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Aniya Warren knew right away that Indiana was the place for her.
The Benet libero felt a familiar vibe during her official visit, which led the junior to commit to the Hoosiers soon after.
“We talked it over as a family,” Warren said. “The first time that I stepped onto the campus, it just felt like so much love from the players and the coaches.
“No matter where we went on the campus when I was on my tour, we would have IU fans saying stuff and cheering. It felt like a great environment, and I was like, ‘Yeah, this is where I want to be.’”
Warren had a similar feeling before choosing to attend Benet two years ago.
“It definitely felt almost the exact same thing when I went to Benet,” she said. “My mom was like, ‘It reminds me of Benet too.’”
If her career so far at Benet is any indication, Warren will give the Hoosiers an immediate boost. She has been a standout defender since her first day at Benet.
“She has all the qualities you’re looking for in an elite defender,” Benet coach Brad Baker said. “She serve-receives at a high level, she communicates extremely well, she’s confident, plays great defense.
“And then athletically, you have to be at a certain athletic level to even think about playing there. She checks all those boxes.”
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Warren was picked for the all-state first team as a sophomore last season, when she recorded 498 digs, 49 assists and 35 aces for the Class 4A state runner-up Redwings (37-5). She had 23 digs in a three-set loss to Mother McAuley in the state championship match.
Warren said she believes the Redwings have a good shot at winning the state title this season.
“A lot of us still have that chip on our shoulder from last year because we fell short,” she said. “We wanted to win a state championship, but now we really want it.
“After you experience losing, it’s like you don’t want that feeling again, so you fight 10 times harder every single day going into the gym. I think we have some really good things coming for us.”
Good things seemingly are in store for Warren, who wanted to play in the Big Ten. She also seriously considered Northwestern and Maryland but felt Indiana was the best fit.
“It was a fun vibe,” she said. “Talking on the phone or texting with the coaching staff, we would joke around. I could see myself with these coaches for four years because I’m not looking to transfer. I wanted to find a place that I could go for all my four years.”
That’s something Baker stresses to all of his players.
“You’ve got to like the coaching staff, and you’ve got to make sure you feel comfortable at the school because you’re going to spend a ton of time with the coaches,” Baker said. “The teammates are going to change some, but you kind of find that they recruit the same types of people.
“You’ve got to like the school, but you better be invested in the volleyball because when you sign a Division I scholarship, it becomes your life.”
Warren understands that, which is why she was drawn to the parallels between Benet and Indiana.
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“I love Benet,” she said. “I love the coaches there, and I just love everything about being a Benet student — athletics, academics and the culture and how much support they put into you off the court. IU is doing the same thing.”
Warren still has two more years to improve on and off the court. She is confident her time at Benet will prepare her for the next level.
“I feel like at some high schools, you can get away with not studying,” she said. “At Benet, you can’t get away with not studying.
“You have to time manage really well when you’re figuring out your schedule. It kind of puts you in a college environment type of thing because when you go to Benet, you can’t not study for the test and be like, ‘I’m going to be fine.’ You’re going to not end up getting a good grade.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.