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Is Anna Smrek the next big thing in NCAA volleyball, or just a product of her genes?

The Wisconsin volleyball team seems to be on a great run of form right now. The sixth-ranked team decimated USC on November 15th with a dominant scoreline of 25-18, 25-19, 25-12. It was a clinical display by the team, who’ll now face UCLA on November 16th. But looking at the way they defeated USC, chances are they might do the same to their crosstown rivals. The Badgers have been pretty consistent throughout the season, with an overall record of 19-5 and a Big Ten record of 13-2. A lot of the credit for this goes to their players, who have shown authority on the court and showed up in crucial moments.

One of the standouts from this group is Anna Smrek. The tallest player in Wisconsin, standing at 6’9, she has earned 268 points and 221 kills this season. Thus, the All-American has shown this season why she’s considered one of the best in the division. However, it seems that she was always destined for this, as her athleticism and height seem genetically gifted to her by her father, who used to be a pretty great sportsperson in his prime.

Anna Smrek’s former NBA player dad, Michael Smrek

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When one thinks of NBA giants like the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers in the 80s, they are mainly reminded of the heroics of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, respectively. However, Anna Smrek’s father, Mike Smrek, was part of both those teams during his playing career as a center. Standing at a huge seven feet, he was drafted by the Bulls in 1985, a year after Jordan made his debut. He ended up providing 108 points to the team that season, along with 19 assists.

Mike then made the switch to the Los Angeles Lakers, who were still in their Showtime era with Magic and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leading the pack. Kremlin would spend two seasons there, winning titles in both of them while contributing as a bench player. After that, he spent the rest of his NBA career jumping around teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Clippers.

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Is Anna Smrek the next big thing in NCAA volleyball, or just a product of her genes?

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While he was never really a star player of any team, he did his job well when called upon, making him popular with the NBA sides. Thus, he has had a decent career in sports. It seems that his success must have passed on genetically to his daughter Anna Smrek’s turn, as she seems destined for greatness.

Smrek’s major achievements in volleyball

Anna Smrek has become very popular among NCAA volleyball players because of her huge height of 6’7. But she has proved that she is much more than her physique. In her freshman season itself, her potential was clear to see. The player was adjudged the MVP of the NCAA Championships that year after she recorded a career-high seven blocks in a championship match against Nebraska, leading her team to victory.

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Her hitting percentage was 0.366 that season, which was the second-highest on her team and fifth in the Big Ten. She would then continue this great form in her second season. Anna Smrek was named to the Big Ten Challenge Tournament team, proving to be a one-of-a-kind player with huge potential for the future. Eventually, in 2023, she would receive her biggest individual accomplishment as she would also receive her first-ever All-American accolade.

This became a huge cause for celebration as Anna successfully cemented her status as one of the best in the NCAA. Now in 2024, she seems bent on moving her team to the top of the ladder of the NCAA with an average of 2.97 kills per set. If Anna Smrek wins the NCAA title, that is to say, she will be writing not only her history but also partnering with one of her dads.

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