When jersey number 22 steps onto the court, a 5-foot-9 middle hitter joins her volleyball teammates. When she smiles at them on the way to her spot, senior Annalyse Yost introduces a game-changer: her momentum and energy.

“I won’t forget that [game against Mechanicsburg] because Annalyse had a couple of big blocks, and [Mechanicsburg] had a couple kids on the other side of the net that were solid,” head girls’ volleyball coach John Saboe said. “She was really shifting momentum to our side, and she made sure that [Mechanicsburg] knew that she was doing it, too. The smile on her face was just huge, and the smile and the energy on our side of the court was just increasing and growing. It was a lot of fun to see that out of our kids, that moment where they were just loving playing the game. She was one of the leaders that was making that happen.”

Saboe recognized her talent and infectious energy on the court, and Altoona’s coaching staff nominated her for the Mid-Penn conference All-Stars. At the end of October, volleyball coaches throughout Pennsylvania met to discuss the nominations and place athletes in the first, second and third All-Star teams and honorable mentions based on players’ statistics.

“It definitely means a lot,” Yost said. “I never really thought of being placed on the Mid-Penn second All-Star team. I know it wasn’t the first, but that’s still a big accomplishment. All of the girls, no matter how old they are in the Mid-Penn [conference], are very, very good. The fact I made the second team is just really cool.”

Yost became invested in volleyball in eighth grade after a Central Blair Recreation Commission volleyball league in elementary school. 

“My friends got me into [volleyball],” Yost said. “But then, me catching on to the sport and realizing I liked it kept me into it. It was bigger than just being there for my friends. I was there for myself, and I had a passion for it. It made me happy.”

Volleyball has allowed Yost to branch out and form friendships. The multi-sport athlete’s experience in track and field and volleyball formed the foundation of her closest connections.

“My coaches and my parents have supported me a lot and pushed me to keep going and not give up,” Yost said. “I feel like they’ve brought the good side of me out, and that’s important to help me keep going, because it’s hard. We didn’t have the best season, but I feel like my coaches’ and my parents’ words helped me push through the rest of the season.”

“Annalyse is a very gifted athlete,” Saboe said. “She has a lot of athletic ability, and with that athletic ability, she’s been able to, at times, be a game-changer for us on the court. Annalyse has the ability with one swing, to bring the obvious part, which is the kill, but she also has the ability to bring an energy shift on the court and a momentum shift on the court. She has the ability to bring about that same shift, not just with her swing, but also with the blocking ability, because Annalyse has such great jumping ability, she, at times, has been able to control what middle hitters on the other side of the court do, what the outside hitters on the other side of the court can do, and then she can retaliate with her own attack.”

Yost stepped into a leadership role this year on the volleyball team, helping to “drive” the team closer to winning games through her experience on the varsity volleyball team since freshman year. 

“I’m so proud of her,” Saboe said. “I would say that about any of my athletes, but with Annalyse, it’s been really awesome to see her take advantage of the athletic ability that she has and be able to excel and then for other people to see it. It’s an even prouder moment for me as a coach because I know what I see in the gym every day. I see what she does in practice all the time. It’s even more important for me when that’s validated with other coaches seeing what she can do on a court, and them deciding that she deserves recognition for her abilities and for what she’s been able to do for our team over a number of years now.”

Saboe describes Yost on the court in one word: fun.

“Annalyse has those work-hard moments, but Annalyse also has those enjoyable moments where she just loves being on the court and just has a really good time with it,” Saboe said. “Those are the best times to coach kids because, in those moments, that’s where your athletes are most receptive to coaching, and that’s where they learn the most—when they’re out there having a good time, they’re enjoying it, they like being around their teammates and they’re able to step their game up at the same time. You combine all of those elements together, and that’s where your athletes really become the athletes and the individuals that they can be as they go through life.”

Yost’s accomplishment comes in light of challenging herself further in her last year on the team. This year, Yost was placed in a role where she served from the service line which she hadn’t done before. She embraced the opportunity.

At the University of Michigan, where she will attend for javelin, Yost hopes to “sneak” into a club volleyball team to “mess around with it in the future.”

“Don’t let your record dictate how your team plays throughout the season,” Yost said. “If you really love the sport, you should just be happy to be there. It’s not always about winning.”