Wirt began playing volleyball in 7th grade.
With her experience and skill, Brooklyn Wirt ’21 hopes to continue being a strong contributor for Andover Girls Volleyball this season. Wirt, a two-year Lower from Montana, began playing volleyball for her middle school in seventh grade and has played competitively for three years since. After earning a spot on Andover’s varsity team as a Junior, Wirt distinguished herself as a key player and valuable asset to the team.
According to Wirt, her passion for volleyball comes from the team mentality, where every player’s performance matters.
“In other sports, like if you are playing basketball and you have one player on your team that is way better than everyone else, they can carry the team and do everything. But for volleyball, you can’t hit the ball twice in a row, so it’s impossible for one person to just carry your team. It’s all about working together,” said Wirt.
Wirt’s teammates and coaches expressed appreciation for her enthusiasm and powerful hits.
In an email to The Phillipian, Head Coach Clyfe Beckwith wrote, “Brooklyn brings energy, enthusiasm, and a pow of a hit. Her athleticism rubs off on her teammates; when Brooklyn smashes the ball during our ‘rip it’ drills (jump and hit the ball hard from the outside left position), she sets a high bar for the rest of the team. She brings a love for the game and team spirit.”
Cassidy Musco ’19 said, “Even though she is only a Lower, she has a lot of experience, which makes her a key leader on the team. As a teammate, she is so much fun to play sports with. She is really athletic, so you always know you are going to get a competitive game out of her.”
Captain Serena Liu ’19 and Adaeze Izuegbunam ’20 praised Wirt for her versatility, athleticism, and prowess on the court.
Liu said, “Last year [Brooklyn] played middle. This year she transitioned to outside hitter, which I think is really awesome for her, because I know she worked super hard last season and played club travel team, and I really saw a lot of improvement from her. I think outside is perfect for her because she’s really great at manipulating the ball, getting it to where the holes are, and finding the weaknesses in the other team’s defense.”
Izuegbunam added, “She finds the holes in the other team’s formation and excellently places the ball into them. She is such a hard worker and great at reading the game and adapting in the spur of a moment. I’d trust her in any position because she’s so well-rounded.”
Despite Wirt’s powerful presence on the court, some teammates commend her most for her encouraging team spirit and positivity.
Violet Enes ’21 said, “Brooklyn contributes to the team by being endlessly supportive and positive, yet critical when she sees where you can improve and where you want to improve. She always wants to get better and she wants everyone else to as well. She loves helping people and learning from others, and she never gets in her head. She is full of joy and excitement and the court would not be the same without her.”
Wirt looks forward to the rest of the season, especially the competition against rival Phillips Exeter Academy.
Wirt said, “I’m really excited about the team this year. We have some great players and great people, and bond really well together. I am most looking forward to playing Exeter this year and think it is going to be a really fun game. We have both lost important players, and it will be interesting to see how we match up. Last year we beat [Exeter] in our non-[Andover/Exeter Weekend] game, and then during A/E we did not do as well as we could have… It will be interesting to see if this year we can do better.”
