Since August 1st, Anderson Volleyball has been gearing up for the 2023 season, holding tryouts and beginning two-a-day practices as soon as the teams were decided. They’ve put in the work even this early on, which showed throughout the tourney at the end of last week. The Lady Trojans went 6-0 on the first two days of the tournament, facing teams including Lampasas, Connally, and long-time rival Ann Richards. This record allowed them to advance to the gold bracket and take on Bowie, MacArthur, and Austin High. They put up a tough fight against the Maroons, taking a set off them, but ultimately fell to the team, resulting in a 2nd place finish in the AISD Jason Landers Tournament and finishing 7-1 overall.
“I think one of the biggest takeaways we had is that we are more than capable of competing with each team in district this year,” senior middle blocker Ashlynn Axtell said. This season is Anderson’s second being back in 6A after being bumped down to 5A for a few years, and the team now knows the competition they will be facing. Axtell commented that the Lady Trojans’ performance at the tourney “solidified in [her] mind that [they] can be and are at the same level as many of the high school teams” on the schedule. They fell just short of playoffs last season, but the team is stronger and even more motivated than before, causing them to feel confident in their ability to make it this year.
Senior setter Maddie Stuesser shared similar sentiments when she explained that she feels “[the team] has a really strong chance at doing well and achieving lots of success” this season. As the team leader, she motivates her teammates on and off the court, leading by example and encouraging communication and teamwork amongst the Lady Trojans. Adaptability is a significant part of every sport, although it is even more critical in volleyball. Besides players being forced to adjust to each contact, setters — including Stuesser — have to work to build relationships with their new and existing hitters. “I’ve had to adjust to the new players as a setter by being adaptable and communicative with the new girls,” Maddie explained. Working “to form [these] connections with each new hitter on the court [will] help grow [the] offense this year.”
The Anderson varsity volleyball team is looking powerful and promising coming off that 2nd place finish. The team will travel to San Marcos this evening to play another non-district game. Their district season kicks off on Tuesday, 8/29 with a home game against the Akins Eagles, so make sure to come out and support. Of course, we will post updates and reminders leading up to this match, so stay tuned!
