Sharay Barnes has certainly played some outstanding volleyball for Strath Haven High School in Wallingford. Barnes is one of the top scholastic players in the Philadelphia area. The 6-foot-1 senior will have a chance to play Division I volleyball at the University of Kentucky next season.
“I’m really excited about going down there,” Barnes said. The school is in Lexington, Kentucky. It’s a beautiful school. They have great fans down there. They have some great coaches. Craig Skinner is the head coach. Lindsey (Gray-Walton) is the assistant coach. I was really impressed with them. I had received interest from a lot of schools like Texas Tech and DePaul. I’m really happy about going there.”
Barnes, an All-Delaware County standout, started playing volleyball as a seventh-grader at Strath Haven Middle School. She didn’t realize her potential until her freshman year.
“I was just having fun in the seventh grade,” Barnes said. “I didn’t take it seriously until the ninth grade. I joined the Liberty Belles (club). That’s where I started playing more volleyball. I really worked on my skills. I got better once I got into high school.”
Barnes helped Strath Haven become a great volleyball team over the last few years. The school competes against some of the best high school teams in the state.
“We’ve played some good volleyball teams like Bishop Shanahan and Parkland,” Barnes said. “We went to the PIAA playoffs this year. It was a good year for us.”
Barnes works out regularly with the Synergy Volleyball Club in King of Prussia. She wants to prepare for her college career at Kentucky. The Wildcats play in the Southeastern Conference against some great teams such as Tennessee, LSU, Auburn and Florida.
“I think blocking and hitting are the best things that I do on the court,” Barnes said. “I’m going to work on my passing and quickness. I want to continue to get better.”
Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
