Clark senior Anna Drewry goes up for a block against Churchill. Photo by John Albright

By Pat Turner
Contributing Writer

Anna Drewry is feeling like a kid in a candy shop these days.

Since moving from the middle to outside hitter, the Clark senior has been treated to a new experience much to her liking.

She still gets to deliver her trademark kill, but being on the outside also offers an opportunity to be creative.

Whatever the case, Drewry has provided Clark with another strength in starting District 28-5A play with a 7-1 record through Sunday.

“I really like it,” Drewry said. “I have that reach and I can hammer it over a few setters. You get a chance to outsmart them. I was a little worried that I might lose my touch as a middle hitter. But I’m feeling better about it. My coach (Kristen Daniell) told me it’s easy to go from middle to the outside, but it’s harder to go from any position to middle.”

Still, there was a period of adjustment when making the move prior to the North East Independent School District tournament. Right away, Drewry was reminded her role was completely different.

After a few games, Drewry adjusted.

“The first two hits I ever tried got blocked by a sophomore middle,” said Drewry, who made a verbal commitment to play volleyball at Purdue University. “That was harsh. I learned I can’t hit the ball straight down anymore. You can’t always rely on you power. You have to try other ways to outsmart opponents. The middle is pretty responsive. The outside is more technical and mentally challenging.

“I’m learning from it, which is a good thing. I know once I get to college I’m never going to be able to rely on my power. I might as well work on it now.

“I started feeling a lot better when I started working with our outside hitter (Morgan Camp). She helped me when I was doing something wrong. It always helps to have someone peering over your shoulder.”

Drewry has the power and quickness to be a force on the outside. That is the reason Daniell moved her to the spot.

“We tried it and it worked for us,’ Daniell said. “We had a sophomore (India Hartwell) who was doing a very good job in the middle, so we were thinking to use one of our best hitters and blockers on the outside. It gives us more options that way.”

This season the senior has discovered that coming up with kills and blocks isn’t the only way she can make an impact. Being one of the seniors on the squad, Drewry is taking more of a leadership role, especially with the younger players.

She knows from experience being on a varsity for the first time can be tough. Drewry tries to make them feel more at ease, especially in those pressure situations.

Drewry sees the team beginning to come together even more. Clark, which is 18-12 overall through Sunday, has shown improvement during district play in registering wins over Brandeis, Stevens and Jay. However, the Lady Cougars still hit a few lulls during the matches. Drewry is hoping to help Clark establish more consistency.