SE: Dixon Follows Family Footsteps to K-State Volleyball
Nov 07, 2019 | Volleyball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
It started in eighth grade, the letters from across the country piling up in Anna Dixon's mailbox. The volume of them only picked up as she got into high school. Many of those programs could have saved on postage, however, if they knew of her biological affinity to K-State.
Dixon, now a freshman outside hitter for the Wildcats, grew up coming to football games throughout the years. Her father went to K-State. So did his brother and all of Dixon's cousins. Amy Goode, Dixon's aunt on her mother's side, played for K-State.
So, while the two-time Class 4A Player of the Year, 2018 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and top 50 recruit, according to PrepVolleyball.com, garnered plenty of interest out of Louisburg High School, she had her mind somewhat made up before any of it arrived.
"I got a lot of different letters from all over the U.S., but I still knew this is where I wanted to end up coming to," she said. "I grew up coming to K-State for football games on Saturdays with the family, so it's been a dream of mine since I was little."
In the same breath, Dixon was sort of born into the sport. Her mother, Beth Dixon, played volleyball at Wichita State. Dixon's two older sisters (Sydney and Katie) also played in high school. Sydney went on to play for Fort Hays State.
"It's kind of like a family thing," Dixon said. "But my mom never put pressure on me to play volleyball or pick volleyball. I was a multiple-sport athlete growing up, so they just said do whatever makes you happy."
Volleyball became that outlet, which has made her freshman season at K-State even more enjoyable.
"It's been really cool, honestly," Dixon, who graduated from Louisburg early to start at K-State last spring, said as the Wildcats host Iowa State in Ahearn Field House on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. "It went by really fast, especially the spring. Everything was, honestly, exactly like I expected. The girls were welcoming and fun to play with. We haven't got the results we wanted each game so far, but we're really excited going into this second half."
Dixon is one of those reasons to be excited.
The 6-foot-3 outside hitter ranks second on the team in kills (247) for the season and first in both points per set (3.33) and kills per set (3.01). In conference games only, Dixon's 137 kills are 45 more than the next closest Wildcat.
It's certainly been more than Dixon ever anticipated. But, in fairness, anything would have been.
"I had no expectations for myself coming in," she said. "I came out here early, that way I could improve a lot and get coached by (head coach) Suzie (Fritz), to see if I had opportunities. I knew I had a lot of big hitters in front of me, so I just took it game by game, practice by practice, and just focused on improving my mental game on the court."
Dixon's first match in Ahearn Field House, an exhibition against Missouri, opened her eyes to this specific need for improvement in between her ears. She called it her "oh shoot moment."
"There were like three balls in a row I got blocked, and I was, like, 'OK, I can't do this anymore.' I had to start tipping more, going off the block and finding shots," Dixon said. "After that game, I've been learning a lot. It's been fun."
Dixon said Fritz has been a huge help in getting her to think differently as an outside hitter. Senior setter Sarah Dixon has been as well. Anna said she's learned it's not always about how hard you can hit it. Most times, it's about taking what the defense gives you at the net.
"I feel like, for me, I've had to learn how to be a smarter hitter," Dixon said. "In high school, you were able to just pound balls and be able to get a lot of kills. So, court smarts are definitely what I've had to improve."
Like any freshman, Dixon has had her ups and downs. Recently, more ups.
Dixon has posted double-digit kills in 12 consecutive matches, including a pair of back-to-back 21 kill outings against Oklahoma and in a five-set win against Kansas. She even added in a career-high six blocks in last Saturday's win against TCU.
"Again, it's still a learning process. I have so much to learn as an outside hitter," she said. "For me, it's getting excited about those small kills. If it's a tip to the corner, off the block, I used to never get excited about those tiny kills, but that's where I've noticed my huge jump is being a way smarter hitter than I was coming in."
It started in eighth grade, the letters from across the country piling up in Anna Dixon's mailbox. The volume of them only picked up as she got into high school. Many of those programs could have saved on postage, however, if they knew of her biological affinity to K-State.
Dixon, now a freshman outside hitter for the Wildcats, grew up coming to football games throughout the years. Her father went to K-State. So did his brother and all of Dixon's cousins. Amy Goode, Dixon's aunt on her mother's side, played for K-State.
So, while the two-time Class 4A Player of the Year, 2018 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and top 50 recruit, according to PrepVolleyball.com, garnered plenty of interest out of Louisburg High School, she had her mind somewhat made up before any of it arrived.
"I got a lot of different letters from all over the U.S., but I still knew this is where I wanted to end up coming to," she said. "I grew up coming to K-State for football games on Saturdays with the family, so it's been a dream of mine since I was little."
In the same breath, Dixon was sort of born into the sport. Her mother, Beth Dixon, played volleyball at Wichita State. Dixon's two older sisters (Sydney and Katie) also played in high school. Sydney went on to play for Fort Hays State.
"It's kind of like a family thing," Dixon said. "But my mom never put pressure on me to play volleyball or pick volleyball. I was a multiple-sport athlete growing up, so they just said do whatever makes you happy."
Volleyball became that outlet, which has made her freshman season at K-State even more enjoyable.
"It's been really cool, honestly," Dixon, who graduated from Louisburg early to start at K-State last spring, said as the Wildcats host Iowa State in Ahearn Field House on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. "It went by really fast, especially the spring. Everything was, honestly, exactly like I expected. The girls were welcoming and fun to play with. We haven't got the results we wanted each game so far, but we're really excited going into this second half."
Dixon is one of those reasons to be excited.
The 6-foot-3 outside hitter ranks second on the team in kills (247) for the season and first in both points per set (3.33) and kills per set (3.01). In conference games only, Dixon's 137 kills are 45 more than the next closest Wildcat.
It's certainly been more than Dixon ever anticipated. But, in fairness, anything would have been.
"I had no expectations for myself coming in," she said. "I came out here early, that way I could improve a lot and get coached by (head coach) Suzie (Fritz), to see if I had opportunities. I knew I had a lot of big hitters in front of me, so I just took it game by game, practice by practice, and just focused on improving my mental game on the court."
Dixon's first match in Ahearn Field House, an exhibition against Missouri, opened her eyes to this specific need for improvement in between her ears. She called it her "oh shoot moment."
"There were like three balls in a row I got blocked, and I was, like, 'OK, I can't do this anymore.' I had to start tipping more, going off the block and finding shots," Dixon said. "After that game, I've been learning a lot. It's been fun."
Dixon said Fritz has been a huge help in getting her to think differently as an outside hitter. Senior setter Sarah Dixon has been as well. Anna said she's learned it's not always about how hard you can hit it. Most times, it's about taking what the defense gives you at the net.
"I feel like, for me, I've had to learn how to be a smarter hitter," Dixon said. "In high school, you were able to just pound balls and be able to get a lot of kills. So, court smarts are definitely what I've had to improve."
Like any freshman, Dixon has had her ups and downs. Recently, more ups.
Dixon has posted double-digit kills in 12 consecutive matches, including a pair of back-to-back 21 kill outings against Oklahoma and in a five-set win against Kansas. She even added in a career-high six blocks in last Saturday's win against TCU.
"Again, it's still a learning process. I have so much to learn as an outside hitter," she said. "For me, it's getting excited about those small kills. If it's a tip to the corner, off the block, I used to never get excited about those tiny kills, but that's where I've noticed my huge jump is being a way smarter hitter than I was coming in."
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