CNY spotlight athlete of the week: Tully volleyball player Emma Byrne (video)

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Tully volleyball player Emma Byrne has loads of energy, and she’s generous in spreading it around among her teammates.

That naturally pleases Black Knights coach Jeremy Cook, with one caveat. Cook advises caution to fellow players who are invited to put in a little extra work with their senior star.

Byrne bounces back from the bonus running and/or weightlifting with nary a blink. But the fellow players who go along for the ride often fail to fully realize what they are in for, and occasionally show up to practice the next day sore and slow.

“Coach always tells us, he’s like ‘If you haven’t gone on a run recently or if you haven’t lifted weights, and Emma asks you to, don’t go. You’re going to get hurt,’” Byrne said. “I am definitely the person on the team to be like, ‘Alright, let’s go for a run.’ Let’s go work out.’ I wouldn’t say they come too sore the next day. They can always function. But I definitely want the best for everyone. I definitely am not going to let our team kind of slide off and settle where we are. I think we should always be getting better.”

That fruits of that philosophy are readily apparent.

After an 11-0 season last year that ended with no playoffs because of Covid, the Black Knights have ripped off a 14-0 start this winter. Byrne is the engine of the team, with 168 kills and 131 digs. Her all-around brilliance for Tully has earned her recognition as Syracuse.com’s spotlight athlete of the week.

“I know people say this all the time, but she’s the best kind of kid to coach. She’s so intrinsically motivated,” Cook said. “It’s a pretty amazing effect. I’ve never coached anyone like her.”

If Byrne’s athletic life was any more hectic, she would have to take her meals during timeouts in practices and games. She’s a four-sport athlete at the school, competing in soccer, volleyball and outdoor track the past two seasons. Before she took up the latter sport, Byrne played varsity lacrosse.

“Right now, I’d have to say volleyball (is her favorite). But soccer is really a top contender. I kind of zone in on whatever sport I’m doing at the moment,” she said

Even the frostiest of weather doesn’t freeze her out. She’s an excellent skier and when that option isn’t available she stays warm by skating, sledding or playing pond hockey. All sports are fun, but the competitive side of Byrne is a large shadow too.

“I’ve always kind of been a little spitfire. I’ve always kind of wanted it a little bit extra. I love winning, but I really, really, really hate to lose,” she said. “When something isn’t going how I want it to go, when something isn’t going our way for the team, it kind of turns up the knot and it’s like it’s game time, c’mon, amp it up. It’s like the drive in me to never lose.”

Byrne’s role on the team has been magnified the past two seasons. She initially filled the setter’s position but Cook switched her to hitter mid-last year because of her power. Her all-around understanding of the sport’s nuances have been invaluable to the coach. Cook said sometimes he’s on the verge of calling a timeout to review strategy but instead backs off when he sees Byrne gathering teammates for quick chats between points.

“It’s a very unique skill-set that she has,” Cook said.

“Volleyball is a lot about instincts,” Byrne said. “It’s really quick. You’ve got to get in the right place at the right time. I’ve learned how to read people’s shoulders a lot. So you can tell when people are going to hit the ball cross court or line. So you just kind of have to move there and then just trust your gut and dive for the ball or just get a touch on it. Hopefully it’s the best (play) you can make.”

The Black Knights need their two-season momentum at full-force for the next few weeks. Their winning streak makes them the standard for all foes. And because Covid canceled the playoffs last winter, the team has nothing definitive to show for all its excellence.

“I still kind of play every game like it was the Covid season that we had a few years ago, where it’s like you don’t know if you’re going to play. You don’t know if this the last game, last practice. I feel like I just kind of take everything in the moment so I can experience it right then,” Byrne said. “It’s definitely a lot of pressure. It puts that target on our back so other schools are like, let’s be the one to take down Tully. I think it just kind of forces us to give our best effort during every single game, which is honestly better because I think we work really well under pressure.”

Byrne has another reason to stretch her limits. Her competitive athletic career is just a few months from coming to an end.

Byrne wants to be a physical therapist and the colleges she’s interested in -- Miami and North Carolina, for instance -- have athletic programs that compete at a higher level than where she realistically fits. She hopes to play club sports wherever she lands, but she knows that won’t be the same as sweating it out with scholastic teammates.

“It is definitely going to be super hard to give up (competitive) sports. And I know that I will not be someone who just gives up on sports for the rest of my life,” she said. “I would love to play a club sport in college. And even past that, I would love to be a coach someday. I would love to take my experience and bring it back and help younger kids. And even through work in PT you can work with a lot of athletes. There’s a lot of opportunities to be working in gyms like that. So I’m definitely going to take that into my career.”

Contact Lindsay Kramer anytime: Email | Twitter

MORE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS COVERAGE

From one Lakers football team to another, Jay Steinhorst rolls up his sleeves at Skaneateles

State large-school football team released: CBA, C-NS, Baldwinsville dominate from Section III

Turnaround teams: Why are these 9 boys basketball squads so improved over last year?

Section III girls winter volleyball stats leaders (Week 8)

West Genesee, Oswego cheerleading teams win SCAC division titles (51 photos)

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.