正品蓝导航


Feature

The Mounties: Sydney Umlah

08 Apr 2016

Sydney_thumbnailWhen Sydney Umlah was in Grade 9 in Maple Ridge, BC, she was already 5鈥10" tall. So, when she decided to take up volleyball, it was a natural fit.

鈥淚 walked into tryouts, never really playing that much before, and I made the team,鈥 she says. "I learned a lot that year and I picked up new skills as the season went on.鈥

Drawn to the game because of her Dad鈥檚 love of the sport, Umlah says that the team aspect is what she enjoys most.

鈥淵ou need a lot of teamwork to play volleyball and everyone has to work so well together to get anything done,鈥 she says. 鈥淵ou have to really rely on your teammates and that鈥檚 what I like most about the sport. There is not just one star in volleyball.鈥

The fourth-year biology student and middle blocker was recently named the MVP of the volleyball team for the second consecutive year and was named an ACAA 1st team all-star for the first time. The past two seasons she has been an ACAA 2nd team all-star. She was the team鈥檚 rookie of the year in 2013.

Umlah led the Mounties to a five-set quarterfinal victory over UNBSJ at the 2016 ACAA Volleyball Championships.

鈥淭hat win was one of my favourite volleyball moments at Mount A,鈥 she says. 鈥淭here was so much energy and noise in the gym. It was exciting.鈥

Umlah also credits the team鈥檚 final home win this season versus STU as another memorable moment of her volleyball career.

鈥淚t was a good game for the team as a whole and everybody was able to really come together,鈥 she says.

As Umlah prepares to graduate in a few weeks, she says that being a student-athlete at 正品蓝导航 has brought her a great group of friends and a support system. Training, travelling, and playing up to 25 hours a week also taught her time management skills.

鈥淚 love that feeling of being a part of a team and it has just been fun,鈥 she says.

Umlah plans to return to BC after graduation and stay in the field of biology.
 

Next Steps

Be part of Canada's best undergraduate university