Prospect feature: Gold medalist Devyn Robinson back for Ankeny Centennial
Devyn Robinson missed Ankeny Centennial’s first 16 matches of the season, but she made quite the return earlier this month. On Sept. 17, Robinson — the top player in the 2020 class — made her season debut and racked up…
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Continue ReadingDevyn Robinson missed Ankeny Centennial’s first 16 matches of the season, but she made quite the return earlier this month. On Sept. 17, Robinson — the top player in the 2020 class — made her season debut and racked up a tremendous 33 kills in a 3-2 win over Johnston.
Robinson, a Wisconsin commit, had a good excuse for her absence. She spent the first half of September in Egypt, winning gold at the FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship. It marked the first time Team USA won a gold medal in an age-group World Championship for either gender.
A 6-foot-2 middle hitter, Robinson was named the Best Blocker of the tournament. In the semifinal match, she contributed eight kills on 14 attacks, plus five blocks, and had another strong performance in the title bout against Italy: seven kills on 15 attacks and four blocks.
“It was a really good experience to better my game, and getting to win gold, I can’t explain it in words. It was just amazing,” Robinson said.
The Jaguars, last year’s state champion, graduated the bulk of their title team: four of their top five in kills, each of their top five in digs, plus their setter. In fact, only Robinson and Drake commit Calea Jones, a 6-foot-0 hitter, return with significant varsity experience.
Ankeny Centennial currently sits at 10-10, ranked No. 9 in 5A, but Robinson’s return should make a massive impact for the Jaguars. She’s a terrific blocker and a powerful attacker, and she flat out changes the game when she’s on the court. As she continues this season and prepares for next year, she’s also working on making her game more complete.
“I need to work on my serve-receive and keeping my mentality high, because I tend to get down on myself pretty easily,” she said.
Robinson will graduate from high school early and begin her Wisconsin career next semester. The Badgers are ranked No. 13 in the country, and Robinson will have a chance to get acclimated with college and Big 10 athletics for several months before taking the NCAA court for the first time.
She’s unsure what position she’ll play at Wisconsin, but she’s displayed a diverse skillset, notching double-digit digs in each of her first two matches this season.
“For college, I’m really looking forward to the advanced level of play and having training every single day,” she said.