Ankeny senior libero Hailey Flanders has signed a letter of intent to play volleyball next year at Ferris State, an NCAA Division II school in Big Rapids, Mich.
Flanders said she looked at a variety of schools before choosing the Bulldogs.
“I mainly focused on high DII and low DI (schools),” said Flanders. “I committed very early compared to some other girls in my class, but I also think my options differed because I hadn’t had the chance to play libero until this year and so I committed to a spot I hadn’t even played in yet. After school season last year, I took a trip to the last few schools I was between and Ferris really stuck out to me. Their coach reminds me of my club coach who I love so dearly and think highly of. I know everyone says this, but seriously it is the most connected team I have seen out of all the schools I visited.”
Flanders helped the Hawkettes to a 28-9 record and a trip to the Class 5A semifinals this season. She led Class 5A with 60 aces and ranked fourth in Class 5A with 450 digs.
Flanders was a unanimous pick to the CIML Conference first team.
Flanders will join a Ferris State program that competes in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs currently boast records of 13-3 in the conference and 22-6 overall heading into this week’s GLIAC tournament.
“The interactions between players as well as the coaching staff was amazing, and it seems like a very healthy environment,” Flanders said. “I always said I wanted to go somewhere warm, but I ended up in one of the coldest states. Ultimately what made me choose the school is that I got a feeling on my final visit that Ferris was going to be my new ‘home’.
“Also, I can’t forget how successful of a program they are; they make girls better in the gym every day and also push you to be a better person,” she added.