Kansas State University Athletics
‘I Wouldn’t Want to Be Anywhere Else’
Nov 15, 2022 | Volleyball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Less than six months after taking her official recruiting visit to Kansas State, true freshman Shaylee Myers has made her mark with the Wildcats.
The 6-foot outside hitter from Lincoln, Nebraska, earned K-State's first conference weekly honors of the season when she was named Big 12 Rookie of the Week on October 4. She had a season-high 23 kills at a .419 clip against Missouri. She had her first double-double with 17 kills and 10 digs against Rice.
Currently, she ranks seventh in the Big 12 Conference in both kills per set (3.48) and in points per set (3.96), which, of course, is plenty impressive for someone who just arrived on campus in July.
"I think I've been really good at finding a way to score and I don't make a lot of errors," Myers says. "I definitely have had to learn to work with the speed of college serves because these girls are really good at serving. I'm starting to really tune into it now and I'm getting the hang of it."
Things have moved rapidly for Myers. Originally committed to Fresno State, Myers visited K-State in late May. K-State head coach Suzie Fritz officially announced the addition of Myers on June 17 and Myers moved to Manhattan on July 4.
She came to K-State after a standout career at Lincoln Southwest High School, where the first-team super-state selection by The Lincoln Journal Star amassed a school-record 1,536 kills and 161 service aces. She powered Lincoln Southwest to a 30-5 record and a spot in the state quarterfinals of the 2021 Class A Nebraska state tournament.
Now Myers has played in 20 matches and 58 sets at K-State, 14-11 overall and 5-7 in the Big 12, which hosts Oklahoma, 14-11 and 4-9, in Wednesday's 6:30 p.m. match at Bramlage Coliseum. In all, the Wildcats have four matches remaining in the regular season with meetings at TCU (Saturday), against Texas Tech (next Wednesday) and at Baylor (November 26).
"It feels like the preseason was just two weeks ago," she says. "We still have some games to go but it really feels like the season has gone by so fast. I wake up every day and I'm like, 'I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.' I love it here. The girls, we're all like best friends, and it's super fun."
Although Myers got to know her new teammates once she arrived in Manhattan, her passion grew when senior setter Loren Hinkle stood at a team dinner and told the freshmen that she would take them under her wing.
"That was super nice," Myers says, "and it just clicked with me."
Myers and Hinkle became close friends, and they formed an on-court chemistry as well. Hinkle has more than 800 assists this season and many of them have been to Myers.
"My biggest adjustment has definitely just been getting used to playing at this level," Myers says. "At one point, I was like, 'I'm going to K-State and I'm going to be playing in one of the best conferences,' and eventually, I was like, 'I'm at K-State and I'm playing in the best conference.'
"Our conference is incredibly good, and I think we're really good, too. I've loved being a freshman and trying to earn my playing time. It can be stressful at times, but I use it for motivation."
Twelve times she has eclipsed double-digit kills and her 23 kills against Missouri are the highest single-match total of any K-State player this season. She has led or tied for the team lead in kills six times, including four times in a seven-match stretch in September. Fifteen times a K-State player has reached 15 or more kills with Myers owning five of those outings.
"Some hitters are really focused on shot placement and are super good at putting the ball where other people aren't on the court, and some people just power through the ball more and they hit the ball so hard that nobody can handle it, and I think I'm kind of in between there," Myers says. "I know how and when to do both when needed. I've definitely gotten stronger. We've put in a lot of work."
Meanwhile, work continues on the Morgan Family Arena, which is slated to be completed prior to the 2023 season. The 3,100-seat volleyball arena will serve as home to the Wildcats and holds a special spot for Myers as she prepares to embark on the rest of her career.
"I'm so excited," she says. "We get to see it being built every day and it's going to be so cool. The new flooring is going to be great, just for volleyball. We're really excited about that."
For now, Myers is focused on the remainder of this season — and how she might further enhance her performance over her time with the Wildcats.
"It definitely makes me really excited," she says. "I definitely hold myself to high standards and want to get better every day and every year. I can do a lot of good things if I put in all the work. I'm excited to see it pay off through the years."
