Wang a reflection of Andover’s toughness
Jessie Wang is a sophomore in her first season of an expanded role for an Andover girls’ volleyball team on the rise, but she’s ready for the big moments. In fact, she’s prepared for pretty much anything.
The 5-foot-10-inch outside hitter practices by hitting every ball at every angle. Her predictive positioning helps keep plays alive. Her ability to make the right play elevates her teammates. Her emergence as an underclassman on an otherwise senior-laden squad makes the Golden Warriors one of the top teams in the state.
“Her IQ, she plays a lot of volleyball, she travels, and she represented team New England for her age group, so she’s seen a lot of volleyball,” said Andover coach Dan Young. “She’s anticipating a little better, she’s a year older, stronger.”
The team leader in kills (177) and aces (42), Wang has led the Golden Warriors to a 12-2 record, and a No. 7 ranking in this week’s Globe Top 20. The record doesn’t come without drama. Andover has dropped the first set six times this season. Four of those games went to five sets. They are 4-0 in the fifth.
In the most recent comeback, a 3-2 win against Lincoln-Sudbury, Wang had four of her team-leading 18 kills in the fifth set, including the winner.
“If she ever makes a mistake, the next point she’s getting a kill,” said senior Adrie Waldinger. “She never gets into ruts because her confidence has improved so much from last year. She’s really mentally strong. Nothing outside the court is going to affect her, and I think that’s what makes her so successful.”
Waldinger (132 kills and 143 digs, both second-most on the team) is one of eight seniors on the squad and provides a bit of a secret weapon: she’s a lefty. The 5foot-10 outside hitter swings across her body, something opposing defenses are not often used to seeing from an outside.
“I’m really impressed and inspired by how she’s able to hit around the block every single time,” Wang said of Waldinger. “I don’t think she’s really been blocked a lot. She’s made me find new ways on how to hit.”
Wang also learns from senior libero Erin Workman, a third-year varsity starter like Waldinger, whose ability to move to the ball has her leading the team in digs (175). Her confidence that she can earn a big role as an underclassman comes from teammates at the SMASH Volleyball Club, like Newton South sophomore Giani Boerner.
The connecting piece of the offense, stepping into her role as the team’s primary setter this year, is senior Sowol Lee (team-high 396 assists), who takes every possible opportunity to learn and communicate to maximize her contribution.
Lee often sits next to Young on the bench, which he says is almost like having another coach. She puts in as much time as possible with her teammates, and during the boys’ season, she manages their team.
“The two games are very different,” Lee said of boys’ volleyball. “Even making the calls and stuff help me raise my IQ, and I always get credit from coach Young. Being around coach Young, it gets me around his coaching style and I really like it.”
Every play, the 5-foot-6 setter communicates with her teammates, seeing what they’d like and making sure they’re all on the same page. Her passing accuracy is especially important, with Waldinger and 6-foot-1 twins Ava and Claudia Vieira, looming as outside threats, with Ava posting 36 kills and Claudia recording 63 to go along with a team-high 12 blocks.
“Her communication on the court is off the charts,” Young said. “She’s one of the best communicative setters I’ve ever had. I trust her to run the offense. I’m not telling people where to hit, she is. She’s looking at matchups. Her mind is going faster or as fast as anybody else in the gym, and it’s a testament to her work ethic off the court, as well as her trust in her teammates.”
With so many players such as Lee and the Vieras stepping up this year, Young is dreading trying to name the team’s most improved player.
What he does know, however, is that his team will fight hard every game, and is prone to get better as the match wears on.. In fact, his team has been swept only once since he started coaching in 2022.
“We were down two-nothing to Newton South. We said we’re going to ruin everyone’s night,” Young said.. “That’s our thing . . . they’re all making dinner plans, we’re going to ruin their night.”
Set points
■ On Monday, sixth-ranked Bishop Feehan earned a big win, delivering Andover its first home loss. The Shamrocks have had just two hiccups this season, consecutive losses to No. 8 Franklin and No. 4 Attleboro, but have otherwise been stellar.
Do-it-all senior captain Regan Gill was the heartbeat of the offense against Andover, pumping out 34 assists, 10 digs, 5 kills, and 4 aces.
“The offense runs beautifully through Regan Gill, she’s been driving the bus for us, we go as she goes,” said Feehan coach Heidi Bruschi. “She does much more than run the offense, she’s a defender and blocker, the service line, one of our captains and core leaders.”
After watching a 2-1 set lead disappear in the first round of the tournament last year, Feehan looks to be a stronger team this year, carrying a 13-2 record into Friday’s game at No. 5 Canton.
Libero Melisa Yuceler, the other senior captain, helps run the fast-paced passing attack, which feeds a deep group of hitters including junior Charlotte Skulte and seniors Julia Webster and Brooke Donovan.
“I think they came in this offseason on a mission,” Bruschi said. “They know what they want and they’re really hard working. They want to earn the right to go to the playoffs, the right to earn people’s respect, to be a top team, and that makes all the difference in the world.”
■ Top-ranked Newton North faced a gauntlet this past week, but didn’t emerge unscathed. The day after gutting out a five-set win over No. 2 Needham, the team traveled to No. 3 Barnstable and didn’t have the same luck in the final frame. The Tigers responded with a terrific effort on Wednesday, taking down previously undefeated Westborough.