Redshirt senior setter Sarah Dixon is a big part of the 2019 Kansas State Volleyball team.
“She’s a leader,” redshirt junior middle blocker Peyton Williams said. “One of the finest we have. She is a leader in every capacity. I always trust her when she has the ball in her hands.”
After playing her first year of college at the University of Arizona as a freshman, Dixon transferred to Kansas State and redshirted her sophomore season. Even sitting on the bench, she demonstrated her leadership and positive mindset.
“It was really difficult not being on the court, I love competing,” Dixon said. “I have always been like that, so I enjoy competing. I had to find a way to think it was competition even though I was on the sideline. I was cheering on my teammates from the sideline, and watching from the sideline gives you a different perspective, so whatever I could provide the other setter was what I was going to do and to use it going forward.”
Once it came time to play as a redshirt sophomore, Dixon was ready.
“It was kind of like, ‘I’ve been waiting and waiting, and now is my time,’” she said.
Dixon played in all 116 sets in her first season on the court for the Wildcats, starting 24 of 29 matches as setter. She recorded a team-best 740 assists and 11 double-doubles.
Related:
How Christina Baxter's versatility impacts K-State soccer
In her redshirt junior season, she earned American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American Honors and a spot on the AVCA All-Midwest Region First Team.
Dixon said leadership is all about sharing with her teammates all the things that she learns and hopefully impacting them in a positive way. It’s about being present both on the court and off the court so that they can grow and learn as fast as possible.
The volleyball team is 6-9 with three games down in Big 12 play. The Wildcats have an opportunity for a statement win against No. 4 Texas on Wednesday to make a push for the postseason.
Dixon said the team will do “whatever we can do to just pull off some wins.”
“Just fraying up the young [players] to just go out and compete. … It’s one thing to just get better each and every day, but once you go out there it is all about competing,” Dixon said. “We just need to win the games that we can win and control the things we can control.”
