Carly Anderson made her Wisconsin Badger debut against Texas on September 1, 2024, marking the beginning of her journey with this esteemed volleyball program. Through the 2024 season, she has participated in 14 matches, quickly becoming an integral part of the team. Notably, she earned a starting position against Marquette on September 17, where she showcased her setting prowess with a match-high 51 assists and contributed defensively with 11 digs, achieving a double-double. Her versatility was further highlighted in a match against Illinois on November 3, where, playing as a defensive specialist (DS), she recorded a season-high of two service aces alongside six digs. Additionally, she played as a DS versus Minnesota on November 20, adding five digs to her season record. Her consistent presence in 14 matches underscores her value to the Badgers in the 2024 season.
Collegiate Career Highlights
2023 (Senior Season at Montana Grizzlies)
Carly Anderson’s senior year at the University of Montana was marked by significant accolades and statistical achievements. She was honored as a Second Team All-Big Sky player and earned Academic All-Big Sky and CSC Academic All-District honors, reflecting her dual excellence in athletics and academics. Her performances at tournaments were also recognized, as she was named to the Buffalo Invite All-Tournament Team and the UND Classic All-Tournament Team.
Statistically, Anderson was a standout setter in the Big Sky Conference. Her 9.49 assists per set ranked third in the conference, improving to 9.61 assists per set in conference play, also ranking third. She amassed a total of 1,053 assists, marking her second consecutive season surpassing 1,000 assists. Beyond setting, Anderson contributed significantly in other areas. She led Montana and ranked fifth in the Big Sky with 42 service aces (0.38 per set). She also recorded 87 kills, averaging a career-high 0.78 kills per set, with an impressive .305 hitting percentage for the season, another career best. Defensively, she tallied 202 digs (1.82 per set) and 54 blocks, ranking fifth and fourth on the team, respectively.
Throughout the 2023 season, Anderson demonstrated remarkable consistency and impact. She achieved a season-high of 52 assists in a five-set victory against Binghamton on August 31 and had 51 assists against Sacramento State on November 18. She reached the 40-assist mark in nine matches, including three consecutive matches from September 9-16. Anderson recorded seven double-doubles throughout the year, with streaks of three and two consecutive double-doubles. Offensively, she had a standout performance against Eastern Washington on October 14, recording a season-high seven kills with a .700 hitting percentage. Her setting consistency was evident in the final 11 matches, where she recorded at least 30 assists in 10 of them. Anderson also showcased her serving skills with multiple aces in 11 matches, including a season-high five against Green Bay on September 7. Her attacking efficiency was notable, with an attacking percentage over .500 in six matches and at least .400 in 10 matches. Remarkably, she had 15 zero-error matches and only 27 total attack errors for the season, alongside just six ball-handling errors. A career milestone was reached against Loyola Marymount on September 15 when she surpassed 3,000 career assists.
2022 (Junior Season at Montana Grizzlies)
As a junior, Carly Anderson continued to excel, earning Second Team All-Big Sky honors and being named Big Sky Player of the Week (9/19). She was also recognized for her academic achievements as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree and was selected for the Chucktown Throwdown All-Tournament Team. Anderson started all 29 matches and played in every set as Montana’s primary setter. She ranked second in the Big Sky with 10.16 assists per set, totaling 1,077 assists for the season. By the end of her junior year, she had accumulated 2,618 career assists, placing her eighth in Montana program history, and her career average of 9.55 assists per set ranked fifth in program history.
In addition to setting, Anderson contributed 81 kills, ranking sixth on the team, with a .264 hitting percentage, the second-best on the team among players with at least 50 attempts. She led the team with 36 service aces, ranking sixth in the Big Sky with 0.34 aces per set. Defensively, she recorded 229 digs (2.16 per set) and 57 total blocks (0.54 per set), ranking third and second on the team, respectively. Her setting highlight of the season was a career-high 58 assists in a win against Charleston Southern on September 17, the fourth-highest single-game assist total by a Big Sky player that season. Her recognition as Big Sky Player of the Week followed Montana’s strong performance at the Chucktown Throwdown, where she averaged 10.45 assists per set, along with 23 digs, seven kills, and five blocks. Throughout the season, Anderson consistently delivered, recording at least 20 assists in every match and achieving 50 or more assists in five matches. She recorded eight double-doubles, including a stretch of three in four matches. Her serving consistency was evident with at least one ace in 11 of the last 12 matches. Defensively, she recorded a season-high seven blocks in the opening match against North Dakota on August 26, and offensively, she had a season-high six kills against Weber State on October 20.
