In a nail-biting third set, Andover Volleyball prevailed 25-23 to sweep Hotchkiss 3-0 in a tournament last Saturday. Prior to the final set, Andover had won the first and second sets with scores of 25-12 and 25-23, respectively. Earlier in the day, Andover fell to Taft 0-3. The win and the loss cemented Andover’s record at 2-1 early in the season.
The first game against Taft was a hard-fought battle, despite the lopsided scoreline. Andover fell in three sets, with scores of 24-26, 25-27, and 20-25.
Janneke Evans ’18 said, “I think in the game against Taft, what kept us going throughout the games, to very close sets, was our energy and drive. We wanted to win, and we didn’t let any lead affect us.”
Despite the loss, Andover didn’t let the early setback affect it.
Anna Faliero ’18 said, “It was tiring playing two games back to back, but losing against Taft motivated us to play harder against Hotchkiss.”
In the clean 3-0 victory against Hotchkiss, new players Brooke Fleming ’20, Anezka Kuncova ’17, and Post-Graduate (PG) Margot Forti ’17 proved crucial. Fleming and Kuncova are setters, while Forti is an outside hitter.
Head Coach Clyfe Beckwith said, “We have three newcomers to the school and team that have earned starting positions. Even some of our most experienced players have had to wait a year or two to learn the system and earn a starting position.”
Captain Evelyn Mesler ’17 said, “The newer players added a new vibe to the team and to the team’s mindset. Both of our new setters helped to build newer plays and hit sequences for the offence.”
Also contributing to Andover’s success is team chemistry. Although the team is off to a good start, there is still progress to be made.
Coach Beckwith said, “Team chemistry takes a while, and it is one of my main objectives as a coach. There is plenty of good chemistry on the team already, good fun, but we are still learning each other’s tendencies and made some critical errors in the matches last Saturday that cost us unnecessary points. As a coach, I am confident that we can be a better team and aspire to be the best team we can be by the end of the season.”
“I think for the rest of the season, we need to improve on our communication skills, and also team chemistry on the court, as we need to know who gets the ball and not giving up on the play until the whistle is blown,” said Evans.
Andover hopes to secure another win in its next game against Loomis Chaffee on Saturday.