photo submitted by Scott Matheny
photo submitted by Scott Matheny
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Sydney Matheny is the first Gatorade Wyoming Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from Campbell County High School since 1999.

CHICAGO (December 12, 2013) — In its 29th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Sydney Matheny of Campbell County High School as its 2013-14 Gatorade Wyoming Volleyball Player of the Year. Matheny is the third Gatorade Wyoming Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from Campbell County High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Matheny as Wyoming’s best high school volleyball player.

Matheny joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including USA Volleyball players Kim Glass (2001-02, Horseshoe HS, Penn.), Kim Willoughby (1998-99, 1999-00, Assumption HS, La.) and Ogonna Nnamani (1999-00, University HS, Ill).

The 5-foot-11 senior middle blocker amassed 311 kills, 44.5 blocks, 39 digs and 17 service aces this past season, leading the Camels (29-4) to the Class 4A state championship match.

The Class 4A Player of the Year as named by the Wyoming Coaches Association, she recorded a .420 kill percentage.

Matheny has maintained a 3.74 GPA in the classroom.

A member of the National Honor Society, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and her school’s D.A.R.E. America chapter, she has volunteered locally on behalf of the Salvation Army and Lions Club International. In addition to serving as a youth volleyball instructor, she has donated her time as part of her church’s youth group, including a service-mission trip to Haiti, where she helped rebuild an orphanage damaged by the earthquake in 2010.

“She was so versatile,” said Marnie Garner, head coach of rival Rawlins High. “She’s one of those players that never gets rattled and stays strong. She’s a great leader and always a threat. I got to see Campbell County quite a bit, and she’s definitely that all-around leader and competitor. And she really terminated the ball.”

Matheny remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.

The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Matheny joins recent Gatorade Wyoming Volleyball Players of the Year Sally Sanders (2012-2013, East High School), Caitlin McInerney (2011-12, Laramie High School), Meghan Sipe (2010-11, Cheyenne East High School), Paige Hellbaum (2009-10, Wheatland), and Emily Rochelle (2008-09 & 2007-08, Kelly Walsh) among the state’s list of former award winners.

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