Nearly two weeks ago, Anderson Volleyball had their first commit in their junior class, and as of Friday, they’ve gained another. Ashlynn Axtell has announced her commitment to play volleyball at Troy University, a Division I school in Alabama. She will continue to represent the Trojans during the next phase of her education, just at a different school. The 6’0 junior is a middle whose block will stop even the quickest hitters, and her swing is fast and powerful, which enables her to put the ball down for the kill.
Axtell has played volleyball since fourth grade when she started playing recreationally. Once she realized her love of the sport, she began playing at Roots at age eleven and plans to stay at this club until she heads to college. When Ashlynn moved up to high school volleyball, the coaches immediately took notice of her skills and put her on JV her freshman year. She claimed a spot on varsity as a sophomore and has rapidly become a staple player in the front row. As her senior season approaches, Axtell explained that one of her big goals “is to make playoffs this year.” Since Anderson moved up to 6A in 2022, it was a challenging transition, and “[they] played a lot of tough teams,” causing them to fall short of playoffs. Ashlynn is not dwelling on the past, though, and confidently said she thinks “[the team] is more than capable of making [playoffs] this upcoming season.”
Although she is a junior, Axtell didn’t hesitate to make her verbal commitment to Troy. “The campus and the volleyball program were exactly what I was looking for,” she said. She described the team as “tight-knit” and is excited to “play a lot of very high-level teams” when she is a collegiate Trojan. Ashlynn explained that “the recruiting process is extremely stressful” and wanted to enter her senior year knowing where she’ll attend college. Axtell added that “after visiting Troy, [she] just had a feeling that [she] was going to fit in perfectly, and [she] just couldn’t pass up on that.”
Collegiate volleyball is a different beast, but Ashlynn is excited about the new experiences. She’s “looking forward to creating bonds with all the girls and coaches at Troy.” Axtell also noted the importance of athletics to Troy’s culture, yet another reason she chose to accept their offer. They “view sports as a big part of their school,” something she can not wait to be a part of.
Finally, her commitment story would not be complete without addressing her mentors and fellow players. Axtell recognized her Roots coaches, Lindsay Thompson and Lindsay Rosenthal, for being influential and pushing her to do her best. On top of the list of mentors is Anderson’s head coach, Coach Byers, who “has always been one of [her] number one supporters when it came to playing D1.” Ashlynn explained how Byers “always gave [her] the encouragement [she] needed” to be able to commit. Axtell also mentioned her friends Maddie Stuesser and Jazmine Gaston, girls she has played with since her Murchison days. “I just couldn’t ask for better people to finish my high school career with,” Ashlynn said.
That’s yet another commitment in the books for Anderson Volleyball, and there promises to be many more to come. It is sure to be an exciting year for the Lady Trojans as they prepare for their second 6A season with their growing number of commits and overall talented players.
