Sydney Darden

Height:
5-8
Class:
Sophomore
High School:
Kellam HS
Hometown:
Virginia Beach, Va.
Prev School:
UNC Greensboro
Major:
Hospitality Management

2015: Competed in 12 matches and made seven starts over 37 sets while batting injury issues … All seven starts occurred in American Athletic Conference play … Ranked third on the team in digs per set average at 2.49 … Tallied double-digit digs in five matches, including a career-high 19 at USF (Nov. 6) … Also notched a pair of blocks against the Bulls … Matched her career high with four assists at Tulane (Nov. 22).

2014: Played in all 31 matches and 114 sets for East Carolina during her sophomore year … Led the team with 312 kills for an average of 2.74 kills per set … Ranked second on the squad with 305 digs to average 2.68 digs per set … Also posted 41 assists (0.36 per set), 29 service aces (0.25 per set) and 43 total blocks (0.38 per set) … Only Pirate to reach the 300 kill plateau in 2014 … Led East Carolina in kills on 14 occasions … Tallied 13 double-doubles … Notched double digit kills nine times … Recorded a career-high 26 kills versus UIC (Sept. 19) at the Penn State Invitational … Registered a career-best 18 digs against conference foe Houston (Nov. 7) … Posted a career-high five total blocks in the league match versus Cincinnati (Oct. 24) … Recorded three aces, a career-best, on four occasions.

2013: Experienced action in 52 sets for UNC Greensboro as a freshman … Was third on the team with 2.33 kills per set after knocking down 121 kills … Added 48 digs for an average of 0.92 per set while collecting 17 total blocks to average 0.33 per set … Finished her freshman year with 137.5 points and tallied seven service aces.

High School: Four-year letterwinner at Kellam High School where she was an outside hitter for the Knights … Helped Kellam to an unprecedented three-straight Virginia AAA state championships from 2010-12 while the Knights were 109-11 in her four years at the school … As a sophomore, earned honorable mention all-district and all-region honors before following with first-team All-Beach District, All-Region, All-Tidewater and All-State selections in 2011 and 2012 … Was also tabbed a highest honorable mention All-America selection by Prep Volleyball … In 2012, helped Kellam to a 32-2 overall record and a No. 1 Virginia state ranking hitting .348 with 306 kills while adding 263 digs, 61 aces and 28 blocks … Posted double-digit kills in 15 matches, including a 19-kill performance against Ocean Lakes High School … Also racked up 10 or more digs in 10 contests with 17 in a 3-2 victory over Atlee in the state championship match … Also competed for the Coastal Virginia Volleyball Club for eight seasons under head coach Dave Albaugh … Helped the squad capture the 18 open division title at the 2013 Capitol Hill Classic - defeating powerhouse Metro American by a 2-0 (25-15, 25-22) scoreline.

Personal: Born June 18, 1995 in Virginia Beach, Va. … Daughter of Karen and David (Trip) Darden … Has an older sister, Brittney … Majoring in hospitality management.