Metro East Players Making Their Mark for JALC Volleyball
Although the volleyball coaching staff always makes the effort to recruit players from the St Louis-Metro East area, there is not always a payoff. "There are a ton of quality players in that area, but there are also a bunch of colleges around St Louis to snatch them up," according to Coach Burnside.
This season, the Vols managed to lure two quality recruits down to southern Illinois from that region. Kim Hall from Breese Central High and Kameryn Sillmon from Belleville East. Both girls are having an immediate impact on the team.
"Kim is just a solid all-around player. She is capable of contributing in a variety of ways, and you can see that in the stats she is putting up so far," says Coach. In fact, Kim is 3rd on the team in kills per game at 2.33, is digging 3.33 per game which is second only behind libero Alanis Below, and she is one of the cornerstones of the Vols passing unit. For the Vols, the Outside hitting position is a demanding one. Starters must make key contributions in ball control, passing, digs, all while being ready to hit at any time. Coach says, "Kim is hitting the highest percentage of any of our pin hitters at the moment at .254. Her overall contributions have been exactly in line with what I expected from her when I recruited her."
Kameryn Sillmon has been making her mark as a starting Middle Hitter for the Vols. As a Middle her responsibilities are quite different from the ones listed above. Her main priorities revolve around being a strong force at the net. Blocking and aggressive hitting are the main requirements. Kameryn's productivity is proven by her stats as well. In fact, she is currently ranked #19 nationally by the NJCAA in hitting efficiency at .371, and ranked #9 in blocks per game at 1.26. Coach says, "Kameryn is playing well for us, but is only beginning to scratch the surface of what she is capable of. She doesn't have as much club volleyball experience as most of our girls, and as she gains experience here she should really just keep getting better."
With the team off to a 9-4 start, and currently 5-0 in conference, a bunch of freshmen are making quality contributions. "We expected to have some growing pains this season with so many freshmen on the team, but I have really been happy with their ability to pick up our systems and adjust their skills to the collegiate level. If we stay on this positive path as the season continues, we should be very solid by the end of the season," says Coach.