Sylla was born in
Palermo, Italy, to Ivorian parents Abdoulaye and Salimata Sylla, who had migrated to Italy in the early 1990s. Due to economic struggles, they soon moved to
Valgreghentino, in the
province of Lecco. Now living in Lecco, at 12 years old Sylla accompanied her cousin to a volleyball tryout for fun, but was selected to be on the team immediately. Because she was born to foreign parents, Sylla did not hold
Italian citizenship, meaning she could not compete for the Italian youth or senior national team. However, this changed when Sylla was 16 years old: Sylla and her entire family acquired
Italian passports, opening the door for her to play with the Italian youth national volleyball team. ==Club career==