LENEXA, Kan. — Mya Lee has learned to stand out.
The St. James Academy junior volleyball player helped lead the Thunder to a win in a 16-team Volleyball Slam event that featured some of the top players in the Kansas City area.
Lee led St. James in kills, using her athleticism and ability to elevate above the net.
“She’s a really, really athletic player, a high-flyer,” St. James head coach Nancy Dorsey said. “She gets up high above the block, really elevates.”
Lee’s success is notable considering she didn’t begin playing volleyball until the seventh grade. Her parents, both former volleyball players, encouraged her to participate in other sports first.
“Both my parents played, so they were big into, ‘Let’s start you in other sports and get the conditioning going, the mobility, all that kind of stuff,’” Lee said. “So volleyball just kind of fell into place for me.”
That development has continued each year.
“She really has just, like, grown every year,” Dorsey said. “It’s fun to have seen a progression of her in her volleyball career. And I’ve said this before, but I think her best volleyball is ahead of her.”
Lee’s volleyball career will continue at the next level in Manhattan. She has already committed to Kansas State.
For now, Lee is focused on helping lead St. James and developing as a teammate and leader.
“I’ve really tried to grow my leadership skills in the last three years as far as I’ve been here,” Lee said. “We’ve had some great senior leaders all the years that I’ve been here. I just really hope I can be like that for the younger girls.”
Her coach may have some mixed feelings about where Lee’s career is headed.
“So is it EMAW? I don’t know,” joked Dorsey, a Kansas fan. “I’m a Jayhawk. That felt really wrong coming out of my mouth.”
Lee’s performance and continued growth recently earned her the Hy-Vee Athlete of the Week award.
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