2021 (Sophomore Season at Montana Grizzlies)
Carly Anderson earned UND Classic All-Tournament Team honors and Academic All-Big Sky Conference recognition during her sophomore year. She played in all 102 sets, starting as setter in all 27 matches. Anderson ranked second in the Big Sky Conference with 9.40 assists per set, improving to 9.90 assists per set during conference play, again ranking second. Demonstrating her well-rounded skills, she led Big Sky setters in kills (0.58 per set) and ranked second in blocks (0.38). Her setting facilitated Montana’s offense, helping the Grizzlies achieve a .202 team hitting percentage, a significant improvement from .147 the previous season.
Anderson recorded 50 or more assists five times, the most among Big Sky setters, including a career-high 57 assists in a victory over Idaho on November 6, which was also the highest single-game total by a Big Sky setter in 2021. She achieved three double-doubles, with a notable performance against Montana State on October 26, where she recorded a career-high 25 digs, 47 assists, a career-high-tying five kills, and a career-high six blocks. In that match against Montana State, her sixth block tied the fifth set at 13-13, and she subsequently served the final two points, including an ace, to secure the win. From September 3 to October 14, Anderson went 13 consecutive matches without an attack error, recording 28 kills during that period. She totaled 20 service aces for the season, ranking fourth on the team, and had three matches with three aces each.
Spring 2021 (Freshman Season at Montana Grizzlies)
In her true freshman season, Spring 2021, Carly Anderson earned Academic All-Big Sky Conference honors. She played in every set, starting all 16 matches as setter in this abbreviated season. Anderson ranked fourth in the Big Sky Conference with 8.41 assists per set, totaling 555 assists. She showcased her versatility with 35 blocks (0.53 per set, third on the team), 11 service aces (third), 117 digs (fifth), and 45 kills (sixth). She led all Big Sky setters in kills (0.68 per set) and ranked second in blocks (0.53).
Anderson recorded a season-high 49 assists in a five-set match against Montana State on February 14, one of four matches where she surpassed 40 assists. She had at least one kill in 14 matches, including nine consecutive matches to close the season. In seven of these matches, she recorded multiple kills, with five kills against Montana State on February 15 and another five against Idaho on February 28. In the victory over Idaho, she also recorded 41 assists, nine digs, four blocks, and a service ace. Anderson recorded a block in 13 of 16 matches, totaling three or more blocks seven times, and led Montana in blocks twice. She achieved two double-doubles late in the season, including against Sacramento State on March 21, where she tallied 33 assists and 12 digs.
High School Career
Carly Anderson is a 2020 graduate of Lorne Park Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. She was a two-time team MVP and a three-year captain. Anderson represented Team Ontario twice, including at the 2019 USA Volleyball High Performance Championships in Florida, medaling three times with a silver in 2017 and two bronzes in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, she was named a national all-star. Her high school volleyball coach was Ron Chong. She played club volleyball for Halton Region Volleyball Club (Halton Hurricanes) and earned academic honors every semester.
Personal Information
Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Carly Anderson’s hometown is Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Her parents are Barbara and Dennis Anderson, and she has an older sister, Olivia, who was a swimmer at Georgia. Carly was nominated for Montana’s Athletics Diversity & Inclusion Committee in May 2022. She is majoring in health and human performance.
Why Wisconsin?
Carly Anderson’s decision to join Wisconsin reflects her aspirations and values: “Playing at Wisconsin is a dream for me. This school not only has a beautiful location and great academics, but one of the best volleyball programs in the country and one that aligns perfectly with my values. This team values hard work connection, and discipline. I love my teammates and coaches and feel so lucky to have this experience for my final year of college volleyball.”
Career Highs
| Category | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Kills | 9 vs Eastern Washington, 10/14/23 |
| Attempts | 21 at Idaho St., 1/25/21 |
| Attack Pct | .800 vs Portland St., 11/16/23 |
| Assists | 58 at Charleston Southern, 9/17/22 |
| Aces | 5 vs Green Bay, 9/7/23 |
| Digs | 25 at Montana State, 8/26/22 |
| Blocks | 7 vs North Dakota, 8/26/22 |
| Points | 9.5 (4x; MR vs Eastern Washington, 10/14/23) |
