Andover dominated in three straight sets Wednesday over Dana Hall. Spurred by the incredible serving of Co-Captain Jamie Shenk ’12, Andover regained its rhythm after a two-game losing steak.
The team got off to a quick start, jumping to a 9-3 lead. Working off of strong serves from Alexi Bell ’13, Andover finished the set 25-13 and entered the second set with the momentum on its side.
In the next set, the team slipped into a second-game lull, making several errors that allowed Dana Hall to earn points. Despite five service points from Kate Wincek ’14, Andover trailed Dana Hall 21-17 before finally picking up its play, battling to win the set. In the final game, Shenk earned six service points, helping the team to pull out a 25-18 win.
Shenk and Bell were integral for the squad Wednesday afternoon, as Shenk hit 13 of 15 while serving 16 of 17, and Bell had two stuff blocks.
Last Saturday, the team traveled to NMH for an arduous five set match. Missing two key players, Andover came out slowly, dropping the first six points. Alex Becker ’15 served Andover back into the first set, though this was not enough to secure a victory for the team. Andover lost the first set 21-25.
In the second set, Andover pushed ahead to a 24-19 lead, but NMH went on a seven-point run and won the game 24-26.
The third set was evenly matched up until the end, but Andover was able to hold on for a 29-27 win.
Andover narrowly won the fourth set 25-23, forcing a fifth and final game.
Both teams exchanged points, until the scored reached 9-9 and NMH stepped up its game, and Andover’s focus slipped. The team suffered its second loss of the season 12-15.
Zoe Roschach ’12 played exceptionally for Andover, hitting 71 of 78, with 52 of 57 digs. Co-Captain Chelsea Ward ’12 dished out 35 assists along with two aces on 17 out of 18 serves. Ward said, “We need to work on communication on the court and team togetherness.”
Lucia McGloin ’13 said, “The team did a good job of coming back and not giving up. There were definitely moments where we choked under pressure, and overall we could have played better as a team.”
Andover will host Choate this Sunday.
