Anchante has Golden Eagles set for success
Volleyball off to its best start since 2012 with Anchante at the helm
Mike Wittliff, Communications
There's something about watching Yadhira Anchante navigate a volleyball court that leaves on-lookers enthralled.
The energy. The creativity. The enthusiasm. The skill.
That combination has turned Marquette's Peruvian newcomer into one of the biggest revelations in NCAA volleyball this fall.
Watch Anchante for a set and you can see the joy she brings to the court.
Oh, and that smile. It's always there.
I've heard from a lot of people that say I am a smiley person. I am always smiling on the court and sometimes that's what I like to transmit for my teammates. That I am a calm player in chaotic situations. Being there for them, bringing some words like 'okay next one,' and 'we got it.'Yadhira Anchante
I just enjoy playing. I've been playing volleyball my whole life.
Her ability to take seemingly broken plays and turn them into a highlight reel on a nightly basis has stood out for the Golden Eagles.
One moment she's setting a middle with one hand while sliding on her knees, the next she's tossing a pin-point pass to her outside hitter at the 10-foot line while throwing her body the opposite direction.
"There are a lot of setters, even at the Division I level that have to [perfectly square up to set a ball]. If their feet aren't there they might double-hit it and misfire," said ninth-year MU head coach Ryan Theis. "But she can take a bad body position and make a good set. It takes a special player and she's probably one of the best in the country at it."
Her vision across the net has been equally impressive.
The Golden Eagles lead the BIG EAST in hitting percentage with Anchante at the helm and she knows the time to strike herself. Though she averages just one kill per set from the setter position, her strategic attacks are designed to exploit openings and put MU's opponents off balance.
"She has really nice hands, they're just very soft," said Ella Foti, a fellow setter who has switched to right-side hitter during MU's impressive start to the season. "She has good decision making, which is huge as a setter because you are the one running the offense. Having the vision she does makes her a really great player."
Anchante began playing volleyball at the age of eight after watching her mother play with friends outside their house in her native Lima, Peru. From there, her mother, Claudia Peña, took her to Túpac Amaru Academia de Voley, launching her on a path that has already included a pair of NJCAA Division I National Player of the Year honors and pro volleyball aspirations.
"(My mother) took me to an academy and that is where I started," she said. "After that I just became better and better, and I made it to the national team. After that I got the opportunity to come here to the States."
Anchante began training with the Peruvian national program at the age 12 and played in her first international event in 2017.
She had never been to the United States prior to a 2018 trip with the national team and has had to learn English while adjusting to life in a new country amid a worldwide pandemic and the grind of a college volleyball season.
With the college volleyball season pushed to the spring of 2021, Anchante arrived at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa for what was supposed to be the 2020 season. She led the Reivers to their first national title since 2006 and repeated the feat last fall.
She is likely the only student-athlete to win a pair of women's volleyball national titles in just two college semesters.
"It was awesome the two seasons I played with Iowa Western," she said. "We started not very good, and we ended up great. I feel like we could figure out the secret of being a good team, a good teammate like everyone was supporting each other and that's why we really knitted. At the end it's the team that wins everything, not just one player."
With an open spot at the position last fall, the Golden Eagles were looking for another setter to join Foti. Former MU assistant coach Meghan Keck – then MU's recruiting coordinator – identified Anchante and Theis saw a player with undeniable talent.
"With her hands she can control the ball and manipulate it with varying speeds, locations and hand positions," said Theis. "Her ability to set hittable balls and get hitters in really good situations is impressive."
When Anchante committed, Marquette was able to add an accomplished international and junior college player into the fold.
I chose Marquette because I viewed this place like home and that is how it feels on and off the court. I love that.Yadhira Anchante
Anchante, who majors in international business, enrolled at Marquette this past spring to get a jump acclimating to the program alongside fellow transfer Aubrey Hamilton. The pair represented important pieces for the Golden Eagles with the loss of three all-conference players from the roster.
"I feel like that helped me a lot to get together with the team, to get to know the players on and off the court," she said. "The scrimmages were very good, and I feel like the beginning of the season was really good for us. But I feel like we can give more and that is what we are working for."
Her positive disposition makes her a natural leader and one who has developed a quick rapport with her teammates at MU.
She's so fun to play with and be around. She is always cracking jokes and never fails to make us all laugh. I'm so happy she's here.Preseason All-BIG EAST middle hitter Carsen Murray
She's also adjusted well to life in a new city, including a welcome taste of home last spring courtesy of Theis.
"I really like Milwaukee. I have been downtown, and I love the Public Market. Actually, last semester we went with the whole team to a Peruvian restaurant, and I am very thankful to Ryan."
For Theis, and assuredly MU fans, "She's worth the price of admission."
Keep up with the Marquette University women's volleyball program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteVB) and Instagram (@MarquetteVB) and 'liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteVolleyball).