There are new classes, new friends, new challenges and new ways of going about the day-to-day routine that are no longer utterly familiar and relatively simple.
Now on top of that, imagine yourself with the pressure of trying to decide on your college home. And if those colleges had their way, you’d preferably decide much sooner rather than later.
Welcome to Sydni Vice’s world.
Vice is the top player on Houston High’s volleyball team and the target of all that attention. You may not be familiar with her.
Perhaps you’re more familiar with her dad, Vance, who coached the offensive line at Memphis and is now helping prep UNLV for its season opener Saturday. Or you may know her older brother Brock, an all-state basketball player at Houston who is now at North Texas.
Sydni is every bit as regarded in her world as her dad and brother are in theirs. Which is why the start of her junior year has been particularly hectic.
Colleges are allowed to start contacting prospects June 15 after their sophomore year, and the push, especially for top-caliber ones like Vice, is to get them on campus for visits.
So far she’s taken three, to Auburn, North Carolina State and Purdue, while speaking with coaches from a host of others, including Florida.
Vice said the calls and texts started coming on the morning of June 15th and haven’t really let up.
“When they started talking to me, it was a little stressful because I didn’t know what to expect,” said the 16-year-old who plays as an outside hitter for Coach Becky Pendleton’s team. “They were throwing questions at me, and I was like, ‘I don’t know how to answer this.’ Random questions, it could be about anything: ‘Do you have siblings? Pets?’ (They were) just trying to get to know (me). Over time, it’s gotten better, and all of the visits have been fun.
“I’m just figuring out what’s going to be best for me. ... I’m looking for a connection with the team and the staff and just how the environment is, seeing if the chemistry is there and if I can see myself fitting in to the team.
“It’s tough right now; I don’t know what to do. And I don’t want to make a wrong decision. But God has a plan.”
Even on a campus full of talented high school athletes, Vice stands out.
For one, she’s 6-foot-4. That — combined with a good feel for the game and effective back-row play — should, in Pendleton’s estimation, make her a top-25 national recruit by the time it’s all said and done.
The Memphis area, and the state of Tennessee for that matter, have produced its share of quality volleyball players throughout the years. Vice has a chance to rank among the very best.
“Now that I’ve gone through it and even had my daughter (former Daily Memphian Player of the Year Lexi Pendleton) deal with it, it’s mentally and emotionally draining,” said Pendleton of the recruiting process. “I do think it affects a lot of kids’ play. ... Sydni is missing one or two days a week just on official visits. Not only missing schoolwork, I’m trying to do practices around it. It’s hard.
“I just think it’s too big of a decision to have to make as a 16-year-old. It wears on them. She’s young. ‘What if I make the wrong (decision)?’ And everybody wants her on an official visit right now.”
Fortunately for her, she has several people she can turn to. One of Pendleton’s assistants is Jennifer Miller, who herself was a standout player at Florida. Syndi’s dad, being a college coach and well-versed in the language of recruiting, can help her cut through the static.
And her brother provides an example of the importance of a good fit; Brock signed with Creighton out of high school but ended up not playing, and subsequently redshirting, before transferring.
“We’re all really close,” she said. “We’re kind of everywhere with my dad not being home as much. That’s been kind of hard, ... (and with Brock,) we’re really competitive. I’m like, ‘I’m better than you,’ and he’s like, ‘No, I’m better than you.’ And we go back and forth.”
Brock Vice is listed at 6-10 on the North Texas roster, and undoubtedly, he could advise his sister in that area, too. Sydni has felt the stares in the hallways and overheard the snide comments about her height.
But height is part of Vice’s gift. Another part is her wondrous athleticism. Vice developed her footwork through playing basketball herself, and she’s also competed in soccer, gymnastics and even done cheer before settling on volleyball.
“I like the people that (volleyball) brings to me,” she said. “And I like to win.”
Vice should be able to do that once again this season on another strong Houston team. The Mustangs have two seniors who have already settled on their college choices, setter Syndee Carter (Louisiana Tech) and outside hitter Ella Seeger (Wright State), a fine libero in Madelyn Wainwright and some promising emerging talent.
But much of whatever good Houston does in 2024 will center on Vice. It’s just one more thing to add to her plate, but Pendleton is confident she can handle it.
“She’s growing as a player every month,” the coach said. “She’s not even close to being top of her game because she started a little later. ... Right now, she’s a better college player than she is a high school player.
“In high school, you’re a good athlete, and things happen that shoul... Click here to read full article
ARTICLE SOURCE:
