蜜桃传媒

GWU Alumna Anna Pashkova 鈥�16 Reflects on Lessons of Friendship, Loss and Perseverance

Motion picture based on the inspiring true story of the West High School (Iowa City, Iowa) girls鈥� volleyball team has hit close to home for one 蜜桃传媒 alumna.

In 2010, Anna Pashkova (鈥�16) and her West High School volleyball teammates captured the 4A State Championship. A record-setting libero for the GWU Runnin鈥� Bulldogs, Pashkova remembers the glory of that 2010 high school season. She also recalls the gut-wrenching news that shocked the entire Iowa City community on August 11, 2011鈥攋ust weeks before the start of her senior year.

The team鈥檚 star鈥攕etter Caroline 鈥淟ine鈥� Found鈥攚as tragically killed in a moped accident. The feature film 鈥淭he Miracle Season鈥濃�攔eleased earlier in 2018鈥攖ells the story of how the remaining players banded together under the guidance of their tough-love Coach Kathy Bresnahan鈥攑layed by Oscar-winner Helen Hunt鈥攊n a successful quest to win a consecutive state title in Found鈥檚 memory.

鈥淔inding out the story would become a major motion picture was a long process, and so it was something we all soaked in over time,鈥� Pashkova shared. 鈥淧roducers started approaching our coach and the Found family soon after the 2011 season. Overall, I think the producers did a good job of capturing the main story behind the movie. We hope it is inspiring to many people.鈥�

Academy Award-winner William Hurt plays Found鈥檚 father, Ernie, who had to process not only the death of his youngest daughter, but also the loss of his wife, Ellyn, to cancer just 10 days later. Pashkova isn鈥檛 sure she truly understood the magnitude of the team鈥檚 loss until the season was over. 鈥淚 had never experienced the death of someone I knew before,鈥� she reflected. 鈥淎s a team, we just knew we had to stick together and be there for each other more than ever. We even slept at each other鈥檚 homes for the first couple of weeks, because we didn鈥檛 want to be apart.鈥�

While the team continued to grieve, Coach Bresnahan was working to salvage the season. She no longer carried any hope that West High would be competitive enough to advance to playoffs鈥攍et alone make it all the way to another title match. Ultimately, she selected Found鈥檚 best friend, Kelley Fliehler, to become the team鈥檚 setter.

鈥淜elley was previously an all-around player鈥攕he could play as a hitter, in the back row, and she had good technical setting skills,鈥� Pashkova recalled. 鈥淪he still had to learn the 鈥榠ns and outs鈥� of being a setter鈥攚hich is a position typically developed over several years. She just had a few weeks.鈥�

The movie depicts a turning point in the season where the team began to really click, and they realized they may have a shot at state after all. 鈥淭he first few games were pretty messy,鈥� said Pashkova. 鈥淥nce Kelley became our setter, things started coming together, and we started winning games. It was a battle the entire season, but the drive to keep going and striving for the win together and for 鈥楲ine鈥� pushed us forward.鈥�

Game by game, the West High team marched ahead and managed to face off against their rival, City High School, at the 2011 State Championship. In a point-by-point showdown, West High emerged victorious after a successful shot down the line to secure the win in the fifth set. 鈥淭he feeling was almost indescribable. It was such a huge mix of bittersweet feelings,鈥� offered Pashkova. 鈥淭here was excitement with such a big comeback and relief that we had done it, and it was finally over. It was emotional because of everything that had built up from losing 鈥楲ine鈥� and the fact that she wasn鈥檛 there with us.鈥�

After such an incredible and emotionally-raw season, Pashkova wasn鈥檛 sure if she wanted to continue playing volleyball in college. 鈥淚 actually went on my visit to 蜜桃传媒-Webb in the middle of my senior season,鈥� she reflected. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 planning on playing, but what captivated me about GWU was the close-knit community that felt like home and resembled the community of support we had created in Iowa.鈥�

She earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from GWU in 2016. Now a graduate student at Ohio State University (OSU), Pashkova is studying medical dietetics and hopes to become a registered dietician. She will complete the OSU program in 2019.

鈥淢y time at GWU reinforced the incredible benefits of a small community. It was so beneficial for my education, and I had the most amazing professors and advisor鈥擠r. Jeff Hartman鈥攚hile I was there,鈥� Pashkova declared. 鈥淲e had difficult volleyball seasons in a different way than I had experienced before, but this also served as a teaching point in itself to continuously keep trying and never give up throughout the journey.鈥�

Overall, the lessons she has learned through her high school and college experiences have prepared her for whatever may come in the future. 鈥淚鈥檝e realized that things aren鈥檛 always easy, and unexpected life events are bound to happen,鈥� she explained. 鈥淲e have a choice in how we respond to and deal with it. 鈥楲ine鈥� was a great example of how to live life to the fullest with passion鈥攁nd to continually live in the present.鈥