It’s back to the drawing board for Sigcau after national selection

Madibaz volleyball star Stella Sigcau was chosen for the University Sport SA team after the recent USSA tournament in Cape Town.

It is fair to say that first-year tourism student Stella Sigcau did not take the scenic route into University Sports South Africa’s national volleyball team.

In fact, once the Madibaz player’s talent was first noticed in secondary school, she was seemingly on a one-way highway to the big time.

The 19-year-old starlet’s selection came as a result of her on-court presence at the recent USSA tournament in Cape Town, where she was a member of the Gqeberha-based Mandela University squad.

When the youngster enrolled at Bloemfontein South High to start her senior education, the volleyball coach spotted her and her sister and encouraged them to try their hand at the sport.

“I didn’t even know volleyball existed in South Africa, let alone Bloemfontein,” she admitted. “I decided to give it a try and fell in love.”

Within her first season, Sigcau caught the eye of the provincial selectors and was drafted into the Free State team for a tournament in Cape Town.

It was that event that opened her eyes to both the technical and tactical nuances of the sport.

“Seeing how my teammates and opponents approached it made me want to grow even more, which I’ve been able to do at Madibaz this year.”

Being unexpectedly selected for the national team after her first USSAs capped off “an amazing week” for the player who has made the position of middle blocker her own.

“I was really shocked!” Sigcau, who hails from the tiny village of Ntabankulu near Mthatha, admitted.

“I didn’t expect anything like that, especially after my first USSA tournament.”

It is no surprise then that she ranks the event and getting the nod as the highlight of her fledgling career. It has also strengthened her resolve to work even harder than before.

However, while rewarding, she said the student showpiece also came with its fair share of challenges.

“It was a real test, both mentally and physically, and sometimes stressful.”

Madibaz, who placed 10 out of 11 institutions, opened their campaign with a hard-fought win over CUT, followed by a tough loss to UKZN.

They also went down to UNIZULU but bounced back against NWU before closing out with another fine victory over Eastern Cape rivals UFH.

“It was all a wonderful experience,” she said.

With the USSAs ticked off, Sigcau is eager to put in place what she has learnt from competing against the best in the country.

“It’s back to the drawing board now because there’s still so much to improve on.”