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Sterling volleyball player Sydney Allen enjoys being part of a team

Sydney Allen nearly turned her back on volleyball.

Sydney Allen nearly turned her back on volleyball.

She was a freshman at Sterling, playing the sport for the first time and not exactly tearing up the court.

"It was really hard for me," Allen said. "I was going to quit, but I decided to stick with it. Now I love it. I want to play forever."

Allen is a senior middle hitter for Sterling, one of South Jersey's top teams. Through Friday, the Silver Knights had a 18-1 overall record, including a 5-0 mark in the Olympic Freedom division, and loomed as a serious contender in the state Group 2 tournament.

The 5-foot-10 Allen led Sterling with 95 kills and had 21 aces. She was the MVP of the Moorestown Tipoff Classic.

Question: What's the best thing about volleyball?

Answer: You can't depend on one person. Everybody on the court has an impact. You have to play together as a team to be successful.

Q: Do you think the sport still is misunderstood?

A: A lot of people don't understand how competitive it is. We had a big game the other day against Cherokee, which is an amazing team, and a lot of other teams from our school went to the game because they knew it was a big game. They all were coming up to us after the game saying they couldn't believe how intense and exciting girls' volleyball could be.

Q: Do you plan to play in college?

A: I'm not sure. I've had a couple Division II and Division III school approach me and talk to me about playing at their school. I'm definitely going to continue to play, even if it's at the club level. I don't want to stop after this season. It's like I'm addicted to volleyball. I want to play as much as I can.

Q: You also play for the Sterling softball team. Do you have any hobbies or interests besides sports?

A: A lot of Sundays I volunteer to help out with Challenger soccer and Challenger baseball for special-needs kids in my town [Stratford]. It's a lot of fun.

Q: Want do you like most about playing volleyball for Sterling?

A: We're all best friends. We all hang out together on the weekend. We all hang out in school. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses and we all support each other.

Q: How far can the Silver Knights go?

A: We know we have to take it one game at a time, but we're so excited. We think we can take it all the way to Group 2 states.