BILLINGS — Sheepishly, Annie Hanser answers one or two questions about some facts she might know about her older sisters during their volleyball days at Billings Central.
Does she recall how many years Maggie might have been on varsity, or how many years Catie might have been a starter?
“I’m sorry, I don’t,” Annie Hanser starts out. “I was 5, so …”
No worries, Annie. It is a lot to keep track off, especially for one nine years behind the graduation of the fourth sister of the Hanser clan.
Annie Hanser is the setter for the current Rams team as the program gets set to try and add another notch to its championship pedigree. Beginning in 2009, when Annie’s mother Liz, as head coach of the Rams, helped end a 21-season drought between Class A titles, Billings Central has trophied (meaning first, second or third place) at the state tournament in 13 of the past 15 years.
The two times the Rams didn’t place, they finished fourth. But throughout those 15 years, starting with Liz Hanser, then Kylie Reitz or current coach Anita Foster, the Rams have built and maintained a legacy of consistency and strength.
Under Foster, the Rams have appeared in the title match in each of her previous four seasons. Billings Central won it all in 2020, Foster’s first season, until last year, when Hardin finally dethroned the Rams for the crown.
It isn’t lost on Foster what having deep roots can mean to a program. Annie Hanser, a senior, is the fifth Hanser sibling to play for the Rams; fellow senior Ryen Hadley is the third of her family to play for the volleyball program; and even Foster, so new to the program, already has second daughter Kaitlyn playing (eldest daughter Ally graduated in 2023) and another daughter ready to join in a few years.
“I mean, Annie grew up in the gym and, you know, she saw the excitement of what it's supposed to look like, whereas a lot of kids haven't ever been exposed to that,” Foster said, speaking of her own family’s experience, as well. “So, I do think it's infectious, and it's contagious, and I see it even with my little girl (Lily) in her grade … like there are some gung-ho little sixth-graders so excited and ready to play.”
Annie was just 1 year old when her mother first took the Central job. Catie, a 2010 graduate, was the first daughter to play for Liz, followed by Maggie (2011), Abbie (2012) and then Ellie (2016), who is a volunteer assistant coach for the Rams.
Volleyball has always been a hot topic around the Hanser household, which also includes Bill, a Billings Central graduate himself who was an assistant coach for Liz, a three-time All-America player for Carroll College.
“I just remember coming to all the games and practices when I was little, just sleeping in the stands,” Annie said, “and I would always go bother the parents for gum or whatever. It just has always been such a part of my family.
“Kindergarten is when I started realizing, like, oh, that's a really big deal. Like, that would be really fun to go play and be like my family and just continue playing like everyone else has.”
Playing and winning. Annie is in her second season as the Rams starting setter after having played some as an outside hitter previously. With three players recording more than 100 kills so far — Kamryn Reinker (175), Gracie Loveridge (157), and Kassidy Shafer (102) — Hanser has been judicious spreading the ball around.
Coach Foster, whose team has just one loss this season, praised Hanser for her composure and leadership abilities.
“Volleyball is a huge momentum sport, and she kind of brings that calmness to the team,” Foster said. “Every team needs that someone who can step into that role. So that's what I see in her IQ. I mean, she's been around the game a really long time. I think she's probably seen as much volleyball as I have, honestly.”
Alas, these next weeks are the end of the run for the Hanser siblings. Annie’s final days in the program have brought out many old stories, many starting with “Remember when …” when the family gathers, she said.
But Annie has two young nieces who might one day don the green and white colors for the Billings Central volleyball program. All of Annie’s older sisters still reside in Billings, so who knows how high that number might climb?
The Rams have two more tournaments — this weekend’s Eastern A divisional and next week’s Class A state tournament — to create more stories for Annie and her family to pass down.
“It's really bizarre because I'm so much younger than (my sisters) that it's like, oh, well, this is actually the end this time,” Annie said. “It's not like, oh, there's another one coming. And so, it’s kind of a really weird thing to recognize.
“To my family, I think it's a really big part of who we are. It's a big legacy.”
