Fifteen-year-old Emma Graham was joint winner of the Junior Sportsperson of the Month for February after she was selected as part of the NSW under-17s girls' volleyball squad.

Emma was in the under-16 team last year, selected on the basis of her performance in the 2003 Moss Vale High team, which won silver in the national schools' competition.

Volleyball is a tradition in Emma's family. Her older sister Belinda was also in the silver-medal winning team.

Emma started playing volleyball in the backyard with her sister when she was still in primary school, and joined the school junior team as soon as she reached Year 7.

For the past two years she has captained the school senior team, coached by Jemima Finlayson.

Emma will play for the South Coast team, in Temora in May and for the NSW team in Adelaide in July.

She said she would try to take volleyball as far as she could, particularly aiming to see the Moss Vale volleyball team back at the nationals next year.

She plays as a "universal" player, which means she sets the ball at the back of the court, and acts as hitter at the front of the court.

"I'd always wanted to be a hitter, but they recognised that I could set, so I've started doing more of that," Emma said.