Anna Dollar

Star freshman is money for the Lady Flames

For some, sports are a hobby, something to kill time and have a good time with friends. For others, sports are a real passion. Flames true freshman tennis player Anna Dollar has the game of tennis running through her blood with both her sister and her mother playing the sport.

Dollar’s parents are missionaries so although she is listed as being from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, she spent the majority of her life living in the Ukraine. When she was not playing tennis, she and her family were making quick trips across the border to Austria to ski.

Dollar experienced faith at a very early age. She grew up in the church and learned how to play worship songs on the piano and the guitar. Ultimately her faith is what led her to Liberty.

“It had a lot to do with my parents being missionaries,” Dollar said. “I have two older sisters and they each went to (Division I) Christian schools. I felt like Liberty was the best option.”

The traditional high school experience that most college kids get to go through was something that Dollar missed. Not because her parents were missionaries, but because she was so focused on playing tennis and getting better at the sport she loves. Not attending high school meant coming to Liberty was the first time Dollar had played on a team.

“It was really weird at first because I had never done that before,” Dollar said. “But I really like being on a team. I like playing for other girls and not just myself.”

Before coming to Liberty, Dollar was ranked a Top-300 player in the ITF Junior World Rankings and the No. 2 prospect out of Pennsylvania according to Liberty Athletics.

“I played my whole life and it is something I cannot imagine living without,” Dollar said. “Everyone in my family plays and it is just my life, I’m so passionate about it.”

While Dollar loves tennis, she also realizes that it can be used as a platform to share the Gospel. A platform she has taken full advantage of and used to help show the love of Christ to opponents that she meets.

Like most college athletes, she has dreams of playing at an even higher level, simply using collegiate play as a stepping stone. Yet, Dollar has already experienced that professional level of play. She said she has played in a few professional tournaments. She won a few games and lost a few, but the experience was something most collegiate athletes do not get to undergo.

“It has always been my dream to go pro,” Dollar said. “But depending on how well I do in college will (determine) what I do after college. I just need to work hard.”

Day is a sports reporter.