Annalise (Anne) Grant (’25) made arguably the most important decision of her high school career this fall; committing to where she will go for college. Grant, Dowling varsity volleyball libero and Six Pack libero, is ecstatic to call Iowa State her home for her college career. After being pursued by a great deal of college recruiters, Grant ended up committing to ISU. “I just really couldn’t say no, I saw myself there,” she says. Grant found ISU’s athletic programs and social environment irresistible, saying “They treat their athletes like royalty and you can just tell everyone loves their life.”

Surprisingly, Grant struggled at first with her positive feelings toward ISU. “I feel like I’m meant for something really big, I want to be big, I want to see the world, I did not want to be in state,” Grant remembers thinking four days before her commitment. But after a campus visit and talking with the ISU players, Grant realized she had an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. “In-state girls want to go there and girls from across the country want to pick Iowa State, which kind of puts perspective on the fact that people want to be here,” Grant explains. “I will still have my own life, I will still be independent, and my family will be able to come to my games.” 

Big 12 Conference, big school, lots of people, big college town, great athlete environment…it checked all of Grant’s boxes. “Iowa State was my first offer and they prioritized me from the start,” Grant says. “There were just no cons to it.” Now that she has made her choice, Grant feels confident in her future, saying, “I know I’ve finally settled at the right place and I have nothing to worry about. These girls are my people.”

After making her decision, Grant was brought into ISU to take her commitment pictures and participate in practice. While the girls were getting ready, Grant was shown a locker full of jerseys, Nike Pros, socks, and shoes, and was able to pick her outfit. “They gave me a ball and a flag and they just told me, ‘Scream at the camera for us!’” Grant says. “We took some pictures in the locker room and in front of a specific yellow wall that they have commits take pictures in front of.” 

Both of Grant’s older siblings attend the University of Iowa, but she remembers attending Iowa State volleyball games when she was younger. “I’ve been going to Iowa State camps since I was like tiny, tiny,” Grant says, her full circle moment catching up to her. “No matter where I end up, it’s all in God’s plan. Everything will happen the way it’s supposed to.”