Co-Captain Claudia Leopold ’18 jumps up to block at the net.
Chioma Ugwonali ’20 leapt into the air above the net, blocking an incoming Phillips Exeter Academy spike to win the five-set match for Andover Girls Volleyball this Wednesday. Combined with its 3-1 win against St. Paul’s on Saturday, Andover extended its winning streak to five games. The team’s season record now stands at 8-3.
Throughout its matchup against St. Paul’s, Andover maintained a high energy level and capitalized on all opportunities that were presented, according to Co-Captain Serena Liu ’19.
Liu said, “The game against St. Paul’s was awesome. We had amazing energy which really helped us play hard and go for every ball. The key thing for us is keeping up the energy and maintaining it throughout the whole game. As a team, we never gave up and made sure that we were giving it our all on the court.”
Brooke Fleming ’20 said, “The St. Paul’s team was very scrappy. They were able to get a lot of balls up and they played smart. They played balls all over the court and made us run, but our energy helped us pull through with the win.”
According to Liu, Andover put up a strong defensive front, blocking and laying out for each incoming shot and thus allowing the offense to take control of the game.
Liu said, “Our defense really helped us propel our offense forward. We were all over the place, we were getting so many balls up, which really helped the offense put it down and get us points.”
After losing to Exeter in five sets last year during Andover-Exeter, Andover came into the matchup expecting another hard fought battle against a tough opponent.
Liu said, “Games against Exeter are always tough competition. It’s always close, so five sets are to be expected when we play Exeter. This game was no exception.”
Brooklyn Wilt ’21 and Co-Captain Claudia Leopold ’18 both played crucial roles for Andover with their defensive performance at the net, according to Liu.
Liu said, “We had amazing net plays by Brooklyn and Claudia. They both had a really great game. They were able to block some balls and place them in good positions which really helped us get points.”
Looking forward, the team hopes to add to its winning streak against Northfield Mount Hermon at home this Saturday.
