McAllen Memorial sophomore setter Sydney Marburger is The Monitor’s All-Area Volleyball Newcomer of the Year.
McALLEN — The 2016 volleyball season was the conclusion of one Marburger’s varsity career, while the 2017 season marked the beginning of another Marburger’s varsity career.
On her way to graduating last spring, McAllen Memorial setter Taylor Marburger earned The Monitor’s All-Area Player of the Year award as a part of the 40-win Mustangs team that went four rounds deep into the playoffs.
The Mustangs returned only one senior to this season’s starting lineup, with several players contributing in roles previously unfamiliar to them. One of those players is Taylor’s younger sister, Sydney, who is also a setter. As a sophomore this season, Sydney’s contributions not only won her Newcomer of the Year honors within District 30-6A, but they also earned her The Monitor’s All-Area Newcomer of the Year, as well.
“I’m honored to win such an award,” Marburger said. “There are many great players, so I’m grateful the coaches picked me to win this in the district and win it areawide.”
Marburger accumulated 955 assists, 45 aces, 213 digs and 35 kills during her first varsity season as one of the key leaders who helped the Mustangs (31-9) qualify for the program’s third Regional Semifinal playoff run in a row.
“Sydney and I go way back,” McAllen Memorial coach Lorena Lopez said. “I coached her a couple years when she was 9, 10 years old with the RGV Sting 12-and-under team. As far as Syd is concerned, I’ve known her capabilities for a long time. She’s very calm and plays with confidence whether she feels it or not. Our team fed off of that.”
“I have to thank my Coach for having the faith in me to put me in games where she thought I could get the job done,” Marburger said. “I also owe it to my teammates. I have awesome passers who are able to give me good passes to get all those assists with our great hitters who are able to put the ball down. I owe it to them, because in the end, they made this happen for me.”
Sydney’s sister, Taylor, recently wrapped up her freshman season on the volleyball team at Baylor. Like Sydney, Taylor won the district’s Newcomer of the Year award when she competed in her first year of varsity volleyball.
“She’s my role model,” Sydney said of Taylor. “I really look up to her, her volleyball skills and the person that she is. I like it when people compare me to her, because I want to someday get to the level she is now. I’m my own player, also, but I want to be where she is at some point.”
