Blacksburg’s Anabel Zier has been named the 4D region volleyball player of year after leading the Bruins to the regional championship before being eliminated in the state quarterfinals.
Zier, a junior who has committed to play at Virginia Tech, said this season was big for both her and the team.
“This year, with an almost entirely new team, we knew we had to work hard to reach where we wanted to be. In the beginning of the season we started to mesh and play more as a team and by the end of the season we were able to come out strong each game and play our best for each other,” said.
Personally, she said this season was a chance for her to take one of the leadership positions on the team. “It’s something I’m new at and trying to get better at and I think this season helped me learn and grow as a leader and an athlete,” she said.
The key, according to Zier, has been confidence. “Having the confidence to go up and make those big swings and not be afraid to make errors. Being able to bounce back from mistakes and focus on the next play. Also hard work, coming in the gym everyday focused and ready to work hard to become a better athlete.”
She plans on playing next season, and is excited to see what the future holds especially as she moves on to Virginia Tech. So far, she has not decided on a major for college.
While her parents did not play volleyball, Zier does have a younger sister who is a freshman that is following in big sis’s footsteps.
Zier also runs track where she has been a strong participant in the high jump.
She was joined on the all-region first team by Sarah Boyle and Brenna Ankrum. Rachel Morrow and Lydia Peton were named to the second team.
