First student-athlete to sign Division I volleyball scholarship

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. (WFSB) - Payton Sirdine made history at Bloomfield High School by becoming the first student-athlete to officially commit and sign to play Division I college volleyball.

Sirdine signed her letter of intent to play at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The opportunity to play at the next level fulfilled a dream she had been working toward for years.

“All the work I’ve put in, plus the extras behind the scenes helped me accomplish this,” Sirdine said. “I think it means a lot to us, just for me being the first and for my dreams to come true.”

Before volleyball, Sirdine’s first love was track and field, where she became a state champion in the shot put.

She competed in multiple events before focusing on throwing.

“Payton can run anything from the mile down and then she was a high jumper, a triple jumper, a longer jumper,” said Colleen Harrison, Bloomfield’s head volleyball coach. “Then she decided I don’t want to do any of that anymore, I just want to throw, so then she picked up the shot.”

Sirdine said her track experience helped her transition to volleyball’s team-oriented approach.

“Coming from track and have to work for myself and then coming to volleyball, where I have to work together with other people so we can all be great, I think that it’s helped me a lot to become the person that I am today,” she said.

Harrison, who coached Sirdine throughout her volleyball career, is also her mother. She watched her daughter develop both as an athlete and person.

“I’m just proud at no matter what she’s stuck with it,” Harrison said. “There’s times where she’s gotten hurt, like she’s twisted her ankle, even in the beginning of this volleyball season, she sprained her ankle like the second game of the season and she battled back.”

Harrison said Sirdine’s determination and focus helped her achieve her college dreams.

“It just goes to show that hard work does pay off, and you can’t give up on yourself,” Harrison said. “If you really want something you have to work for it.”

Sirdine said ending her senior year as a War Hawk while accomplishing her goals meant everything to her.

“I’m just hoping I can continue my great achievements that I had here in high school, in college also,” she said.