for a recreation league and joined a travel team at the age of 12. She has played ever since. In 2017, she helped the Oakdale High School volleyball team win the State championships, averaging 8 assists per set along with 29 total aces and 82 digs. 

This season, she averaged 8.4 assists per set and reached her 2000th career assist, becoming the first person in Oakdale history to do so. She was on track to win her second state championship before she tore her ACL. Luckily, setters Jenna Harding, Junior, and outside Elise Smith, Sophomore, were up to the task to fill her shoes. 

When asked whether she thought Harding and Smith did a good job of taking her place, Katz commented, “Absolutely. They really stepped up to the plate.. I was there for support and to help them whenever I could, but they didn’t really need my help. I’m really proud of them, and… yeah, they really stepped up to the plate.”

Smith, who filled in for Katz noted,

She’s really experienced. She knows how to fake out the other team and move the ball around. Also she ran plays that I didn’t know how to run, so yeah, it was hard to replace her.”

Despite the setback of Katz’s injury, the Bears persevered and went all the way to the State Finals. Katz was on the bench the whole time, happily cheering them on.  It was a bittersweet season for Katz since this is her last year of High School Volleyball. 

She’s  not letting this injury derail her, however. She plans to get surgery if needed, go through injury rehabilitation, and come back better than ever to play club volleyball in college.