Hokie ClubAfter taking a seven-month break from volleyball during her sophomore year, experiencing staff changes and contributing to a positive shift in Virginia Tech volleyball's culture, senior Anabel Zier leads the way in promoting a strong work ethic and team confidence.
Most recently, the team's three-set win against Boston College boosts its overall record to 9-5 and was the squad's first ACC sweep of the season.
"I think it's helped us build our confidence a lot, especially coming off not as great of a season as we wanted last year," Zier said about the season so far. "All the work we've put in this summer, and in the spring, has really shown this season, especially getting our first conference win."
Zier explains that confidence remains a large part of the team's ability to win, explaining how easy it is to slip into a challenging mental space after a loss. Specifically, she explains how head coach Marci Byers reminds the team to mentally place themselves in a better position to win.
"I think the biggest thing for us is our confidence individually and as a team," Zier said. "Like, confidence and trust in our skills that we are good enough – confidence that we can win and have the ability to win games, because that's something that we lacked in the past. So, I think it's kind of shifting that mindset that we don't have to let them roll over us and lose. We don't have to do that. We can win."
Taking a Step Back
However, lack of confidence can also stem from something deeper. During COVID-19, the team experienced a rough patch, losing players not only due to COVID-19 but also because of mental health. Particularly, Zier recalls a rise in mental health struggles during COVID-19.
During her sophomore season, Zier decided that she needed to step away from the court and focus on getting better, citing coming back stronger in the spring as one of her proudest career moments.
Zier now uses her experiences to help others struggling with mental health and encourages them to get help.
"I think it's hard for people to even admit that there's something going on outside of volleyball that they need to take care of," Zier said about the fears surrounding getting help. "And it's even harder for someone to give up something that they love to focus on themselves. So, just letting people know that it's okay to take a step away. You'll have support and no one's going to judge you or think differently of you, and your sport's always going to be there for you to come back to."
With women's sports, Zier notes that a greater pressure exists to look a certain way, which can take a further toll on mental health – specifically confidence, self-esteem and body image. She notes that everyone should be changing the perception of these topics so that women do not feel pressure to conform to these standards.
Changing the Culture
However, despite the added pressures in female sports, she also feels the support of the Blacksburg community.
"You see a lot of discrepancies between males and females in society all the time," Zier mentioned. "I think that women's sports is a place for us to work together as females and perform. And having a community behind us that comes out to support all our female sports shows that we are supported and we are able to do things despite what people say."
Zier has also spent most of her career contributing to the team's positive culture through her strong work ethic that sets an example for the younger girls on the team.
Recalling her high school volleyball coach approaching her, Zier, who is 6-foot-2, jokes that the coach said she should play because of her height. Zier began playing the sport for fun, but once she realized her skill and potential to play in college, she began putting in the hours to get to where she is now.
Preparing the Way for Younger Hokies
Lastly, as Zier prepares to graduate in the spring, she and the other seniors gently nudge the younger girls on the team into leadership roles, so that they do not feel rushed into them next year.
She also reflects on the staff and program changes in volleyball throughout her career and how she wants to be remembered for her efforts in making the program better.
"I just want to be remembered as part of the group that took a step toward changing the culture of Virginia Tech volleyball," Zier said as she reflects on her time at Tech. "We went through a bit of a rough patch for a little while, but with our new coaching staff, we had the entire culture change of the team. That was most of my career here – putting my time and skill into changing the program completely."
After leading the way with confidence, work ethic and self-care, Zier's mark on Virginia Tech volleyball will not soon be forgotten.
Writing HERstory Campaign
Coinciding with Women's History Month in March and the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Virginia Tech Athletics launched a multi-platform brand campaign celebrating the incredible achievements of its female student-athletes, both past and present, while inspiring the next generation of women who aspire to achieve their dreams through athletics. In partnership with Truist, Tech will share stories of its past and current female student-athletes over the course of the calendar year. Ranging from podcast interviews to feature stories and more, the incredible moments and achievements by women over the years in Virginia Tech Athletics will be celebrated.
Pledge Per Set
Support Anabel Zier and the rest of her teammates by making a pledge per set for Virginia Tech volleyball.