Waverly’s Evans Changes Commitment from Colorado State to Nebraska
Waverly 2020 setter Annika Evans was thrilled to be a Colorado State recruit and had been prepared to be a Ram up until a couple weeks ago. Then came an invitation from Nebraska coach John Cook to attend the ‘Dream…
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Continue ReadingWaverly 2020 setter Annika Evans was thrilled to be a Colorado State recruit and had been prepared to be a Ram up until a couple weeks ago.
Then came an invitation from Nebraska coach John Cook to attend the ‘Dream Team’ Elite camp the Huskers hosted at the start of the month.
Then came an invitation from Cook to join his program as a walk-on.
And, just like that, Evans’ college home went from being seven hours away to being 15 minutes down the road.
“At first, it took me by surprise and there was a lot of emotion,” Evans said of the moment when she got the offer from coach Cook. “I love everything about Colorado State. It’s a great program and has great facilities and there is absolutely nothing I can say bad about them.
“But, Nebraska is 15 minutes from my house and they produce really successful people – not just in volleyball but in life. It’s the powerhouse program. It really is a dream come true for me. It’s a great feeling.”
Evans is ranked as the #15 overall player in the PrepDig Class of 2020 rankings and the #3 overall setter in the class. Setter has been an area where the Huskers have struggled to have consistent depth in the last couple years. It has somewhat reared its head again as Czech Republic setter Mari Kurkova left the program in the off-season. That left just returning sophomore Nicklin Hames as the lone setter on the roster.
Nicole Drewnick, a 6-foot-2 setter from Texas, reclassified to being a 2019 high school graduate in order to join the Huskers a year early this fall. Kennedi Orr of Minnesota will join Nebraska in the Class of 2021, and she is good enough to potentially take over the position as a freshman.
Joining the elite group of setters already at or committed to Nebraska doesn’t faze Evans at all.
“I’m excited for the competition,” Evans said. “I’ve never backed down from competition. I’m excited for them to push me and I want to push them back. I’m excited to be in a gym with them.”
As a youngster, Evans started taking lessons from Lauren Cook and when she originally committed to Colorado State, she gave Cook a significant amount of credit for making her into the setter she has become. Evans has played a significant roll at Waverly since her freshman season and has made tremendous strides each year, culminating in 1,032 assists last season (10.1 per set). This fall, she and her Waverly teammates will be one o the favorites to win Class B.
The bad news for the rest of Class B is that Evans said that she understands that now that she’s a Nebraska recruit, it’s even more paramount that she perform well every time she steps on the court because she represents what it takes to be a future Husker.
“It’s definitely a big compliment to get a walk-on offer from coach Cook,” she said. “I’ve got to be on my game at all times and live up to everything the Nebraska program is about.”