Girls Volleyball Co-Captain Selene Xu ’27 has been playing volleyball since the second grade, when she first stepped on the court as part of an after-school program in Shanghai. Now, as a Senior, Xu decided to lean into the role of setter, a position in which she has thrived in at Andover.
Leading a team with seven returners, Xu emphasized prioritizing passion and creating a warm environment for new team members, trusting that the results will follow.
“It depends on how you define success. For me, I care less about the results, it’s more about building a community. Obviously, I would love to make it to the NEPSAC [Championships], but I think what’s much more important than that is building a great team culture and making sure that everyone gets to know each other and has fun together while playing a sport that we really enjoy. So as Captain, I really want to make sure that everyone feels included and that everyone shows up to practice genuinely excited and enthusiastic about playing,” said Xu.
Teammate Lexi Arias ’28 shared her experience with Xu’s leadership. Arias praised the Co-Captain’s ability to connect with her teammates, whether that be in pushing the team through challenging in-game moments or in ensuring no athlete is left behind in warm-ups.
“Selene’s really comfortable to talk to. Whenever we really get in our heads, she helps us move forward and get to the next play. In practice, she’s very encouraging to everyone, making sure everyone has a pepper partner and making sure everyone’s stretching,” said Arias.
Arias shared a moment where Xu motivated the team to push through a mentally difficult point in a game.
“At one point, we were getting aced a lot, and because I play defense, I was getting down on myself. But Selene was so encouraging and telling us not to get in our heads. She just really helped us push through instead of getting disheartened by it,” said Arias.
Emma Webber ’28 described Selene’s captaincy similarly. Webber pointed out Xu’s enthusiasm and willingness to create community, both on and off the court.
“She makes sure that younger players, especially when I was new to the team, can be very involved and comfortable. She always wants to know feedback about how she can be a better player, a better teammate, and that’s really admirable of her. Outside of sports, she’s very hyped… You can tell she really loves being involved in her community in general,” said Webber.
Xu shared her thoughts on her fourth and final year, hoping to cherish small moments with her teammates.
“For me as a Captain, it’s my last year, so I really hope it’s a great one. I hope to have fun and spend Senior fall with my teammates playing the sport that I really love,” said Xu.
