Anna Smrek, the tallest women’s athlete to ever wear a Badger uniform, has garnered notable attention from the public due to her exceptional height and age.
Coming into the limelight as ‘The next Dana Rettke’, Smrek quickly made a name for herself with the Badgers.
Smrek comes from a lineage of refined athletes. Anna’s father played professional basketball and her big brother also competed as a Tennis player.
Anna Smrek, now in her junior year, joined the Badgers in January of 2021. She is currently pursuing a major in health promotion and health equity.
Moreover, the Canadian-born Anna Smrek competes as a middle blocker/right-side hitter for the University of Wisconsin.
Smrek went to Notre Dame College High School where she represented the Canadian Youth National team, winning a silver medal at the 2018 NORCECA Championship in Honduras.
Likewise, Anna, who is in her emerging adulthood, is among the few commanding volleyball players in the Big Ten.
Her accolades include the 2022 Big 12 All-Tournament, the 2021 NCAA Championship MVP, the 2021 UW Most Improved Player & 2022 Academic All-Big Ten.
Anna Smrek is commonly regarded as the best player to ever grace the Badger’s shirt and will go down among volleyball’s greatest.
Anna Smrek Age And Wikipedia: More On Height And Shoe Size
Early Life & Age: Height And Shoe Size
Anna Smrek, a native of Canada, was born on October 11, 2003.
Smrek recently celebrated her 20th birthday which she shared on her Instagram, ensuring her fans of her age.
Smrek’s upbringing revolved around dancing and from the age of 3, she grew up as a dancer.
Likewise, her time as a dancer reaped added benefits as she possessed rare coordination and athleticism honed through years of dance training.
Despite trying basketball for fun in elementary school, Anna never really felt like it was her sport.
Moreover, she was introduced to volleyball by her maternal grandfather.
Upon the insistence of her grandfather, a water polo coach from Croatia, she tried her hands on volleyball. Today, thanks to her grandfather’s persistent nature Anna is a volleyball professional.
Similarly, Smrek’s fans have long pondered regarding her height and shoe size.
Anna’s height is truly remarkable, standing at 6 feet 9 inches and measuring 6-8½ in shoes.
It’s no surprise, as she inherited this trait from her father, Mike who measures an exceptional 7 feet (2.13 meters) in height.
Family Life: Athleticism In The Veins
Anna Smrek was born to her parents, her father, Michael Francis Smrek, and her mother Sanja Smrek.
Anna hails from a bloodline of accomplished athletes. Her father, Mike Smrek, is a Canadian former professional basketball player.
Mike played at the NBA for seven seasons- the highest level of professional basketball.
Moreover, during his time at the NBA, Mike played for some of the most decorated NBA teams- Chicago Bulls, LA Lakers & Golden State Warriors.
Anna’s father claimed the zenith of success with the Los Angeles Lakers, becoming a 2 times NBA champion (1987, 1988).
Similarly, Anna’s brother, Luke Smrek also played tennis during his collegiate years. Luke was involved in NCAA Division 1 as a tennis player for almost four years.
Likewise, Luke, the big brother who was equally competent as an athlete, was born on July 15, 1998, in Welland, Ontario.
During his freshman year at Marquette University, he was honored as the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. Throughout his four-year collegiate career, Luke accumulated 9 honors and awards.
Additionally, Luke Smrek also worked as a Graduate Assistant Coach for Ball State University Division 1 men’s tennis program.
However, he left the job after 1 year and 10 months of service.
Currently, Luke is a Financial Analyst by profession and works full-time with Illumina, an American biotech company.
