It's All in the Family for Annalyse Askew
South Carolina junior beach volleyball player Annalyse Askew grew up in an athletic family, particularly in volleyball, and she embraced that competitive spirit.
Her mother, Lynnette, played volleyball and basketball at the University of Mount Olive in North Carolina, where her father, Broden, played baseball. Her older sister, Julianna, played indoor volleyball at East Carolina and previously played indoor and beach volleyball at North Florida.
“We didn’t talk a lot about baseball,” Askew said with a laugh. “That was a little unfortunate for my dad. He has grown to love the sport. I don’t think he ever missed a match when I was growing up. Whenever I go home for break, I’ll see him watching the NCAA volleyball tournament. It took some time, for sure.
“Having parents who played sports in college helped me because they understood the highs and lows of being an athlete and the process of going from high school to college sports. I never felt pressure, but it was nice to have people who understood. Playing sports felt so normal in my household. I never felt forced. We all love playing sports and talking about sports, so it was nice having that support system. I’d be nowhere without them!
“My sister is four years older than me, so I watched her journey. Watching her set the standard for me in a way, it showed me what discipline, resilience, and a consistent routine can do for you and your future. I watched her go through some super highs and lows, and that helped me figure out who I wanted to be as an athlete.”
The Wilmington, North Carolina native transferred to South Carolina after two years at Arizona State after hearing about the hiring of new head coach Jose Loiola.
“Being on the west coast, I heard a lot of really good things about him,” said Askew, who is studying business marketing. “I have some friends who were at UCLA, and they spoke so highly of him. Everyone I spoke with said he is the best coach in the nation. That’s something I really valued after having two years under my belt in college. That was a goal of mine when I went into the portal as well as being closer to home and going to a good school. This is the whole package.
“It has been wonderful. Every day, I trust in him more and more. Our assistant, Maddie (Holmgren), is so knowledgeable as well. I feel like I learned more in the last semester than I had in all my other years previously. I’m at a place where I one hundred percent trust my training.”
“We want to be respected as a team. I want teams to be scared to play us.”
Askew started playing beach volleyball when she was 11 years old and was immediately hooked.
“I didn’t get super competitive into it until I was 15 and joined a club,” Askew said. “I played for a club in Raleigh while balancing high school and playing indoor (volleyball). I loved how involved you are individually in the game. You really control the game more because there are only two people out there. You do everything. You pass, set, hit, play defense, and block.”
For those that haven’t seen the sport live, beach volleyball is unique in its game day atmosphere with music being played while matches are in progress.
“It feels very unserious to some people, but I’m so locked in, I don’t hear anything else that’s going on,” Askew said. “I’m very tunnel-vision during a match. I’m extremely competitive. When I’m in that setting, nothing else matters other than playing and winning.
“This year, I want to have a consistency and confidence in myself. I want to have enough confidence in myself that no matter who is across the net, I can trust my training and make my coaches proud for all the hard work we’ve done. As a team, making it to the national tournament is a big goal for us.
“We want to be respected as a team. I want teams to be scared to play us. We have a special group of girls and special coaching staff. We have a lot of grit this year. I’m excited to see us in action.”
