Rihana Gomez ’26 prepares to spike the ball in game against Austin Prep
Girls Volleyball (1-8) fell short against Choate and Austin Preparatory School (Austin Prep) on Saturday and Wednesday, respectively, in two close matches. Despite being the underdog against Choate, Andover pushed the game to a decisive final set, facing off against a team that entered with a strong 6-1 record.
Sophia Fang ’28 described how recent practices have focused on building composure and mental resilience under pressure. The team has been working on executing in late-game situations to prepare for high-stakes moments.
“For the past few practices, we’ve really been practicing going on runs under pressure. We’ve been playing six-on-six, and each team starts at an imaginary 20–20 score. The game ends at 25, and we’ve all just been trying to get those five points and win under that pressure of being near the end of a match. I think that’s helped us to not lose control when the score is tight,” said Fang.
Kaliah Fortune ’26 compared the team’s energy levels during its recent matchups, noting that the pre-game atmosphere at Choate helped the team perform at a higher level.
“[Austin Prep], or today, really wasn’t [exciting]. We had energy, but I don’t know, it definitely wasn’t our best game. I mean, there was a lot less energy today in general, like in the gym. There were moments when the gym was just silent,” said Fortune.
Reflecting on key moments in the Choate match, Fang praised middle blocker Jacqueline Li ’27 for her composure under pressure, crediting her for helping the team rally late in the game.
“[Li] kept the serve for six points in a row, while our team focused on ourselves and worked on our skills to make sure we weren’t making mistakes to end the game and lose our serve. Jacqueline carried our team through that rut. She had enough mental strength to be like, ‘Oh, this is what I have to do. This is not a time where I can just let go and stay unfocused,’” said Fang.
Fortune also highlighted the emotional impact of the bench and how it helped sustain momentum during critical stretches. She described how communication from players off the court contributed to maintaining focus and morale.
“We are basically like the seventh player: we call whether things are in or out. We just say things so that it’s not silent, like, ‘Okay, this serve’s deep, this serve’s short, it’s in, it’s out, it’s coming to you, it’s coming to whoever,’ and also making sure that we’re keeping people hyped up,” said Fortune.
Emma Webber ’28 viewed the back-to-back close matches as valuable learning experiences, emphasizing how they demonstrated the team’s potential.
“I think that this game sets the tone for the rest of the season because it shows us that we’re really good and that we can beat other teams. We just have to want it a lot. I think that losing today shows us that, because it was a really close match, we can beat the rest of the teams,” said Webber.
Girls Volleyball will look to bounce back on the road against St. Paul’s on Friday, October 10.
