'I was speechless:' This Savannah-area star did something that's never been done before

Veronica Sierzant of Islands High School became the first three-time winner of the Hollis Stacy Award as the most versatile female high school athlete in Savannah on Monday.

Sierzant, a senior who has signed to play volleyball at Syracuse, was also a star basketball player and a standout in track and field this year. To be eligible for the award, which is voted on by local athletic directors and media, student athletes must compete in three sports during the school year. Savannah High senior India Stafford finished second in the voting.

Four athletes had won the award twice before Sierzant joined the group as a junior.  Catherine Booker of Savannah Country Day was the first in 1995 and 1996, followed by Lizzie Sprague of Savannah Country Day (2003 and 2004), Chandler Ewaldsen of Savannah Christian (2013 and 2014) and Sarah Stewart of St. Vincent's (2016 and 2017).

Sierzant got a Monday afternoon call from award coordinator Leslie Moses, whose late father Gary Moses introduced the award in 1993, and heard she was the winner of the 31st annual installment of the honor.

"I was speechless when she told me," Sierzant said. "I think I may have said the same thing the last two times I won it, but it was true once again. I'm not all about awards, but once I won it twice I really wanted to go for it and become the first to win it three times. I was really happy when she told me."

Sierzant commits to Syracuse volleyball Prep highlights: How Veronica Sierzant landed with dream school Syracuse to play volleyball

2023 All-Greater Savannah girls hoops Meet the 2023 All-Greater Savannah Girls Basketball team and Coach of the Year

2023 All-Greater Savannah Volleyball Meet the All-Greater Savannah volleyball team and Coach of the Year for 2022

Sierzant was named the Savanah Morning News Volleyball Player of the Year as a junior and was an All-Greater Savannah first-team selection in basketball. She earned first-team All-Greater Savannah honors in both sports again this year, with Player of the Year honors set to be announced at the Coastal Empire High School Sports Awards Show on June 5 at the Johnny Mercer Theater.

This year in volleyball, she was a named a second-team AVCA High School All-America selection and was selected as the Region 3-4A player of the year. She had 480 kills, 156 digs and 56 aces for a Sharks team that won a region title and went 32-7, reaching the second round of the state playoffs. An outside hitter for her high school team, the 6-foot-3 Sierzant will play at her natural position of setter at Syracuse.

"It's really tough competition to win the Hollis Stacy Award each year, but there is nobody more deserving of this than Veronica," Islands volleyball coach Jessica Decker said. "Her athleticism and character just continued to build year after year. She is about to go off to Syracuse, but she is still coming in after school to put up the net and get some reps in. She has put in every ounce of effort she can outside of regular practices and workouts to get where she is today.

"I'm still trying to come to terms with Veronica graduating," Decker said. "As a coach, she's a once-in-a-lifetime athlete that you get an opportunity to work with. We're all so proud of her and will miss her."

Sierzant, who maintains a 4.0 GPA, played four sports as a sophomore and junior, doubling up as a defender in soccer in the spring when she also ran track. This year, she limited it to one spring sport and was a member of the Islands 4X400 meter relay team that qualified for sectionals.

In basketball, Sierzant had another outstanding season. She was the Region 3-4A Co-Player of the Year and averaged 18.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.9 steals per game. She ended her career at Islands as the school's all-time leader in career points (1,569) and rebounds (1,216).

"I've coached for 40 years at all different levels and Veronica is one of the best athletes I've ever seen," Islands girls basketball coach Karl DeMasi said. "What makes her so special is her desired to be the best in whatever she does. In basketball, she can play inside, outside or even run the point, she is so versatile -- so it's no surprise that she can play all the other sports.

"She's a great kid on and off the court and in and out of the classroom. She's a great leader who is self motivated -- she knows exactly what she wants to do."

Sierzant said playing multiple sports fit her personality.

"I think playing different sports helps you with other sports," Sierzant said. "Basketball helped me with volleyball by keeping me in shape, and track helped me get faster for both volleyball and basketball. And volleyball has always been the best for me, I just love it.

"It helped me meet different kinds of people in each sport, and made my high school experience more enjoyable. And my parents say it keeps me out of trouble," she said with a laugh.

2023 Hollis Stacy nominees announced Who's the most versatile female athlete in Savannah? Hollis Stacy Award nominees announced

Hollis Stacy Award winners

1993 — Joy Brown, Beach

1994 — Susie Kleinpeter, Calvary Day

1995 — Catherine Booker, Savannah Country Day

1996 — Booker, SCD

1997 — Kamesha Mabry, Jenkins

1998 — Arden Wilson, SCD

1999 — Brooke Cornwell, Savannah Christian

2000 — Erin Shields, SCD

2001 — Caroline Griner, Calvary

2002 — Anne Carson, SCD; Kristen Kelly, SCPS

2003 — Lizzie Sprague, SCD

2004 — Sprague, SCD

2005 — Lisa Gray, St. Vincent's Academy

2006 — Haley Reese, SCD

2007 — Christine Phan, Windsor Forest

2008 — Katherine Dotson, SCD

2009 — Katie Covington, Calvary

2010 — Sonny Canady, Calvary

2011 — Jasmine Perrett, Jenkins

2012 — Alicia Lawton, Savannah High

2013 — Chandler Ewaldsen, SCPS

2014 — Ewaldsen, SCPS

2015 — Amari Oliver, SCD

2016 — Sarah Stewart, SVA

2017 — Stewart, SVA

2018 — Anna Bolch, SCD

2019 — Basia Peragine, CDS, and Elizabeth Winders, SVA

2020 — BryAnn Pound, Jenkins

2021 — Veronica Sierzant, Islands

2022 — Sierzant, Islands

2023 — Sierzant, Islands

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Veronica Sierant of Islands becomes first 3-time winner of Stacy Award