Another Ankeny volleyball player has made her college plans.
A day after teammate Baileigh Carlsen verbally committed to play for Auburn, fellow junior Reagan Hanfelt announced her commitment to Iowa State on Thursday.
“I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and volleyball career at Iowa State University!” Hanfelt tweeted. “First, I would like to give a HUGE thank you to Coach Steinbach for helping me become the player I am today. Also, I would like to thank my parents for always being my biggest supporters and my teammates and friends for their confidence in me. Thank you to Coach Johnson-Lynch, Coach Jones, Coach Neef, and Coach Lynch for this amazing opportunity. I can’t wait to be a Cyclone!”
Hanfelt said she received a lot of recruiting interest over the summer.
“My club team did really well at nationals, and I think that really helped a lot,” she said. “I think I was only home for six days in July because of traveling to so many camps and campus visits. It was pretty stressful but also really fun to have that experience. I had some schools reach out for track, but I had decided to focus more on volleyball in college instead.”
Hanfelt, a two-time state placewinner in the high jump, grew up as a Cyclone fan.
“I love many things about Iowa State!” she said. “Their team culture is amazing, and the way the girls get along is great. Their campus is gorgeous, and their facilities are at the top of every list. A couple of things that makes it so much more special are that both of my parents went there so we grew up as Iowa State fans! Their fan base is incredible, and I’m so excited to have an opportunity to play in front of such an amazing crowd.”
Hanfelt said she considered some other schools, but wanted to stay close to home.
“I have two younger siblings and when I leave they both will be very involved with sports so if I was closer I could maybe tag along to some of their activities when I’m not playing,” she said. “I traveled to a couple of schools that were around 8-20 hours away and it made me realize that I couldn’t be that far away.”
The Hawkettes will open the season on Aug. 22 at Dowling Catholic. Hanfelt is expected to play a major role for a squad that has already been depleted by injuries.
North Dakota State recruit Tanith Roush suffered a broken leg in fall camp and could miss the entire season, while Middle Tennessee State recruit Aowyn Schrader is currently out with a hyperextended elbow.
“I’m committed to Ankeny volleyball, and we’ll do everything we can to win a state title this year!” Hanfelt said.
