Two former Louisa girls basketball players, Sylvie Jackson and Olivia McGhee, began their collegiate careers last week. Jackson played in her first game with the Davidson Wildcats, while McGhee played in her first game with the Virginia Cavaliers.
“It was such a surreal feeling,” McGhee said. “The announcers said my name and the gym flooded with cheer and applause. I couldn’t helped but crack a smile and embrace the moment, and of course I had some lingering nerves, but all good ones.”
Louisa is only 40 minutes away from Charlottesville, and with McGhee being close to home, it is just a short ride to get her hometown friends out to support her dreams.
“It was amazing to be able to play in front of my family, hometown friends, and my village that has been supporting me throughout my journey,” McGhee said. “They expressed so much belief in me early in my journey that built up my confidence as I continued to grow.”
McGhee stayed in Louisa through her junior year of high school before transferring to the International Management Group (IMG) school for her senior year.
“I thank God, everyday, that I had a coach like Coach Schreck and the rest of the staff at Louisa,” McGhee said. “The years I spent at Louisa are some of the best, most enjoyable years of basketball I’ve been apart of. And I give a lot of credit to Coach Schreck and the rest of the coaching staff. IMG helped prepare me on the more physical and mental side of things, and I was learning the game everyday from a great staff led by Shell Dailey.”
Sylvie came to Louisa in her sophomore year after attending school at Albemarle High School.
“Louisa helped me prepare for college basketball with time management in my classes and practices,” Sylvie said.
According to Davidson Basketball, Sylvie was their first commit of the 2023 class and her skill set and athleticism fits into their system. And as a person, she is someone the entire coaching staff wants to be around everyday.
“I chose Davidson because of the elite academics and the high level athletics,” Sylvie said. “The people are all genuine and everyone gets along extremely well. The biggest adjustment is the attention to small details, pace and physicality of the game.”
Sylvie ended her high school basketball career last season on the court with her sister, Ella Jackson.
“She was always the person to push me to be better and help me make corrections,” Ella said. “As a sister, she is my best friend and we would do everything together including training sessions. I think she feels very accomplished becaus she knows that all of the work she put in paid off, and it’s what she’s been working for her whole life.”
