Dixon commits to Kansas State volleyball

Louisburg sophomore Anna Dixon sends one of her team-high 382 kills over the net during a match earlier this season. On Sunday, Dixon made a verbal commitment to play volleyball for Kansas State.

Most eighth graders spend their time thinking about what high school is going to be like, what they are going to wear to school the next day or how much homework they have to do.

Anna Dixon did some of that, but she also spent most of her days in eighth grade wondering where she was going to go to college. You see, schools have been recruiting Dixon to play volleyball since her time in Louisburg Middle School.

Division I programs from across the Midwest expressed interest in Dixon and those programs ask their recruits to make a decision by their sophomore season in high school. After two years of recruitment, the Louisburg High School sophomore figured out where she wanted to go to school.

Dixon verbally committed to Kansas State on Sunday after receiving offers from three other schools and interest from several others.

“A lot of my family went there and I was looking for a college in a top conference and the Big 12 is one of the top three conferences for volleyball,” Dixon said. “I was wanting to go somewhere where I could be a part of the program and I felt K-State was somewhere that I could fit in well.

“The atmosphere at K-State is just incredible. The people were so much nicer than anywhere I went and that definitely stuck out to me. That was a big thing for me too.”

Dixon received offers from Creighton, Missouri and Wichita State and also had strong interest from Kansas and Colorado State, but she felt a tug toward Manhattan. Kansas State started recruiting her in eighth grade and made her an official offer over Christmas break last year.

The decision was a tough one for Dixon, as she had several choices to choose from, but she admits she is glad for it to all be over.

“It felt like a huge relief,” she said. “The recruiting process started for me around eighth grade, and while the process was exciting, it also got super stressful because I am at such a young age and it is hard to know where you want to go in four years because there is so many things you have to think about.

“It is different for every girl, but for me it was stressful because colleges were asking me what I wanted to major in and what I look for in a college. I was like I don’t even know what I want for breakfast the next morning, much less what I want to do in four years.”

Although Dixon can’t officially sign her letter of intent until her senior year of high school, she is excited to join the Wildcat program. Her family, including her parents Jerry and Beth Dixon, were all smiles as well.

“They were super excited, especially my dad,” Anna said. “They were going to support me wherever I went, but I think they all wanted me to K-State. They were all really happy for me.”

The K-State coaches have told Dixon they plan to use her as an outside hitter, but could also see her playing six rotations. She currently plays all six spots for Louisburg as she leads the Wildcats with 382 kills, 128 blocks and 44 aces on the season.

“They told me they think I can be pretty big for their program,” Dixon said. “I hope they are right and I am going to help out the program in any way that I can. I am really looking forward to it.”