VUVB outside hitter Jagoda Szybinska signs to join twin sister at Northern State

VINCENNES, Ind. – Vincennes University freshman outside hitter Jagoda Szybinska (Poznan, Poland) got a once in a lifetime opportunity to play collegiate volleyball with her twin sister Natalia and jumped at the chance, signing to play at NCAA Division II Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D. next season.

Szybinska's sister Natalie suffered a torn ACL at the end of last season and will likely have to sit out all of the upcoming 2022 season.

"I chose Northern State University because it is a new challenge for me as a volleyball player and student," Szybinska said. "I hope that my sister will be back after next season and we could share the court together one more time and sharing the same passion on the court with her as always is an amazing experience."

"This was definitely unexpected," VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said of Jagoda's signing. "She was planning on coming back for her second year. But she got the opportunity to play at Northern State and it's a great opportunity for her because her twin sister is there. Those two had never played apart from each other until this past year, so I can't imagine how challenging it was for both of them to not be on the court together."

"I just can't think of a better situation for anyone to go into," Sien added. "Whether our players leave after two years, one year or even one semester, as long as they get the opportunity to continue with their studies and play volleyball, for me that's all good. "

Szybinska made a big splash for the Trailblazers this past season, being the team's second leading scorer with 315 points in her only season with the Blue and Gold.

Szybinska ended the season with a team-leading 275 kills, 109 digs, 35 blocks, 20 aces and a .250 hitting percentage to help guide the Blazers to a 22-4 record and the 2021 Region 24 Championship.

Szybinska recorded double-digit kills in 14 matches last season, including an 18-kill, 11-dig double-double against John A. Logan in October.

Szybinska's career-high in kills came against Wabash Valley, where she recorded 20 kills in the five-set thriller.

"One thing I am going to miss at VU is all the friends I've met this past year," Szybinska added. "I think my biggest take away from my time at VU was how much fun we had during the games and practices and the good locker room atmosphere we had as a team."

"Our goal from the beginning of the season was to win the Region 24 Championship," Szybinska said. "I am very happy to have been a part of that."

"We're obviously going to miss her because she is such an exceptional player, but I'm very excited for her to get this opportunity," Sien said. "She's going to be playing against some very high-level competition in a very tough conference."

"If you just look at the numbers, she led us in kills last year and was our second leading scorer, so anybody who puts up those types of numbers is definitely going to be missed," Sien added. "Jagoda was definitely one of our go to hitters on a number of occasions throughout the year. Her hitting percentage of .250 was exceptional for an outside hitter. We were also so balanced at the net with plenty of hitters that we were also able to use her as a decoy at times. So she had a pretty major part in the success of our team last year."

Szybinska will be joining a Wolves squad that finished last season with an 18-11 record under Head Coach Brent Aldridge, against a very tough schedule that included matches against 11 NCAA Division II Top-25 teams.

Northern State plays in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) with perennial top programs like Concordia-St Paul, who has won nine NCAA Division II National Championships since 2007, St. Cloud State and Winona State University, who all made the NCAA Division II National Tournament last season and were all ranked in the Top 25.

Szybinska is a General Studies major and plans to choose a major after the upcoming Fall semester.

"Jagoda was a wonderful addition to the Vincennes University community," Szybinska's advisor and VU English as an Additional Language Program Chair and Assistant Professor of English Emily Yetka said. "Jagoda was great to have in class, especially in discussions because she is very knowledgeable about many topics. Also, she has had so many different life experiences from sailing with her father to navigating coffee shops in Greece with only her native Polish and her English to communicate."

"Just as Jagoda's classmates learned much from her, so did I," Yetka added. "It is such a treat to learn from my students. I am sad to see her leave but so happy for her because she is going to play NCAA Division II volleyball with her twin sister. Natalia and Jagoda have played volleyball together since they were in elementary school and make a great team. I can't wait to see what the Szybinska twins will accomplish when they are reunited, on and off the court."

The Vincennes University Athletic Department wishes Jagoda Szybinska good luck as she continues her academic and playing careers at Northern State University next season.