Sitting in her fourth period one day in Mark Mattia’s AP Statistics class, twelfth-grader Ashley Reynolds’ phone buzzed. Upon opening her phone to investigate, Reynolds noticed that her volleyball team’s coach, Brian Wheatley, sent her a message that asked for her to call him. Having some idea of what the call was about, Mattia let her go to the stairwell to call Wheatley.
“I could feel his excitement,” Reynolds said.
When Wheatley told her why he was so excited, she “was frozen on the stairs in shock. There were so many other good girls, I didn’t think I was going to get it.” The ‘it’ is the 7A Player of the Year award, given to one of eight finalists which are nominated by their coaches and then the winner is selected by a board of judges.
The 7A group is one of the subdivisions under the Florida High Athletic Association (FHAA). The divisions are based on school size, with the 7A group being the largest. Among the schools in the division is Venice High School, for whom Reynolds plays.
Committed and aspiring at a young age, Reynolds started exploring the world of sports in her fourth-grade year.
“I did every sport growing up. We did it through the Venetian Bay, which is directly linked to Venice High. I’d watch the high school games and thought ‘I want to do that.’ In the beginning it was just for fun, and it still is now, but I want to win more and get better,” she said.
Reynolds has played all six positions on the court, from the libero to the setter.
“When I was little, I was the libero, which means I stand in the back and I’m the strongest passer,” she said.
Her two favorite positions are hitter and setter. She is currently a setter, and is the second person to hit the ball when it is served by the other team.
Reynolds’ skills and athletic ability have also helped carry her team to championship wins multiple times. She’s the two-time recipient of the All-American academic award. She also excels in beach volleyball. She has caught the attention of some colleges and college coaches, and been nominated to go to special conventions for high school girls volleyball players who are the best of the best.
One convention of note is the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Female Watchlist.
According to Reynolds, “there is a big convention every year, held in Ohio, and lots of college coaches. Girls from all over the country are there, probably hundreds. You must be nominated to go, and you play in front of the college coaches.”
Colleges such as Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, have scouted Reynolds, but she decided to stay local and has committed to Florida State University (FSU). One thing that deters her from going to colleges like Smith is that it is a D3 school, which means that it does not give sports scholarships.
After years of playing and being a leader for those around her, Reynolds has become great both on the court and in the classroom, which led her to a nomination for the national Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) tournament. Wherever her career takes her, Reynolds has won the admiration of many and has very a bright future.
In addition, Reynolds’ talent and skills have also won her the respect of her coaches and love of her teammates. Coach Jay Lanham has coached Reynolds since eighth grade.
“Each year at Venice, I observed her accepting new roles and challenges. She never stopped learning… She definitely deserved the recognition for being one of the best setters to play at Venice High School. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.”