Athletes Unlimited Volleyball: Lianna Sybeldon

As I have mentioned many times, most recently with Athletes Unlimited's Willow Johnson, I am always intrigued by multi-generational sports families, especially multi-sports and even more specifically multi-genders. Lianna Sybeldon fits all of those categories.

Lianna's father Steve was an offensive tackle at North Dakota State before being selected by the New York Jets in the 10th round of the 1979 NFL draft. Steve ended up playing a bit for the CFL British Columbia Lions, but didn't see any regular season NFL action. Steve's wife, Lianna's mom was a professional dancer.

Lianna starred at the University of Washington. She then played internationally in Puerto Rico and Romania. Like most other players, I did not have a chance to watch Lianna prior to the AU season, but I was very impressed with her on and off the court during this season. Of course, I had to ask her about her dad and she joked about not listening to any advice. She was really fun in those sessions, which can be found at On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Volleyball 2021.

Lianna finished in 11th place in the AU Volleyball season. While Jordan Larson dominated in winning the league championship, positions 2-11 were separated by only 900 points. It was extremely competitive and Lianna was right in the mix.

Go to AUProSports.com for more info on all of the AU sports leagues. I couldn't find much more on Lianna's current life, but I have a feeling she is still connected to sports in some way..

Lianna Sybeldon and me-March 2021.

On the Beat With Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week 3 Part 1

Week Three is in the books for Athletes Unlimited Volleyball. I have to admit, I am enjoying watching volleyball much more than anticipated.

These women athletes are the best volleyball players in the world and they aren't playing for millions of dollars. Of course they are being paid, but the unique structure of the league is basically a pay for performance system. Additionally, there is a built-in donation to the charity of the player's choosing.

The games are played Saturday through Monday, with two matches each day. All of the games are followed by media sessions. I'll also admit, although I heard of most of these players, I knew very little about any of them. Through the broadcasts and the media sessions, I am learning a lot and enjoying the journey with them.

Today, I am featuring the first three media sessions from Week Three. Bethania DeLaCruz, Lianna Sybeldon, Nia Grant, Sheilla Castro, Molly McCage, Brie King and Karsta Lowe and Kelly Hunter all took turns answering questions and giving their thoughts. Topics range from specific game details to very general interest stuff. You can pretty much know which area was my focus. Check the sessions at On the Beat with Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Week 3 Part 1.

Go to AUProSports.com for more info on the players and the league. Check my recurring coverage here and on GlobalTravelerUSA.com, Patch.com and GlobalWomensSportsRadio.com.

Kelly Hunter and me-March 2021.