Indiana University Athletics
Freshman Duo Shares Desire to Win
8/14/2023 11:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Native Hoosiers Share Desire to Win
Ava Vickers and Ramsey Gary can practically finish each other's sentences at this point. IU's freshman duo, paired with setter Luca Fickell, are perfectly in sync.
The club teammates at Munciana, turned college teammates at IU, have an extensive amount of experience playing volleyball together. The pair won back-to-back AAU National Championships with Munciana after Vickers won a title in 2021 with Carly Mills and Camryn Haworth.
Two prep stars from the Central Indiana area, Gary from Pendleton Heights and Vickers from Fishers, the pair accepted the challenge to help build a team at IU and make it a destination for the state's top talent.
From concerts to shopping to diving for balls on the court, Gary and Vickers have a lot in common. Perhaps the biggest desire the two share: a strong will to win.
We caught up with IU's newest libero and middle blocker duo ahead of their first season in Bloomington.
When did you start taking volleyball seriously?
AV: I started playing basketball and that was the first sport I fell in love with. I started that because my dad played basketball in college and all throughout his life. I started with that. My mom got me into volleyball in either the fifth or sixth grade and I fell in love with that and stuck with it ever since.
RG: I've always been around volleyball. My sisters started playing when I was young so I grew up in the gym with them. I kind of wanted to follow in their footsteps and that's how I got started.
What was it like growing up in competitive households?
RG: I'm very grateful we grew up in competitive households because I feel like we wouldn't be the person we are today. It helped grow us into a leadership role where we compete hard every single day.
AV: It definitely made me more competitive. My brother, he doesn't play sports now, but he's really tall. I remember playing basketball outside with him and he'd block every single shot and that just made me so much more competitive from a young age.
RG: I was always trying to beat them even if they were so much older than me.
How did you guys end up at Munciana Volleyball Club?
RG: I started playing when I was seven or eight because my sisters played there so I was always around there. It's just a mindset with them. I'm very grateful for them because they built me into the person I am today. They taught us to go hard every single day no matter what.
AV: I started at a different club but ended up going to Munciana because of Cam [Haworth]. I played high school with her and she told me I should go there. I played my 16's year, which was the COVID year, and the following year I played my first season up with the 18's. I just loved it. The competitiveness and how hard they push us, it just taught me so much even outside of volleyball.
What was it like playing up with the 18's for three years?
AV: It was scary to play up and kind of nerve-wracking. I've always played up a grade but I was playing up with people I'd looked up to since I was younger. The main reason I loved it is because I learned so much from being around them and competing with them.
Why was Indiana the right choice?
RG: I really felt at home. The coaches really cared about us as a person and a player which was huge for me. It was very family oriented.
AV: For me, it's really close to home. We're really close to our families and they love to come watch us play. Them loving the staff and the people here made it seem even more the right choice.
How did your sister, who played at Alabama, help you through the process?
RG: She guided me a lot but looking up to her and being the competitive person I am, trying to be here pushed me to be the person I am today.
What is like coming back to play with your old high school and club teammate Cam [Haworth]?
AV: It's been really awesome. Cam and our families have been family friends since we were young and the fact that we ended up at the same high school and she got me to come to Munciana and then ending up here; it's crazy to me. It's neat and I really enjoy it. From the moment I started playing with her as a freshman in high school, I loved it. She was one of the reasons I loved playing with older girls. She's so welcoming and pushes us.
How have you started to mesh with the rest of the team?
RG: I feel like we've gotten to know them well here in July. We're getting closer every single day.
AV: Being able to talk to them and get to know their personalities is really awesome.
What's it like playing with girls from all over the globe?
RG: I love how diverse we are. It's funny to see everyone's personalities and how they grew up compared to us. People always comment on us having an Indiana accent and we're like 'what's an Indiana accent?'
AV: It's crazy to think about it. I'm not sure how common that is in college volleyball to have kids from all over the country and world.
What's your favorite aspect of volleyball?
RG: I like the energy and going after every ball. The role of having to get every ball up, I just really like that.
AV: I like blocking someone and not even letting them get the chance to get the ball over the net.
Big block or big kill?
AV: 100% block
What was your experience like at the Under Armour All-American game?
RG: I loved it because I got to meet so many people and grow with them. Everyone was super excited to be there and compete. The pace was a lot faster than high school but I loved it.
To go out as club national champions, what did that mean?
RG: Making our lasting impact, we wanted to close the book on the right note. There was no other option for us.
AV: The past two years, seeing the seniors leave on such a positive note, that's what did it for me. I wanted that happy ending. We had a lot of confidence.
What are you most excited for at IU in the Big Ten?
RG: I'm really excited for the atmosphere and to compete with the all the other teams. I know it's going to be a hard road but I'm excited to get competing.
AV: There's so much for me to learn from Kaley [Rammelsberg] and Savannah [Kjolhede]. The pace of which they play, their confidence and their communication. Their level of play is something I've looked up to and I'm really enjoying the chance to talk to them.
