Myers Excited to be a Wildcat
Jul 18, 2022 | Volleyball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Shaylee Myers will always remember the day that she arrived in Manhattan. It was July 4.
The newest member of the Kansas State volleyball team hopes for many more memorable days to come as the 6-foot outside hitter from Lincoln, Nebraska, embarks upon her career as a Wildcat.
"I'm so excited," Myers said. "I've been waiting to play college volleyball for a long time. Now that I'm finally here, it's so fun. I love playing hard and working to get better. I definitely want to keep working on getting better this year."
Myers arrived at K-State after a legendary 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. Her senior season included her 489 kills and .372 hitting percentage — sixth best in the state of Nebraska.
"My high school career was so fun," she said. "I met some of my best friends there. My high school career set me up for Division I volleyball because I had great coaching and we had high-level competition. It really helped me get prepared. Breaking some records really helps build confidence."
That's a part of what K-State head coach Suzie Fritz noticed about Myers.
"We are excited what Shaylee can bring to our team," Fritz said. "She is a versatile and powerful attacker with a well-rounded skill set. She has the experience and capacity to help the team in multiple ways. We believe she fits our team culture as a hard-working, high-character, academically driven young woman."
Myers began playing volleyball at the YMCA during elementary school. Although she also played basketball and soccer, volleyball was her first love. Her passion for volleyball only grew in the eighth grade as she joined Premier Nebraska under the tutelage of coach Shannon Smolinski.
Over time, Myers developed the craft of executing a kill, which has served her well during her career.
"It's awesome," she said. "It's probably my favorite way to score a point in volleyball. It's so exciting. You put in the hard work, and it starts paying off. You have to give credit to your teammates — the passes, the setters are amazing — and it's super exciting.
"I watch the ball and adjust. I scan the net and listen to my teammates. A lot goes into it. Once you get good court awareness, it becomes easier to use your peripheral vision. The first thing I hear is the cheering. There's lots of excitement. I feed off the excitement."
Myers sensed plenty of excitement when she took her official visit to K-State in late May. Although she originally committed to Fresno State, she loved the culture within the Wildcats program and the camaraderie amongst the team. It led Myers to commit to K-State days after her visit to Manhattan. She was officially announced as a part of the team on June 17.
"The culture here is great," Myers said. "Everybody works hard and cheers each other on. It's a real positive environment. You can tell as soon as you walk into the building. You walk in to lift weights at 6 a.m., and everybody is smiling."
As for her first taste of workouts? That arrived on July 5 — one day after her arrival in Manhattan.
"I had no idea how workouts were going to be set up, so it was kind of nerve wracking for me because it was my first time," she said. "I was definitely nervous but super excited. Once we started playing, everybody let loose, and I could tell it was going to be a great season already.
"The environment is awesome. It was super exciting going to the locker room for the first time to get ready. All our gear was in there. The first weeks have been good."
As for her goals during her freshman season?
"For this first season, I definitely want to just keep growing and getting better," she said. "First off, I want to work on what they want me to in order to get better and really focus on that. I'll have a role and my goal is to play my role the best that I can. I'm going to be the best teammate that I can be.
"I'm just super excited to be here."
Shaylee Myers will always remember the day that she arrived in Manhattan. It was July 4.
The newest member of the Kansas State volleyball team hopes for many more memorable days to come as the 6-foot outside hitter from Lincoln, Nebraska, embarks upon her career as a Wildcat.
"I'm so excited," Myers said. "I've been waiting to play college volleyball for a long time. Now that I'm finally here, it's so fun. I love playing hard and working to get better. I definitely want to keep working on getting better this year."
Myers arrived at K-State after a legendary 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. Her senior season included her 489 kills and .372 hitting percentage — sixth best in the state of Nebraska.
"My high school career was so fun," she said. "I met some of my best friends there. My high school career set me up for Division I volleyball because I had great coaching and we had high-level competition. It really helped me get prepared. Breaking some records really helps build confidence."
That's a part of what K-State head coach Suzie Fritz noticed about Myers.
"We are excited what Shaylee can bring to our team," Fritz said. "She is a versatile and powerful attacker with a well-rounded skill set. She has the experience and capacity to help the team in multiple ways. We believe she fits our team culture as a hard-working, high-character, academically driven young woman."
Myers began playing volleyball at the YMCA during elementary school. Although she also played basketball and soccer, volleyball was her first love. Her passion for volleyball only grew in the eighth grade as she joined Premier Nebraska under the tutelage of coach Shannon Smolinski.
Over time, Myers developed the craft of executing a kill, which has served her well during her career.
"It's awesome," she said. "It's probably my favorite way to score a point in volleyball. It's so exciting. You put in the hard work, and it starts paying off. You have to give credit to your teammates — the passes, the setters are amazing — and it's super exciting.
"I watch the ball and adjust. I scan the net and listen to my teammates. A lot goes into it. Once you get good court awareness, it becomes easier to use your peripheral vision. The first thing I hear is the cheering. There's lots of excitement. I feed off the excitement."
Myers sensed plenty of excitement when she took her official visit to K-State in late May. Although she originally committed to Fresno State, she loved the culture within the Wildcats program and the camaraderie amongst the team. It led Myers to commit to K-State days after her visit to Manhattan. She was officially announced as a part of the team on June 17.
"We are excited about what Shaylee can bring to our team. She is a versatile and powerful attacker with a well-rounded skill set."
— K-State Volleyball (@KStateVB) June 17, 2022
- Head coach Suzie Fritz #KStateVB x @shayleemyers pic.twitter.com/NLTq4ghd5p
"The culture here is great," Myers said. "Everybody works hard and cheers each other on. It's a real positive environment. You can tell as soon as you walk into the building. You walk in to lift weights at 6 a.m., and everybody is smiling."
As for her first taste of workouts? That arrived on July 5 — one day after her arrival in Manhattan.
"I had no idea how workouts were going to be set up, so it was kind of nerve wracking for me because it was my first time," she said. "I was definitely nervous but super excited. Once we started playing, everybody let loose, and I could tell it was going to be a great season already.
"The environment is awesome. It was super exciting going to the locker room for the first time to get ready. All our gear was in there. The first weeks have been good."
As for her goals during her freshman season?
"For this first season, I definitely want to just keep growing and getting better," she said. "First off, I want to work on what they want me to in order to get better and really focus on that. I'll have a role and my goal is to play my role the best that I can. I'm going to be the best teammate that I can be.
"I'm just super excited to be here."
Players Mentioned
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