Allyson Ty ’18 leads the team in goals scored this season.
Allyson Ty ’18 joined Andover Water Polo as a Junior after the captain of the team recommended it to supplement swimming, her main sport. Ty’s natural athleticism and endurance from being a lifelong swimmer translated easily into water polo.
Ty has been a threat all four years on the team and she is currently the season’s leading scorer, according to Head Coach Daniel O’Shea.
O’Shea wrote in an email to The Phillipian, “Ally is one of these players that always finds a way to be in the right place at exactly the right time. On offense, she always finds a way to fluster her defenders and manage to get open. She has a great shot that seems to really confound a lot of goalies, making her very dangerous when our team has possession.”
“Defensively, she is smart, aggressive, and very quick. She will often be the player to diffuse a counterattack or to blindside an opponent to steal the ball. I think a lot of the teams we play are caught off guard by her, but she is easily one of the most consequential players when she’s in the water,” wrote O’Shea.
Because of her defensive versatility and offensive contributions to the team, Ty has been titled The Phillipian’s Athlete of the Week.
How did you get involved in the sport?
I started [Junior] year. After swim season ended for me in the winter, one of the swimmers who was also captain of the wopo team recruited a lot of us. So I tried wopo and ended up really liking it.
What position do you play, and what is the role of your position?
I usually play wing, which is the side spot closest to the goal, but it varies from game to game. I try to drive a lot and help move the ball around to open up some scoring opportunities. If not wing, I play flat. But, we’re taught to know every position so that we’re able to play in people when we need to. And I feel like that makes our team have a lot of depth, which not many teams have.
Do you have any pre-game rituals?
I don’t personally have any pregame rituals, but as a team, we always blast music before our games and get hyped together. We have team brunches and team psyches, too.
What has the sport taught you?
I learned a lot about what it is to be a part of a team. You have a group of people who you spend time with everyday in the pool. You learn together and work hard together. And I feel that I can always depend on them to be there for me. It’s a good feeling to have.
How has water polo helped you better your other athletics?
I mainly swim and play wopo, and both are water sports. I love being in the water and I feel like that really helps me perform the best I can. The techniques are different, but they both require similar skills.
What makes the Andover team special and what are you going to miss about the program?
I’m really going to miss the team’s spirit. Everyday, the team is so enthusiastic, even after we lose a game or just had a tiring practice. I can always count on them to brighten my day. We’ve gotten real close this season, too, and being able to bond with each other so well and make so many friendships in such little time makes this team such a special one.
What are some of your most memorable moments on the team?
Besides some intense games, I’ll never forget the dryland workouts. The sets are always tough, and while you’re doing them, you really want to stop. But you can’t. We do them together as a team, and you try your best from start to finish, even if you’re tempted to quit. But when you’re all done and you feel that burn right after or days later, it’s worth it.
How do your teammates motivate you?
Wopo is a hard sport, and seeing all of them work hard every day in and out of the pool is really motivating. There’s always such a positive energy around the team and a lot of determination to get better that it’s tough not to work hard with them. We push each other, motivationally and literally, to be a better team, and I can’t think of a better group of people than this one to play with this season
