AMG volleyball: Veterans' Anna Nicholson a quick study on the floor

Anna Nicholson just chuckles when she remembers her first high school volleyball practice back in Dayton, Ohio, as a freshman.

Nicholson had just moved to the area, one of eight moves she has had in her 17 years, and her parents thought it would be a good way for her to meet some classmates before school started.

Her mother promised her that if she didn't like it, she didn't have to go back.

Nicholson however, did like it, enough to keep doing it after she moved again, this time to the Warner Robins area. And she played at a high level, as well.

The two-year starter at Veterans is The Telegraph All-Middle Georgia Volleyball Player of the Year.

"I remember four years ago going to my very first practice in running shorts and running shoes and not knowing anything about kneepads or Spandex," said Nicholson, who is also a standout basketball player. "But I have worked very hard and had some great teammates and coaches, and I really have to give them a lot of the credit."

Nicholson headed to Veterans as a junior and quickly became an important member of the volleyball team.

As a senior, Nicholson had 224 kills, 106 aces, 50 blocks and 32 digs as the Warhawks won the GHSA Area 2-AAAA title.

"My dad got transferred to Warner Robins, and I think being involved in a fall sport gave me a great chance to get to know everyone," said Nicholson, who will attend the University of Chicago and play basketball. "That's where I met Coach (Nicki) Miranda, and she is truly the best coach I have ever had. She is so disciplined and has an amazing talent to develop athletes. I definitely would not be where I am as an athlete without her."

Miranda raves about what Nicholson has meant to her volleyball and basketball teams.

"She is a strong competitor who truly values to importance of hard work," said Miranda, whose volleyball team went 37-8 and advanced to the second round of the Class AAAA playoffs. "She is a coach on the floor with her leadership and has a strong rapport with her teammates. She has that ability to raise her level of play as the competition increases, and I am blessed to have her."

Veterans' season -- and Nicholson's high school volleyball career -- came to an end with a three-set loss to Woodward Academy, a team that reached the semifinals.

"I think a lot of our success is because of our work ethic," Nicholson said. "We know that we can have another great basketball season after making the Final Four last year. As for me, I never thought I would like Georgia at all when we moved here, but now I know it was the best place I could have come to. I was a part of some amazing teams with an amazing coach, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 7:46 PM with the headline "AMG volleyball: Veterans' Anna Nicholson a quick study on the floor ."