Silvernail Lands Spot On Pro Volleyball Team

It didn’t take long for Washington State volleyball star Sarah Silvernail to find a new home on the court.

Silvernail, who finished her collegiate career in December, has agreed to play for the Utah Predators of the Pro Volleyball League. The Utah team is based in Salt Lake City and is one of five PVL teams.

“I’m doing this to get my foot in the door for the national team,” said Silvernail, who was named first-team All-American and Pac-10 Conference player of the year this season. “All the national and Olympic players play in this league or overseas. And I can’t go overseas, I’m still a student.”

Silvernail will graduate from WSU this spring and plans on trying out for the national team in Colorado Springs, which could lead to a spot on the 2000 Olympic team.

In order to keep sharp, she will play pro volleyball beginning with a home match against the San Bernardino (Calif.) Jazz on Jan. 25. The season ends April 19. The other teams are from Hawaii and the California cities of San Jose and Sacramento.

Silvernail said because of her WSU scholarship status, she will not be given a salary although the team is allowed to pay for travel, lodging and food.

The league plays on Saturday nights, and Silvernail said she plans on flying out of Pullman on Thursdays and returning on Sundays.

Silvernail of Tacoma, holds the career kills record (1,848) and the single-season kills record (649) at WSU.

, DataTimes