The RoundHouse | 9/12/2019 8:14:00 AM

 
Nicole Anderson had to convince some of her previous coaches that sand volleyball didn't hurt her indoor volleyball skills.
 
The early return on her freshman season should do the work for her.
 
Anderson, an outside hitter from Richardson, Texas, is tied for the team lead in digs (66) and ranks third with 52 kills with an attack percentage of 226.  Teammate Sina Uluave – also a freshman with a big role – thinks she knows why Anderson is a six-rotation force.
 
"Her hand is super-good," Uluave said. "I probably can't do half the shots that she can take. She can turn it and put it in a spot that's wide open and the block doesn't cover. I think it's because she plays beach. Beach, they tell you, it's a lot more about shots."
 
Indoor volleyball rewards power; sand can produce skills and versatility. The games are different enough some coaches don't want their indoor players on sand. Anderson is volleyball all the time – she never seriously played another sport – and that means playing both.
 
"I've had contradicting opinions from coaches on whether it helps or not," she said. "Beach, though power is important, it is not nearly as important as in indoor. You do a lot more shots. With beach volleyball, you're touching the ball with every rally, so you need to be pretty well-rounded."
 
Shockers coach Chris Lamb said he first saw Anderson at a tournament in Texas and noticed her all-around skills and smarts while playing for a top-level club. He figured in three years of improvement while playing for that club and knew she could help the Shockers, probably early in her career. 
 
"All she's done is play volleyball all year long," he said. "She seems like the kind of kid who's never said no to the opportunity to play volleyball. It's produced a player that has good volleyball I.Q. She's good in so many volleyball situations. For her age, she's been there, done that."
 
Anderson joined a volleyball club at 9 and the sport took over. She credits her enduring affection to the fact she's never had a bad experience with the sport.
 
"Ever since I started volleyball, it's kind of been volleyball, volleyball, volleyball," she said. "I did some brief track and field in middle school, but I don't count that. It's kind of been my life and I haven't gotten sick of it. I always want to be touching a ball, and I think that's a good sign."
 
Those skills are what Lamb saw as he recruited her and those skills are why she can play such a big role as a freshman. Earlier this week, he adjusted her serving duties in an attempt to produce more points and make up for some of Wichita State's scoring struggles.
 
"We're asking Nicole to serve tougher, because we trust her and her hand," he said. "We're going to back her up and let her serve more aggressively. We're asking her to do a little more. Today she's in the gym, trying to make more bomb serves."
 
Anderson and Uluave consider each other role models. Uluave admires Anderson's shot-making creativity. Anderson said she is learning from Uluave's level demeanor and serious approach to practice and matches. Uluave is second on the team with 53 kills and carries a .196 attack percentage. Her 55 digs are third. 
 
Together, Lamb is putting more responsibility on two freshmen attackers than at any time since his earliest days rebuilding the program.
 
This week's Shocker Volleyball Classic adds to the challenge. The Shockers (3-3) play No. 13 BYU (5-1) on Thursday (7 p.m.), defending Atlantic-10 champion VCU (4-3) on Friday (7 p.m.) and No. 3 Texas on Saturday (7 p.m.)
 
"I'm very thankful to (Lamb) for the opportunity to play such high-level teams," Anderson said. "We're excited, we're eager, we're hungry for it. One of my favorite things is playing as an underdog. You can go out there and play with nothing to lose."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.