COLUMBIA, Mo. – “I didn’t even know if I would make it to the Division I level, much less the USA team,” Anna Dixon said. “A lot of people saw potential in me, but I didn’t really know where my potential was.”
A former player for the Kansas State University women’s volleyball team, Dixon joined the 2019 USA Volleyball Women’s Junior National Team (WJNT) before transferring to Missouri that following season. Dixon comes from a long line of women volleyball players, including her mother and sisters, so she got started with the sport at a young age.
“I grew up around the sport, but my mom never really pressured me to play,” Dixon said. “I kind of just fell in love with it from being around it.”
Dixon began her volleyball career at age 12, starting with a small recreational league and transitioning to a gold level team just two years later. She attributes her success to the support from her family and coaches as well as her years of personal dedication to the game.
“My parents did a really good job of humbling me at a younger age to make sure that I stayed focused and did not look too far ahead,” Dixon said. “So, I kind of just took it year by year and focused on getting better.”
After graduating high school one semester early, Dixon became a Kansas State Wildcat in the spring and was asked to try out for Team USA just a few weeks into practice. Dixon says that her USA Volleyball tryouts were her first time playing six-on-six with other collegiate-level players.
“I was thrown into it, but a lot of the girls knew that I was younger,” Dixon said. “They helped me adapt a lot quicker and get used to the fast-paced game.”
As a younger player, Dixon was invited to join the WJNT and one of the Collegiate National Teams. Dixon became a member of the Junior National Team, after her athletic obligations to K-State conflicted with the Collegiate National Team’s schedule.
Dixon and the WJNT spent one week in Colorado, training eight hours per day to prepare for their upcoming competition in Mexico. She found the training to be more mentally-taxing than physically difficult.
“I think the biggest struggle was staying mentally focused for those four hours and then four again,” Dixon said. “You’re learning so much and you’re trying to adapt and connect with new players, but I definitely felt a large improvement.”
While a member of the WJNT, Dixon played alongside women from all over the country, spanning from the University of Kentucky to Stanford University. Once the team concluded their training in Colorado, they flew to Mexico to take on teams from around the world. Their competition included teams from Italy, Russia, Brazil, Turkey, and more.
Dixon explained how competing against international teams was a unique experience unlike any she played in the U.S.
“The fundamentals are a lot different,” Dixon said. “How they play, their style of play, even how they communicate. Obviously they speak a different language, but even their body language with core celebrations…it was really interesting to see how different the dynamic of each team was.”
Looking back on her experience, Japan’s team stood out most in Dixon’s mind.
“Japan was the coolest team to compete against because they did a lot of things differently than us,” she said. “I think they came across as the underdog so they played a lot smarter than most of the teams.”
After finishing her first season with Kansas State and wrapping up her time with the WJNT, Dixon had her eyes set on Missouri. Hearing Head Coach Joshua Taylor and Assistant Coach Molly Taylor‘s vision for the Black and Gold convinced Dixon to transfer from a Wildcat to a Tiger.
“I love the ideas that they have for this team and for the future of Mizzou volleyball, how competitive of a culture they are wanting to develop,” she said.
Dixon will be joining the Tigers for the first time in their season-opener against Alabama on Oct. 17, 2020.
Players Mentioned
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#3 Anna Dixon
- OH
- 6′ 3″
- Sophomore
