Hannah Watkins to continue her journey at Central Arkansas
GREENWOOD, Ark. (BVM) — Growing up, everyone has something they rely on to get through life. It could be a show on Netflix, a close family member, or even a daily journal entry. For Hannah Watkins, the thing that has always helped her is the sport of volleyball.
“Volleyball is kind of the world to me,” Watkins said. “It’s opened a lot of doors for me and provided a lot of opportunities and helped my self-confidence a lot. I came from a small school [before attending Greenwood High School]. So, I moved to Greenwood, and I got to know coach Golden and the other coaches.
That’s when I found my self-worth in volleyball; I guess you could say. I learned to love myself through volleyball.”
Before she found her love for volleyball, Watkins actually played basketball. Her brother, who played at the University of Central Arkansas, was her main inspiration for participating in the sport.
“My brother tore his ACL his second year of college,” Watkins said. “Seeing him battle back and go through the mental health journey, it was [inspirational] and good for me to learn from.”
Her mother has also played a pivotal role in inspiring her to continue her journey in the sport.
“She moved from Texas, she didn’t have a good childhood, and came from literally nothing,” Watkins said. “Her siblings didn’t go to college, and she was pretty much a first-generation student. She obtained her master’s degree in education [and now] she’s a specialist in special education. Just coming from nothing and becoming something and making something of herself was huge for me to see.”
Soon after, Watkins grew out of basketball after she was introduced to volleyball.
“As the years went on, I just kind of lost interest in it [basketball],” Watkins said. “I just noticed that I’d rather spend my time playing volleyball.”
Watkins’ volleyball career began at Waldron High School, but she began to flourish on the court when she arrived in Greenwood during her sophomore year.
“Hannah is a very driven young lady,” Greenwood volleyball coach Jennifer Golden said. “When she walked in, she [didn’t have] much self-esteem. But as we worked with her and encouraged her, she developed into an amazing person as well as a player. She just loves to love.”
Following her sophomore season, Watkins saw her time on the court significantly increase her junior year. She played a total of 108 sets and accumulated 206 total kills. Watkins also finished with 132 total blocks. That 2019-2020 season was memorable as the Bulldogs made it to the state championship game but fell to Jonesboro in five sets.
Watkins and her teammates were primed to make another run at the state title. But before the season could even begin, the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to rob her and her teammates of their senior season.
“We started getting ready for next season, but we still didn’t know if we were going to have a season,” Watkins said. “So, I wrote a letter to the governor [of Arkansas] just asking for a season and just hoping we would have one. I was motivated to really have a season.”
Her letter would be answered, as Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas’ governor, announced in August that Hannah, her teammates, and other players in the state would be having a season.
“I told my team, we had to get to work,” Watkins stated. “We couldn’t take any moment for granted. We had to work every day and just understand any day could be our last.
That’s exactly what the team did. The players’ work and dedication to their season led to 21 wins in 22 games. The team also went undefeated in conference play and made a trip to the state tournament. Throughout the year, the Bulldogs only had one positive COVID case. That bolstered their chances of finishing their season on a high note.
And finish on a high note they did. They were able to capture the Class 5A State title over Jonesboro which they lost to the previous year. It was a three-set sweep, and coach Golden captured her third state title.
“So this is my third state title and I can tell you that every single one has been an [special] accomplishment,” Coach Golden said. “But to say that we did it during a pandemic, it adds that little extra amount of pride to it. It wasn’t me; it was the kids. The kids decided this is what we want. It’s really cool to be able to say, ‘I didn’t do it, the kids did.’”
During her senior season, Watkins only played 74 sets due to the pandemic. But she was able to bolster her number of kills from the year before. She finished with 246 kills and 73 blocks.
Part 1. pic.twitter.com/CG8VmJUUV3
— Hannah Watkins (@hanwatk) December 23, 2020
#Recap pic.twitter.com/DhAI56eYyr
— Hannah Watkins (@hanwatk) November 24, 2020
Once the season was over, Watkins wrote back to Gov. Hutchinson, thanking him for all that he did to help keep everyone safe and allowing them to have a season.
Thank you @AsaHutchinson for responding to my letter that I recently sent to you, and another thank you for all of your kind words! 🤍 #BlessedArkansan pic.twitter.com/6pc1E3VqIY
— Hannah Watkins (@hanwatk) November 22, 2020
Now with her high school career behind her, Watkins is looking forward to continuing her academic and athletic career at UCA. She is planning on majoring in special education and minor in sports psychology.
“My mom is a special education teacher, and I’m very involved with special education classes here at Greenwood,” Watkins said. “I’m doing sports psychology as a minor in case I do want to coach in the future. It’s always been in the back of my mind [to coach].
“I’m [also going to be] redshirting my first year at UCA. “I’ll get to go in, get used to the program and get ready to compete. Once I’m ready to compete, [I have a] goal to be an all-conference player or just [win] a freshman award.”
Welcome to Bears Nation, @hanwatk !!
– 2019 and 2020 5A All-State
– 2019 and 2020 5A All-Conference
– 2019 NWADG All-Area Second Team
– 2020 Best of River Valley Preps Honoree
– 2020 UA All-American Honoree
– 2020 5A All-State Tournament Team #WeAreOne #BearClawsUp🐻 pic.twitter.com/gyZbeyXUoI— UCA Volleyball (@ucavball) November 11, 2020
Watkins has done a lot to improve herself and her game on the court. If it wasn’t for coach Golden and her coaching staff at Greenwood, who knows where Watkins is today? But what can be said is that Watkins is now on the cusp of making one of her lifelong dreams come true.
“That’s a goal [playing collegiate volleyball] I’ve had forever,” Watkins said. “At first, I didn’t think it was possible, and now it is. I started getting recruited in 10th-grade, and I was very excited, and I wanted to commit then and there. But my coaches and my parents were like, ‘You got to wait, you got to be patient. You’ll know when it’s the right time.’
“When I stepped on UCA’s campus, I knew it was right. There were so many signs from God saying this is what you need to do with your life. Just knowing that and being assured that is very exciting.”
