Chaykowsky commits to play volleyball at Saint Louis
Cayce Chaykowsky is set to become the first Henderson County volleyball player to compete at the NCAA Division I level.
Chaykowsky commits to play volleyball at Saint Louis Cayce Chaykowsky is set to become the first Henderson County volleyball player to compete at the NCAA Division I level. Check out this story on thegleaner.com: http://www.thegleaner.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/03/28/chaykowsky-commits-play-volleyball-saint-louis/99566210/
Kyle Sokeland, kyle.sokeland@courierpress.com Published 4:11 p.m. CT March 28, 2017 | Updated 8:57 p.m. CT March 28, 2017
Henderson County's Cayce Chaykowsky (6) digs the ball during the Second Region volleyball tournament championship game against Caldwell County at University Heights Academy in Hopkinsville, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016. Henderson County beat Caldwell County 3-0. (Photo: Alex Slitz / The Gleaner)Buy Photo
Cayce Chaykowsky had no idea what the coach was talking about.
She was sitting in the stands at a volleyball game in Paducah, where her father, Nick, was a teacher and working the gate.
That's when Cayce was put to work herself.
"The coach was like, 'Cayce come help me shag balls," said Chaykowsky. "I was in the fourth grade and I had no idea what that meant. 'Just chase and grab the balls.' I've been in love ever since."
Chaykowsky has come a long way since chasing those volleyballs. She is now a standout libero for Henderson County and last week committed to play at Saint Louis University.
With plans to sign her national letter of intent in the fall, Chaykowsky will soon become the first Henderson County volleyball player to compete at the NCAA Division I level.
"For Cayce to set that standard, that's great," said Henderson County coach Ashley Sallee-Robinson. "That was her dream, to go as big as she can. It's hard to go D1 and she did it. It shows the girls that if you want something like that, then you can do it.
"That is a start to get kids more involved in the sport of volleyball. That will help the volleyball community get more respect and attention. They will be more interested. What does D1 volleyball really look like? It's really going to help our girls."
Chaykowsky first got in contact with Saint Louis when one of her teammates on the USA Volleyball High Performance team, SLU commit Sara Daniels, told the coaches about her.
At the time, the Billikens didn't need a libero. That changed a few months later and they contacted Chaykowsky, who took a visit and was hooked.
Cayce Chaykowsky (Photo: photo)
Saint Louis went 18-14 last year under head coach Kent Miller and advanced to the Atlantic 10 championship.
"I really liked the school, the coaches and the program," said Chaykowsky, who plans to study biomedical engineering. "I really liked the facilities and the location of everything. You are in downtown St. Louis, but it doesn't feel like you are in a city. It's really pretty and there is green everywhere.
"It is a big facility. It feels like a home court. It is your own place."
As a junior, Chaykowsky was a member of the All-Region first team after totaling 518 digs and 95 aces. The Lady Colonels went 29-10 and advanced to the state tournament for the second straight year.
Chaykowsky's leadership and work ethic have always been a double-check plus for Sallee-Robinson.
"Cayce will push everyone in that program, including the coach, to be better in the sport of volleyball," she said. "She doesn't expect anything but the best that you have. With her leading and coming back as another captain, I think this team could go as far as she and the rest of the senior class want it to go."
Next up will be club volleyball with Alliance Volleyball Club, which based in Nashville, Tennessee, through June. After that, Chaykowsky could do another stint with USA Volleyball or focus on improvement in camps before she begins her senior year for the Lady Colonels.
"You learn the mental part of the game and how to become mentally tough," Chaykowsky said about competing in the USA program. "I allow my teammates to know that they can trust me. I am always there and they can always count on me. I will back them up and make them a better player."
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