Ava Vickers and Ramsey Gary can practically finish each other's sentences at this point. IU's freshman duo, paired with setter Luca Fickell, are perfectly in sync.
The club teammates at Munciana, turned college teammates at IU, have an extensive amount of experience playing volleyball together. The pair won back-to-back AAU National Championships with Munciana after Vickers won a title in 2021 with Carly Mills and Camryn Haworth.
Two prep stars from the Central Indiana area, Gary from Pendleton Heights and Vickers from Fishers, the pair accepted the challenge to help build a team at IU and make it a destination for the state's top talent.
From concerts to shopping to diving for balls on the court, Gary and Vickers have a lot in common. Perhaps the biggest desire the two share: a strong will to win.
We caught up with IU's newest libero and middle blocker duo ahead of their first season in Bloomington.
When did you start taking volleyball seriously?
AV: I started playing basketball and that was the first sport I fell in love with. I started that because my dad played basketball in college and all throughout his life. I started with that. My mom got me into volleyball in either the fifth or sixth grade and I fell in love with that and stuck with it ever since.
RG: I've always been around volleyball. My sisters started playing when I was young so I grew up in the gym with them. I kind of wanted to follow in their footsteps and that's how I got started.
What was it like growing up in competitive households?
RG: I'm very grateful we grew up in competitive households because I feel like we wouldn't be the person we are today. It helped grow us into a leadership role where we compete hard every single day.
AV: It definitely made me more competitive. My brother, he doesn't play sports now, but he's really tall. I remember playing basketball outside with him and he'd block every single shot and that just made me so much more competitive from a young age.
RG: I was always trying to beat them even if they were so much older than me.
How did you guys end up at Munciana Volleyball Club?
RG: I started playing when I was seven or eight because my sisters played there so I was always around there. It's just a mindset with them. I'm very grateful for them because they built me into the person I am today. They taught us to go hard every single day no matter what.
AV: I started at a different club but ended up going to Munciana because of Cam [Haworth]. I played high school with her and she told me I should go there. I played my 16's year, which was the COVID year, and the following year I played my first season up with the 18's. I just loved it. The competitiveness and how hard they push us, it just taught me so much even outside of volleyball.
What was it like playing up with the 18's for three years?
AV: It was scary to play up and kind of nerve-wracking. I've always played up a grade but I was playing up with people I'd looked up to since I was younger. The main reason I loved it is because I learned so much from being around them and competing with them.
Why was Indiana the right choice?
RG: I really felt at home. The coaches really cared about us as a person and a player which was huge for me. It was very family oriented.
AV: For me, it's really close to home. We're really close to our families and they love to come watch us play. Them loving the staff and the people here made it seem even more the right choice.
How did your sister, who played at Alabama, help you through the process?
RG: She guided me a lot but looking up to her and being the competitive person I am, trying to be here pushed me to be the person I am today.
What is like coming back to play with your old high school and club teammate Cam [Haworth]?
AV: It's been really awesome. Cam and our families have been family friends since we were young and the fact that we ended up at the same high school and she got me to come to Munciana and then ending up here; it's crazy to me. It's neat and I really enjoy it. From the moment I started playing with her as a freshman in high school, I loved it. She was one of the reasons I loved playing with older girls. She's so welcoming and pushes us.
How have you started to mesh with the rest of the team?
RG: I feel like we've gotten to know them well here in July. We're getting closer every single day.
AV: Being able to talk to them and get to know their personalities is really awesome.
What's it like playing with girls from all over the globe?
RG: I love how diverse we are. It's funny to see everyone's personalities and how they grew up compared to us. People always comment on us having an Indiana accent and we're like 'what's an Indiana accent?'
AV: It's crazy to think about it. I'm not sure how common that is in college volleyball to have kids from all over the country and world.
What's your favorite aspect of volleyball?
RG: I like the energy and going after every ball. The role of having to get every ball up, I just really like that.
AV: I like blocking someone and not even letting them get the chance to get the ball over the net.
Big block or big kill?
AV: 100% block
What was your experience like at the Under Armour All-American game?
RG: I loved it because I got to meet so many people and grow with them. Everyone was super excited to be there and compete. The pace was a lot faster than high school but I loved it.
To go out as club national champions, what did that mean?
RG: Making our lasting impact, we wanted to close the book on the right note. There was no other option for us.
AV: The past two years, seeing the seniors leave on such a positive note, that's what did it for me. I wanted that happy ending. We had a lot of confidence.
What are you most excited for at IU in the Big Ten?
RG: I'm really excited for the atmosphere and to compete with the all the other teams. I know it's going to be a hard road but I'm excited to get competing.
AV: There's so much for me to learn from Kaley [Rammelsberg] and Savannah [Kjolhede]. The pace of which they play, their confidence and their communication. Their level of play is something I've looked up to and I'm really enjoying the chance to talk to them.
Players Mentioned
Setter
/ Women's Volleyball
Libero
/ Women's Volleyball
Setter
/ Women's Volleyball
Defensive Specialist
/ Women's Volleyball
Middle Blocker
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