Mya Fulton could be on her way to quite a trifecta, having earned All-SWCL First-Team honors as an outfielder last spring and All-Summit League First-Team recognition as a libero this fall.
Up to this point, the Sparta senior has enjoyed more success in softball and volleyball than basketball, but the hardwood is where her heart is.
“Basketball is definitely my No. 1,” Fulton said. “I’ve played it ever since I was able to. It's my favorite sport and then it would be softball and then volleyball. Softball and volleyball are close together. As far as batting, I'll take volleyball over it every single day. But I have a love for the outfield.”
She surprised herself by enjoying success in volleyball.
“My freshman year, I could have cared less about volleyball. I hated it,” Fulton said. “(Coach Rachel Kirkman) came along my sophomore year and I gained my love for volleyball again. Kirkman told me if we still would have been in the SWCL this year, she would have fought for me to be Defensive Player of The Year. She constantly told me how much she loved watching me grow."
Fulton is entering her first go-around as Sparta’s starting point guard and is hungry for success. She averaged 4.1 points and 1.6 assists a game last season.
“I'm looking to win some games, do something big and show everyone in our community that it's not going to be a rebuilding year,” she said. “This year, I’m the main ball-handler. I'm excited to see what I can do and what all my teammates can do.”
Fulton’s future plans are to major in criminal justice and pursue a career as a private investigator. However, she’s not ruling out the possibility of coaching. Many of her leadership characteristics that would serve her well as a coach also figure to aid her in filling the Lady Trojans’ playmaking duties.
“I'm not big on bossing people around. But I'm always there to help my teammates,” Fulton said. “I feel like from having conversations with some of the younger girls, they enjoy being around me and having me on their team. They've told me they want to kidnap me and bring me back next season.”
Even though Fulton has been a backup, coach Josh Loveland has enough confidence in her to call her a coach on the floor.
“There are a lot of times I stop practice to try to correct (things) and Mya is already coaching and correcting. She does that every day,” Loveland said. “I allow her to do that because a lot of times kids are going to accept it from her more than they do me.
“She's very good to have on the floor running the show,” he added. “She does a good job communicating. She's just fun to have around and has been doing a lot of good things.”
With Fulton often being selfless with the ball, Loveland said she will have to learn to be selfish at times.
“She has to go make plays. We are going to need her to score more,” he said. “We tell her, ‘Sometimes, those plays have to be for you and you have to make your own basket.’ If the defense stops her, then she's got to make a play for somebody else. She has to find that line when it's her turn to make a basket and when it's time for her to make a play for somebody else.”
Fulton has balanced being a three-sport athlete all four years of high school.
“It takes a lot of time and work,” she said. You’re constantly doing something. You're always in shape. It kind of takes some pressure off, knowing that when one sport is over, I'm going on to the next one. And, if I don't succeed in one sport, at least I can try my best to succeed in the next sport.”
