University of Minnesota Athletics
Freshman Feature: Sydney Kleinman
8/16/2017 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sydney Kleiman started her University of Minnesota tenure two months ago when she arrived on campus. Hailing from Frisco, Texas, Kleinman played for Wakeland High School and Dallas Skyline Juniors Volleyball. A Second Team Under Armour All-American, she was ranked 44th in Prepvolleyball.com's Senior Aces. As a senior, she had over 580 kills, hit .315 and 300 digs and was a two-time all-state selection. With Skyline, she was on the 2015 and 2016 all-tournament team at Nationals and was a part of the 2014 USAV National Championship team. We caught up with Kleinman after her first week of practice.
Gophersports.com: When did you first start playing volleyball and how did you get involved with the sport?
Sydney Kleinman: I started playing when I was in fifth grade. Both my parents played basketball in college and they didn't want me to play a different sport so I tried volleyball and have been playing it ever since.
GS: How did you decide to come to Minnesota?
SK: I committed when I was 14, so a long time ago. A lot of other colleges I was looking at just didn't feel right. When I got here and met the players and coaches I just fell in love with this place.
GS: How have you been able to get acclimated to the University of Minnesota?
SK: My teammates. My teammates are definitely the ones who helped me through school, getting around Minnesota and learning how things are different here.
GS: Being from Texas, how has your team help you adjust to Minneota?
SK: Our freshman class is a super tight group, all of us have each others backs. The upperclassmen have been great in including us and making sure that we really feel apart of the team here, which is awesome.
GS: Have you been able to explore the city or campus much since you have been here? What has been your favorite hangout?
SK: A little bit, I love my apartment! My favorite place is probably Tony's Dinner, we go there a lot.
GS: As an outside hitter, how have some of the other outsides helped you transition into the college game?
SK: They have helped me a lot. I needed to speed up and be a little quicker and they helped me with technique. They also help me believe in myself and are very encouraging. There is a lot of support here which is great.
GS: What is some of the best advice you've gotten from your teammates so far?
SK: Not to criticize myself. Everyone wants to criticize, so you need to be your best supporter. That has really stuck with me a lot.
