Annika Bastanchury was once the State Indoor Champion in her age group for archery in 2006, and Ashley Carroll has a grounded and realistic hope to make the 2016 Olympics shooting trap – but for now, the pair is content to be two of the top players on Santa Ynez High School’s stellar volleyball team.
“Annika has been a tremendous four-year-starter for varsity and is one of the best right-side players I have ever seen. She’s consistent, enthusiastic, competitive, positive and one of the most versatile and highly skilled players in the area,” says head coach Chip Fenenga, while “Ashley is one of the best athletes I’ve seen in the setter position: quick, strong, and explosive.”
Fenenga credits Ashley’s superior ability to get to the ball to a combination of her court vision and reflexes, which he describes as being “on speed dial.” She is unusually flexible, her first step is consistently to the ball and she explodes out of the gate. “She is literally cartoon-character fast. Many times I have thought the play was over, but Ashley was there with a spectacular dash and set. All her hitters have to be ready because she just fires the balls out, fast and precise.”
And while her offense may impress the coaches and scare the opposition, it’s the defensive plays Ashley enjoys the most. “I like diving to the ground,” she says, laughing. She’s never actually gotten hurt doing that “but you do get lots of bruises.”
Ashley grew up playing soccer and shooting trap with her dad. She isn’t sure why she switched to volleyball in junior high: “It just sounded fun,” she says with a shrug.
This weekend, the fun moves to Belgrade, Serbia, where she will shoot in the World Championship for Olympic Trap Shooting. The one and only spot for a woman in the 2012 Olympics is just about wrapped up, but if the lady expected to make the team doesn’t do well enough at this event, that will leave the spot open for Ashley and others to vie for it. “But,” says the junior simply, “I’m not really shooting for next summer.” With a shrug of her shoulder, she downplays her accomplishments, saying that “anyone can do it if you are willing to try.”
The sport, says her father, Charlie Carroll, is relatively new. It underwent changes over the last several years to try to ensure that all participants get the same two left, two right and one straight shot. Until two years ago, there were only 20 ranges across the United States set up for Olympic style challenges; now there are 40, but some are inaccessible to the public as they are located on the grounds of military bases. Currently, Ashley is ranked 7th in the nation, but that is a fluid number. She’s isn’t able to practice except on weekends, and with school and sports, doesn’t make as many competitions as she would like to move her standing up.
For right now, good grades and an outstanding volleyball season rank pretty high on Ashley’s list. “What I admire most is the great attitude she carries and the competitive fire that burns – when the whistle blows, it’s fangs out for Ashley,” says Fenenga. But the competition doesn’t exist between team members – Annika, Ashley and Fenenga all agree – and it is the camaraderie that is one of the biggest draws to the high school sport. “Both of these two outstanding student-athletes have worked to be successful at the highest level and remain grounded with supportive families and balanced lives. Both have the ability to play in college but also make a difference in the world as people and young women. They trust teammates enough to surrender the ‘me’ for the ‘we,’” says their coach.
Annika’s strong sense of community has been fostered over the years by her participation in scouting. Similar to the Eagle Scout award her brother Jeff is working toward, Annika is preparing to earn the Gold Award. She hasn’t finalized her project yet, but she has already spent countless hours volunteering – from the botanic gardens to soup kitchens to assisting younger scouts, like sister Nicole, Annika’s dedication to what she believes in is unwavering. “She’s real focused on school, on doing well, and getting into a good University,” says her mom, Diane Bastanchury.
Volleyball is just one of the many skills she hopes will land her admission to college. Annika’s hitting, blocking, her positioning, and knowledge of the game are simply at a higher level than most high school players, says Fenenga. “She is just an ATM out on the court – nothing but money. Most of all, Annika is the hardest worker who commands the attention and respect of her team. When she talks, players listen. She is rock-solid dependable, she radiates respect and poise and always places her team first.”
Annika plays above the net in the front row and has a devastating float serve from the back. “There is simply no other better passer on the court than Annika,” says Fenenga. “When taller young girls come in, I tell them to watch Annika, talk to her and pattern their game, attitude and presence after her. She is a role model.”
It is her height that drew Annika to the sport. “I’m really tall, and people kept saying ‘You should play volleyball and basketball,’” she says. So when the first opportunity to give it a try came in junior high, she took it and stayed with it, letting her interest and expertise in archery fade.
“When she was asked to start against a great Dos Pueblos team as a freshman, she said she was nervous, not about her play, but about the possibly of letting the team down,” recalls Fenenga. “She has never let me, her team or her teammates down. Annika is the reason people stay as a coach, as she makes games and practices fun.”
Being part of a high school team is fun, both girls agree, and talk turns to how long they’ve known each other, how closely their lives have paralleled. Both played soccer, both have dads that took them to the shooting range.
Both have dabbled in archery, Annika to noted success. “I really want to take it up again,” she says, if she can find the time. But for now, their schedules are full and their futures bright. “I am always happy to see kids move on to bigger and better successes,” says Fenenga. “But when these two graduate, I will shed a tear or two. Tears are a kind of wealth, and we are all richer for knowing these two talented young ladies.”