Watkins reflects on 1st professional volleyball season

Setter Ashley Watkins played in more than 100 career matches for Montana (2016-19), ranking sixth in program history with more than 3,400 career assists. Following a standout volleyball career in Missoula, Watkins has begun a professional career overseas.

She played last season for AON Amazones in Athens, Greece. Her team competed for the Greek Cup and in the Greek A1 Etniki league, the highest professional volleyball league in Greece. Watkins is one of several former Grizzlies in the past handful of years, including her former Montana teammate Cassie Laramee (Austria), to play professionally.

As Watkins gears up for her second pro season, she took a few minutes to reflect on what her professional career has looked like so far:

GoGriz.com: Since finishing your playing career at Montana, tell readers what you have been up to?
Ashley Watkins: Since I finished my playing career at Montana, I took some time away from volleyball during COVID and rehabbed my shoulder from a surgery after my senior season. I started working a job in marketing when an opportunity to play professional volleyball came up. I moved to Greece in August of 2021 to start my professional playing career.

GG: You initially got a 'normal-person' job. What made you decide to leave that and pursue a professional career?
AW: Playing pro was something that was in the back of my mind throughout my collegiate career. I was extremely fortunate to be at Montana at a time when two of my coaches, Dana (Hallisey) and Janae (Vander Ploeg), were coaching. They both had played overseas and had experiences that they could tell me about. But after my senior season I had a shoulder surgery and COVID hit, so I took it as a sign it was time to step away from playing and decided I was completely done with that part of my career. About a year later, in the spring of 2021, I got put into contact with an agent and my mindset completely changed. I missed volleyball a lot and decided I was ready to be back on the court.

GG: What was the process like to find a contract and what made you choose Greece for your first season?
AW: I have a really amazing agent who has a lot of great contacts both in Europe and in the U.S. He's in constant contact with potential teams that might be a good fit for me. He brings an option forward and I have about two to three days to make a decision. It's random and happens really fast.

This last year, I played in Athens, Greece. When my agent brought that option to me, he explained that the volleyball in Greece this year was going to be at a very high level and I'd have the opportunity to play with and against some extremely good volleyball players. But honestly, the second he said Greece I was pretty much sold.

GG: What is a typical week, and season, like playing professionally?
AW: A typical week in the pros is pretty repetitive. Where I was at in Greece, we had two practices a day from Monday through Friday, with a lift three times per week. Typically, Friday would be a travel day if we weren't playing in Athens. Saturday was always game day and Sunday was an off day. The season ranges from August to May.

When I'm not playing overseas, I'm at home with my family in Vancouver, Washington, and of course always come back and spend a week or so in Missoula.

GG: Most international teams have a limit of how many American girls can be on a roster. What other countries were your teammates from?
AW: This year, I was the only American on my team. There were a handful of Americans on other teams in the league. I had a teammate from Cuba and my roommate was from Brazil. The rest of the team was all Greek.

GG: What has been your favorite part about playing professionally overseas?
AW: I've met some truly amazing people and have visited some amazing places. Seeing how other people live around the world has been so rewarding. But overall, the people and relationships are invaluable.

GG: For a lot of people, playing professionally can also be a challenge. What has been the hardest part?
AW: Being away from my family has been hard at times, but I also call them every day; they probably get sick of me calling sometimes. Other than missing my people, not hearing English around me all the time and not knowing what's happening around me was very hard at first, but now I feel like I live in blissful ignorance when I'm overseas, which strangely enough is kind of peaceful.

GG: Have any specific moments or memories stood out on the court?
AW: In my last playoff game, it was a best-of-three series and we were playing the second game away. It was game point and there was a questionable call that didn't go the home team's way so the fans started fighting, rushing the court, and lighting off flares in the gym. The gym was red and had a ton of smoke, people were beating huge bass drums. It honestly was so chaotic and just not something you see in American sports. The crazy thing, this wasn't the first riot; this was a pretty common occurrence at games in Greece.

GG: Off the court, what has it been like to live abroad and what are some of the best parts about exploring new countries?
AW: Living abroad has been the most amazing experience. The culture is so rich, the people are so hospitable and the destinations are so beyond beautiful. But above all of that, my favorite part has been the food.

GG: How do you feel like your time at Montana helped prepare you for your pro career?
AW: Montana volleyball is an amazing program with coaches who truly are some of the best in the world as far as training goes. The way they coach volleyball translates so well to the differences in the international game.

Aside from volleyball, Montana taught me how important community is. It can be really isolating in a new country – not knowing anyone – so striving to make connection is an extremely important piece, which is something that was instilled in me during my time at Montana.

University of Montana Athletics

Watkins reflects on 1st professional volleyball season

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