The growing trend in college commitment announcements is for the athlete to hold a press conference at their high school. Travis senior Ashley Bannister chose a different route.
Instead of announcing her decision to join the Texas Longhorns to the media, she told the Longhorn players themselves, in their own locker room.
"Everyone exploded with excitement," said Bannister. "I really felt that I was part of that team already. It meant a lot to me."
Bannister brings immense skills to the Longhorn team. She is a 6-1 outside hitter who also has the agility to play in the back row.
"There will be intense competition in the Big 12," she said. "I’m looking forward to playing with and learning from the best at Texas. It will be fun."
Bannister credits Texas Tornados club coach Kara Waddell with helping her in the recruiting process.
"She is the recruiting coordinator for the Tornados and guided me through the whole thing," said Bannister. "I was blessed to have so many choices. I wanted to find the right fit for me."
Bannister will officially sign in November. Until then she is hoping to lead Travis to a berth in the state playoffs.
"We hope to make the state tournament this year after falling one game short last year," said Bannister. "I would really like to do well in the playoffs. That was one of my goals this season, along with being a leader for the younger players on the Travis team."
Bannister has been a varsity player at Travis as long as the school has been in existence. In just its third year, Travis has had solid success on the court with over 20 wins in its first season and 31 wins last year. Travis is 21-15 this year, but leads Class 5A District 23 with a 14-2 record. Bannister is a big reason why.
Bannister leads the team in kills with 330 and is second in digs with 257. As a junior, Bannister finished with 558 kills and 335 digs.
A native of Barbados, Bannister comes from an athletic family. Her father played cricket in the West Indies and her brother Nicholas ran hurdles at Carnegie Mellon University. Another brother, Justin, played football at Baylor.
"All of my family still lives in Barbados," said Bannister. "It is great to visit and get away on vacations."
Bannister first became familiar with the sport of volleyball at the age of 10 while playing at the local YMCA with her friends.
"I remember what a thrill it was just to get the ball over the net."
Active in the offseason, Bannister played on the USAV A2 Junior National Team, which played in the European Global Challenge Championships in Croatia.
"It was very challenging playing with the college players," said Bannister. "The game is much faster. I made all-tournament in the gold division, so that was a big accomplishment for me."
As a junior, Bannister led Travis to an undefeated district championship and was named the district MVP. She also made the All-Greater Houston first team.
"She just really enjoys the game of volleyball and enjoys working out," said Travis coach Dana Anderson. "She knows what needs to be done and works hard. Even though she is tall, she plays defense like a good libero. She has such good hang time that she can change up a shot in the air. Her vertical is amazing."
Bannister said she expects tough competition in district play from both Dulles and Austin, the two teams directly behind Travis in the standings.
"Dulles plays with a lot of passion, and they have a strong school following urging them on," said Bannister. "Austin has always been our rival school. It is good fun to play against those teams."
Bannister understands that practice will help her and Travis reach their goal.
"My coach always says that you play how you practice," she said. "I practice hard and make every practice count. You must love what you do. You have to practice hard and be dedicated to the sport."
