With a potential ticket to nationals on the line last April with her club team, sophomore volleyball player Aanya Hotha took a deep breath as she lined up on the back court. Hoisting the ball into the air, she timed her jump perfectly, smacking the serve with full force. As the ball flew over the net, it landed perfectly in the weak spot of the other team’s defense, securing the win for her team.
Hotha ended the match with six aces in a row, successfully sending her U13 season Vision Volleyball Club team toward a qualification (bid) to nationals.
Standing at 6 feet 2 inches, Hotha has the frame of a star volleyball player. She has been playing club volleyball at Vision — one of the highest ranked volleyball clubs in NorCal — since she was 9. For the past several years, her club team has qualified for an open bid to nationals, a prestigious feat. With over 2,000 teams in each age group, only 36 bids are given out per division, with open being the hardest division to qualify for.
“My parents knew I was going to be tall, so they decided to enroll me in volleyball,” Hotha said.
From there on out, she began training consistently two to three times a week, and advanced on to Vision’s top team for her age group, which she now plays on. Hotha plays middle blocker for her club and the school’s varsity team.
Hotha’s passion for volleyball is not only a result of the exhilaration that comes with winning games, but the community that comes with it. Her team’s chemistry is what inspires her to play the best she can, and some of her closest friends were made on the court.
“I know that there’s always people supporting me, and they’re always gonna have my back, no matter how I play, which reassures me and makes me more confident,” Hotha said.
On Sept. 7, the girls’ volleyball team participated in Spike Fest, a prestigious volleyball tournament where 32 teams in Northern California compete. After a successful first tournament, the team received 2nd in the bronze division. Hotha took away some good lessons from the tournament and is even more excited to take on another season.
“I feel like we really came together as a team, and it was a team effort to get the results that we got. I think we can definitely work on our communication, but every team needs to improve on that and it takes a long time,” said Hotha.
One of Hotha’s proudest moments was being awarded an all league award last year for “Outstanding Freshman,” a feat she is hoping to rival with this year’s season.
For the 2024 season, she’s hoping the team will qualify for CCS, which the team was able to make last year, but lost in a first round upset.
As a player, Hotha admires middle blocker Asjia O’Neal, who played for the Texas Longhorns and won a national championship for them.
“Players like O’Neal have really helped shape me into the player that I am today. It really inspired me how she was able to push through a heart disease, which helped me during my leg injury last year,” Hotha said.
Beyond playing key roles for both her school and club teams, Hotha is looking to pursue her love for volleyball at the college level.
“I’m really looking forward to being able to take my passion for volleyball to the next stage and hopefully go D1,” she said.
