Senior Anna Weathers helped the top-ranked Ankeny Christian Academy volleyball team to a sweep over visiting Melcher-Dallas in a Class 1A regional quarterfinal on Wednesday. She had five kills in five total attacks for a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage and also recorded six digs.
Weathers ranks third on the team with 226 kills and is hitting .416 on the season. She leads the Eagles (35-5) with 31 blocks.
Weathers currently boasts career totals of 968 kills, 256 aces, 479 digs and 129 blocks.
Here is some inside info on Weathers:
Congratulations on the win over Melcher-Dallas. What did you think of your team’s performance?
I thought we did really well. This past week during practice we were working a lot on having effective communication, and it paid off! Our serving was also very strong as we had many aces! It was also good to have Katie (Quick) back playing as she was out with an injury last week during the conference tournament!
You had six of the team’s 23 aces and now rank second in the entire state with 89 aces, trailing only Katie’s total of 104 aces. You’ve already surpassed your total of 68 aces from a year ago, so is that something you worked a lot on in the offseason?
It is something I have been trying to focus on a lot in practice, mainly getting quality reps over a high quantity of reps. We have been doing a fair amount of work at hitting serving spots in practice, and when we execute those drills well, it gives us a lot of confidence to hit our spots in a game!
Your team will host Sigourney in a regional semifinal on Monday. What have you learned about the Savages from your scouting report?
Right now, we know that they rely heavily on their outside hitters. They also run a slower tempo, so our blockers and defense will need to adjust their timing.
Your team is attempting to win a third consecutive Class 1A state championship. Do you feel any pressure to complete the threepeat?
There is definitely pressure around completing the threepeat, and it is our team’s main goal. With that being said, we do know our goal, and we are going to keep our heads down and eye on the prize. One way that we have been dealing with the pressure is by focusing on just our team and what is going on with us. Our motto this year is ‘all in’, and it has helped us stay on track in the areas we need to–both with our relationships with the Lord and in our relationships with each other.
Your team proved earlier this season that you could beat some larger schools when you defeated Valley, Norwalk, Waukee, Ankeny and Dowling Catholic to win the Ankeny Centennial Invitational. What did those wins do for the team’s confidence?
Honestly, while it did boost our confidence in the moment when we actually did it, I feel like we knew deep down that we could and it was just a matter of playing at our best when we needed to. We have been practicing hard throughout the entire season, which gives us the confidence to go into the harder games and do what we know we can.
Do you feel like your team can play with any other squad in the state?
Yeah, for sure. We just need to have confidence and believe that we can.
I know you’re also a standout softball player who competes for the Iowa Premier Gold 18U National team. Is softball your favorite sport and the one that you’re planning to play in college?
While I do like volleyball, softball is my favorite sport. I am going to be playing at Cedarville University (Ohio) next year. I have verbally committed to them and will be signing on Nov. 13!
I know you previously played for the Des Moines Christian softball team in 2022-23 before ACA started its own program last year. Were you surprised by how much success your team had in its inaugural season, going 18-7 and reaching a regional semifinal?
Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. I knew we had several high-level players and many people who were willing to work hard and improve. I knew that we could have some success, but didn’t expect so much right away! It was super cool to be the start of a program and to create a lot of “firsts” as a team, and some individually!
You have played both volleyball and softball alongside your sister, Katelyn, who is now a sophomore. Will it seem strange next year when the two of you are no longer teammates?
I have gotten two years to play with Katelyn, and it has been fun to see her grow in different skills and as a person both on and off the court. I will definitely miss her next year, but I will be cheering her on from college!
Do you know what you want to study in college?
I think I am going to study sports medicine or exercise science, but I don’t know which one yet!