Senior athletes: Sydney Murphy
Throughout Sydney Murphy’s time at USCA, she’s made substantial contributions to USCA in the classroom and on the diamond.
Sydney’s commitment to softball and education is yet another example of USCA’s student athletes achieving greatness. To those familiar with Finneytown High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sydney’s success probably comes as no surprise.
As an accomplished high school athlete, Sydney came to USCA and continued her dominance on the field. In the past four seasons, Sydney has started 155 games and played in 166. Although Sydney is a catcher, she’s played every position besides pitcher and has accumulated an impressive fielding percentage of .968 with only 14 errors. More impressively, she launched 17 homeruns, batted in 64 teammate and accumulated an astounding .290 batting average across four seasons.
To give some perspective, Bryce Harper is the star right fielder for the Washington Nationals and his current career batting average .295. Who’s better? My money is on Murphy. For Sydney, playing at USCA has been an incredible experience that allowed her to make lifelong memories, friendships, and lessons.
Sydney says much of her success on the field is due to the teachings of Coaches Dave Wolferst, Misty Bridges, Andrea Costa and both of her grandfathers. As her time at USCA comes to an end, Sydney prepares to take on the world with these valuable experiences in her heart.
According to Sydney, playing softball at USCA has taught her to be a better person, leader and communicator. In her words, “I have to go out in the real world and be a leader someday. I must transition what I learned as a player and a captain and apply it to life and future jobs. I learned how to communicate with others in many ways, with different situations. It has shaped who I am, and I will never forget that.”
Moreover, with these lessons, Sydney has made some incredible memories on the diamond with her teammates.
For instance, individually, Sydney’s says her most memorable moment came in an extra innings game against Flagler during her junior year. It was the bottom of the 10th inning, one out, and two runners on base. To make matters worse, Flagler had momentum and their ace was on the mound. Despite the pressure, Sydney stepped up to the plate and sent a three run, walk-off homerun screaming over the outfield wall for the win. As she said, “I was jumping up and down I was so excited. I sprinted around the bases I was just so ready to go celebrate with my team.”
Similarly, Sydney says her most memorable team memory was the PBC tournament during her sophomore year. The Pacers were a 7th seed and had to face 2nd seed Armstrong University, a nationally ranked powerhouse. With odds stacked against them, the Pacers rallied around each other’s energy and defeated Armstrong 5-3. As Sydney recalls, “It was hands down the best game I have ever witnessed or been a part of. If I could relive it every day, I would. I still can’t stop smiling thinking about it.”
Along with this appreciation for USCA softball, Sydney is also very thankful for the USCA Communication Department.
Sydney is a communication major with a minor in Business. As she put it, “I would especially like to thank the Communication Department. They have been a family to me and have gone above and beyond making this experience unforgettable.”
