It’s true that parents never can tell what path their child might take.
“My older sister played volleyball and always begged me to play with her and at the time I hated it,” Ainsley Ranstead said.
Still, Ranstead gave volleyball a try.
As she tried different sports, trying to find her own way, she could often be found on the sidelines of the soccer field, hitting volleyballs with her dad and sister.
The skills she learned from her sister led to a little spark, one that she used to try out for the Prime Time volleyball team as a junior high student at Mahomet-Seymour Junior High. By the time she reached high school, her sights were set on filling a spot on the varsity team, and continuing to diversify her play with Illini Elite.
Now, as the 2021-22 school year approaches, the 6’2” outside hitter will begin her volleyball career at Southern Illinois University.
“Playing in college was always a dream of mine, but it really hit me that it was a possibility when I joined Illini Elite,” Ranstead said. “Playing at the next level is the environment there.
“I chose to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville after speaking with Coach (Kendall) Paulus and falling in love with the program. I was privileged to have a Zoom meeting with many of the current players and at that moment, I knew I wanted to play with them.”
Of course, volleyball has always been more than just a way to compete for Ranstead. It started with one relationship that has multiplied many times over the years.
“I have stuck with volleyball for so long because of my teammates and coaches,” she said. “I have made so many lifelong friendships through the sport and I get to meet new people all the time. I have learned some incredible life lessons and a ton about the game from the many different coaches I have had.”
Locally, that coach has been Stan Bergman, the head coach at Mahomet-Seymour High School.
Bergman changed the environment in the M-S volleyball program, that “allowed for the players to have fun, but accomplish our common goal at the same time,” according to Ranstead.
“My absolute favorite thing about the program is the level of support throughout each team all the way from freshman to varsity,” she added.
That mentality led to a 2019 IHSA Regional Championship (the last state series since the pandemic began) and a 2021 Apollo Conference championship.
“My lasting memory of the community was last year at sectionals when the town of Mahomet packed the gym full and cheered us on,” she said. “Having a student section and fans changes the entire atmosphere of the gym and makes the games more fun.
As a senior Ranstead led the team with 4.1 kills per set played. She also averaged 6.2 digs per set played. She ended with 19 total aces and 17 total blocks, accumulating 156 total kills and 237 total digs.
“I really just wanted to contribute as someone for the younger players to look up to and feel comfortable with,” she said. “Our team was very young and had many different levels of experience, so I wanted to be a reliable teammate on and off the court and someone to help transition the new players to varsity.”
It’s something that was given to her throughout her career.
“All of the coaches that I have had have made a huge impact on me and helped me gain confidence through the game,” she said. “I would not be where I am without them pushing me to be better. The best part about all of my coaches is how much they care about their team and how they push us to be better on and off the court.”
Ranstead will study biomedical science, then attend dental school at SIUE.
