Armed With An Independent Spirit, Volleyball’s Annalea Maeder Is Thriving At Cal
“When I came to Cal as a freshman,” Annalea Maeder recalls, “I knew that I was probably going to have to do a lot more than ‘normal’ students in order to succeed.”
The Basel, Switzerland, transplant, who led Cal’s volleyball team with 701 assists and eight double-doubles in her first season on campus, was never able to come to Berkeley on an official visit due to COVID-related policies in place at the time. A complete stranger to the area whose experience in English was limited to what she had learned in school, Maeder was determined to overcome what some would see as significant obstacles in order to attend a Power Five school on the West Coast. Her research led her to Cal, whose biology and chemistry programs stood out to her in addition to the historic strength of the volleyball program.
Inspired, she sent an e-mail to head coach Sam Crosson, expressing her interest along with a video link that showed her playing at a high level alongside college graduates – enough for him to arrange a video call with her. Crosson was quickly impressed with Maeder’s drive and independence in addition to her volleyball skills, which eventually led to the Bears making her an offer and triggering a cross-globe move for the 18-year-old.
Where many others would have collapsed under the pressure, Maeder thrived. She arrived on campus early, enrolling in a summer class to get a feel for both learning in English and measuring the standard of knowledge that she would need to succeed in a rigorous academic environment. After that, it was a matter of balancing volleyball and school, a task which she took to with ease.
“Annalea has truly grown in her time here at Cal,” says Crosson. “She has done an extraordinary job of making that transition.”
Maeder’s path to the U.S….
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