Nine years ago, senior libero and McCallum volleyball captain Aaniya Thornton, a then-third-grader, began playing volleyball. Now, she’s diving across courts, a Division I commit with 1,000 digs to her name.
On July 26, Thornton announced her verbal commitment to Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, a Division I school in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, to play volleyball and study nursing. Thornton had only started her recruiting process the previous year, which made her doubt the possibility of playing collegiate volleyball.
“The hardest part was getting told that coaches already had their rosters for 2026,” Thornton said. “That’s pretty hard because you feel like you’re not good enough or you should’ve reached out earlier.”
Despite this, Thornton pursued the idea of recruitment and was offered the opportunity to play at Bethune-Cookman on a campus tour. Alongside Thornton was her greatest inspiration and support—her mother and grandmother.
“When I first got the offer, I was really, really excited,” Thornton said. “I was talking to my coach, and that’s when she offered me. I literally jumped up and down, and I hugged my grandma.”
The university’s close-knit community and Thornton’s strong relationship with the coach—both promoted by the smaller campus—were the biggest factors in her decision, and aided her choice of committing to Bethune-Cookman when considering other schools, namely Tennessee State University and Prairie View A&M University. Thornton explained that knowing her peers and professors was a top priority throughout her college search.
After transferring to McCallum from Weiss High School her sophomore year, Thornton secured a position on McCallum’s varsity volleyball team, impressing Amy Brodbeck, the head volleyball coach.
“I was so excited about her coming here, and I saw the potential in her,” Brodbeck said. “She doesn’t hold back, that’s the best way to put it.”
Sharing the court with Thornton for almost three years and meeting for the first time in sixth grade is senior Kafia Jackson-Woods, one of Thornton’s current McCallum teammates and a long-time friend. Jackson-Woods shared Brodbeck’s enthusiasm for Thornton’s transfer and personality when playing.
“I just love being able to play with her on the court,” Jackson-Woods said. “Playing with her is just the best feeling ever because she keeps me composed, and she makes me feel so much more confident. Especially having a libero like her on the court gives everyone the confidence that she’s going to get the ball up.”
Known for her fearlessness and grit, Thornton reached another significant achievement this year by surpassing 1,000 digs. At the end of her junior year, MaxPreps reported that Thornton had totaled 954 digs. Currently, MaxPreps only documents her senior year stats, displaying 245 digs. When totaled, Thornton sits at 1,199 career digs. The exact date of the accomplishment remains unknown. Still, during the varsity volleyball game vs. LASA at home on Sept. 12, Thornton celebrated with her family and team, gaining recognition for her triumph.
Both Brodbeck and Jackson-Woods emphasized that Thornton deserved these accomplishments because of her work ethic and love for the sport.
“She just deserves it because she has been playing since she was really young,” Jackson-Woods said. “So hearing her commit to a school, even D1, is such a big commitment, and I know she was so excited about it.”
Brodbeck agrees.
“She deserves it,” Brodbeck said. “She loves the sport. Her dedication is actually seen. She is not scared to try to take on anybody and she is going to speak her mind all the time.”