Less than six months after taking her official recruiting visit to Kansas State, true freshman Shaylee Myers has made her mark with the Wildcats.
The 6-foot outside hitter from Lincoln, Nebraska, earned K-State's first conference weekly honors of the season when she was named Big 12 Rookie of the Week on October 4. She had a season-high 23 kills at a .419 clip against Missouri. She had her first double-double with 17 kills and 10 digs against Rice.
Currently, she ranks seventh in the Big 12 Conference in both kills per set (3.48) and in points per set (3.96), which, of course, is plenty impressive for someone who just arrived on campus in July.
"I think I've been really good at finding a way to score and I don't make a lot of errors," Myers says. "I definitely have had to learn to work with the speed of college serves because these girls are really good at serving. I'm starting to really tune into it now and I'm getting the hang of it."
Things have moved rapidly for Myers. Originally committed to Fresno State, Myers visited K-State in late May. K-State head coach Suzie Fritz officially announced the addition of Myers on June 17 and Myers moved to Manhattan on July 4.
She came to K-State after a standout career at Lincoln Southwest High School, where the first-team super-state selection by The Lincoln Journal Star amassed a school-record 1,536 kills and 161 service aces. She powered Lincoln Southwest to a 30-5 record and a spot in the state quarterfinals of the 2021 Class A Nebraska state tournament.
Now Myers has played in 20 matches and 58 sets at K-State, 14-11 overall and 5-7 in the Big 12, which hosts Oklahoma, 14-11 and 4-9, in Wednesday's 6:30 p.m. match at Bramlage Coliseum. In all, the Wildcats have four matches remaining in the regular season with meetings at TCU (Saturday), against Texas Tech (next Wednesday) and at Baylor (November 26).
"It feels like the preseason was just two weeks ago," she says. "We still have some games to go but it really feels like the season has gone by so fast. I wake up every day and I'm like, 'I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.' I love it here. The girls, we're all like best friends, and it's super fun."
Although Myers got to know her new teammates once she arrived in Manhattan, her passion grew when senior setter Loren Hinkle stood at a team dinner and told the freshmen that she would take them under her wing.
"That was super nice," Myers says, "and it just clicked with me."
Myers and Hinkle became close friends, and they formed an on-court chemistry as well. Hinkle has more than 800 assists this season and many of them have been to Myers.
"My biggest adjustment has definitely just been getting used to playing at this level," Myers says. "At one point, I was like, 'I'm going to K-State and I'm going to be playing in one of the best conferences,' and eventually, I was like, 'I'm at K-State and I'm playing in the best conference.'
"Our conference is incredibly good, and I think we're really good, too. I've loved being a freshman and trying to earn my playing time. It can be stressful at times, but I use it for motivation."
Twelve times she has eclipsed double-digit kills and her 23 kills against Missouri are the highest single-match total of any K-State player this season. She has led or tied for the team lead in kills six times, including four times in a seven-match stretch in September. Fifteen times a K-State player has reached 15 or more kills with Myers owning five of those outings.
"Some hitters are really focused on shot placement and are super good at putting the ball where other people aren't on the court, and some people just power through the ball more and they hit the ball so hard that nobody can handle it, and I think I'm kind of in between there," Myers says. "I know how and when to do both when needed. I've definitely gotten stronger. We've put in a lot of work."
Meanwhile, work continues on the Morgan Family Arena, which is slated to be completed prior to the 2023 season. The 3,100-seat volleyball arena will serve as home to the Wildcats and holds a special spot for Myers as she prepares to embark on the rest of her career.
"I'm so excited," she says. "We get to see it being built every day and it's going to be so cool. The new flooring is going to be great, just for volleyball. We're really excited about that."
For now, Myers is focused on the remainder of this season — and how she might further enhance her performance over her time with the Wildcats.
"It definitely makes me really excited," she says. "I definitely hold myself to high standards and want to get better every day and every year. I can do a lot of good things if I put in all the work. I'm excited to see it pay off through the years."
Players Mentioned
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