Stacy Sykora

In December 2012, Stacy announced that she was retiring from professional volleyball playing, since she was not yet fully recovered from the accident she suffered while defending Vôlei Futuro. She still had problems with her eyesight and she lost some of her reflexes since that accident, which made playing volleyball as a Libero very difficult.

In 2012 Sykora came out as lesbian in an interview with Italian volleyball magazine Pallavoliamo, saying in part, "I have a girlfriend and I'm happy with her now. ... I'm happy and this is the most important thing."

She was named Best Digger and Best Libero at the 2010 World Championship.

After being three years away from the program, Sykora was named to the 12-player roster of the U.S. women's national team that played at the 2007 FIVB Women's World Cup in Japan. The top three teams at the world cup will play at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The U.S. team finished in 3rd place. In the medal round, the team eventually reached the gold medal match, losing to Brazil and capturing the silver medal.

Although the US national team was ranked first entering the 2004 Athens Olympics, they played poorly, losing three of their first five matches (beating Germany and Cuba and losing to China, the Dominican Republic, and Russia). Their 2-3 record landed them the lowest seed in quarterfinal play, matching them with unbeaten Brazil. After losing their first two sets to Brazil in the quarterfinals, the US team won the next two, but dropped the final set to Brazil, 15-6, leaving the US team tied for fifth in the Games. Despite the team's lackluster showing, Sykora's performance earned her the Best Digger honor for the Olympic games. Following the Athens Games, Sykora left the US national team.

During the 2003 season, Sykora led the USA volleyball team in digs (533) and digs per set (3.46), and finished sixth on the team with 89 total points in 11 matches (85 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace) as the United States went 8-3. Her team earned the gold medal at the Pan American Cup and the NORCECA Zone Championships and the bronze medal at the World Grand Prix and the World Cup, earning the USA a berth in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Sykora was named Best Digger at the Montreux Volley Masters.

In 2002, Sykora helped her team to the silver medal at the Women's Volleyball World Championships. She spent the offseason playing professionally for Starfin Ravenna in Italy's Serie A1.

She won the gold medal with her team at the 2001 and 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix.

In her second year of professional competition, Sykora again led the team in digs, with 553. She was named best Libero at the Nike Americas' Volleyball Challenge, helping her team to qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Although the team placed fourth at the Olympics, Sykora was ranked second amongst all the players for her 123 digs, including a career-high 26 against Korea in the five-set quarterfinal win. In the bronze medal match against Brazil, Sykora posted her 1000th career dig.

In late 1998 international volleyball introduced a new position, known as the libero, which specialized in defensive skills. Sykora's coach, Corbelli, encouraged her to try out for this new position on the US volleyball team. In January 1999 Sykora joined the USA women's volleyball team playing this new position. During her first year of international play, she recorded a team-high 456 digs, including 153 at the World Cup. She was named the Best Receiver at the BCV Volley Masters, also placing third in digging. While on the Japan Tour, she recorded a career-high 22 digs in the June 30 match, before becoming the team's primary passer and defensive player on the bronze-medal winning Pan American Games squad.

Stacy Sykora was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to Ed Sykora and Sherian Richards. She was raised in Burleson (a Fort Worth suburb) with her two older sisters, Kim and Keri. As a student at Burleson High School, Sykora dreamed of becoming an Olympic athlete, but was unwilling to choose between volleyball, basketball, and track and field. After graduating from high school, she accepted a scholarship to play volleyball at Texas A&M University under coach Laurie Flachmeier Corbelli, a member of the USA Volleyball team which won the silver medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Stacy Denise Sykora (born June 24, 1977) is a retired American volleyball player. She was a two-time All-American at Texas A&M University and she competed in both the 2000 and the 2004 Olympics as part of the U.S. women's national team. She made her third Olympic appearance at the 2008 Olympics, helping Team USA to a silver medal.

The following year, her last year of college eligibility, Sykora ranked 9th in the country in digs per game (4.37). She also led the Aggies in kills, with 4.74 per game, and earned First-Team All Big 12 honors. She was also named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association's All-District 5 team and was an AVCA Second-Team All-American.