Co-Captain Jerry Shu ’21 leads volleyball with a game plan for a strong team environment and love on the court. According to Shu, he strives for a close knit environment with teammates, ensuring that everyone is acquainted with the game and has fun while plating. His teammates and coach admire his consistency and perseverance throughout games and practices, particularly how Shu always gives it his all and carries it out until the end.
Although Andover Boys Volleyball missed out on its 2020-2021 spring season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Shu expresses his excitement to return to the court and begin playing as a team again. Ensuring that his team is prepared, Shu makes sure to bond with his teammates and instill positive attitudes and an inclusive environment.
“I would say our environment is pretty relaxed, we are all pretty chill. We like to give nicknames to try to create a team bonding, so it’s a pretty chill environment…. We used to have these team specific plays like we would call it pancake, so just getting back to that with my teammates on the court,” said Shu.
Not only does Shu have a positive attitude that rubs off on the team, but he also plays with consistency and perseverance. Heach Coach Alex Svec and teammate Alex Mitchell ’22 recount how Shu always pushes himself to work diligently and intensely both on and off the court through being a role model for the rest of the team.
“Sometimes I need to remind myself that Jerry is our libero and not an MMA fighter. Blood, bruises, and broken bones—and that’s just during warmups. NMH has requested that we play future games outdoors because of the dents Jerry leaves on the court. He’s been hitting the floor of a volleyball court ever since,” said Coach Svec.
Mitchell continued, “Certainly, it’s to never judge a book by its cover. He’s a pretty short guy, but he can jump higher than anyone else on the team. He has a killer attack so certainly it’s not to judge players by how they look but how they play and how much they are willing to work. He is a real role model for everyone on the team.”
This season, Shu and his teammates strive to keep a strong work ethic to prepare for their competitions. Andover is preparing to give it the team’s all at games and leave everything on the court. According to Xavier Smith ’22, Shu is a backbone to the team both as a player and a captain, attributing Shu as a major source of inspiration for Andover.
“Jerry is obviously a fantastic player. He’s agile, he can pick up hits, and he has incredible reflexes. On top of that he has an incredible work rate in and off the court. He always gives his best effort, no matter the score, which is why he’s a captain. He single handedly ignites our team and inspires us to play our best volleyball,” said Smith.
