Leesburg, Va. — While more than 400,000 girls across the country suit up to play volleyball for their high schools each year, less than six percent of them get an opportunity to continue playing in college. And an even smaller fraction of those make it to the professional level.
Heritage High School graduate Sydney Busa (2014) joined that elite group of volleyball players, when she signed a professional contract with Finland-based Nurmon Jymy on June 22. She will report to the team in September.
“I’m incredibly excited for this opportunity to continue to play, especially at the professional level,” the 6-foot-1 Busa said. “It was always something kind of in the back of my mind, but I didn’t know the practicality of it.”
[adrotate banner=”14″]Based in Seinajoki, Finland, Nurmon Jymy competes in Finland Volleyball League’s top division (1-sarja). Led by head coach Kari Tuomela, Nurmon Jymy finished its 2017-2018 season with a 7-17 record, falling 3-1 in the quarterfinal round of the Mestaruusliiga league tournament.
“It will be a cool opportunity to live [and play]in a different country,” Busa said. “I absolutely love traveling, but I haven’t been to Scandinavia yet, so it will be cool to live in and explore a new place.”
In her first season at Elon University, Busa made a splash as the only member of the Division I Phoenix to earn All-Colonial Athletic Association honors. The outside hitter followed up her CAA All-Rookie team selection with an All-CAA third team selection in 2016.
Then in 2017, Busa became the first Elon player since 1999 to earn first team all-conference honors after she led the CAA in both kills and points.
On October 15, 2017, Busa also became the fourth member of the Phoenix’s 1,000-kill and 1,000-dig club. She leaves Elon as one of just two players to rank in the school’s all-time top ten in both career kills and career digs.
Before heading to Elon, Busa was a standout at Heritage High School in Leesburg, where she recorded 1,000 career kills with the Pride. Busa was named first team all-district three times and earned a first-team all-region nod in 2012.
“At both Heritage and Elon, the level of play was very competitive. My coaches pushed me to be the best player I could be,” Busa said. “I’ll continue to carry over that mentality as I go abroad.”
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