Spikers pick up first win of the young season against Watertown
Published in the September 21, 2017 edition.
THE WMHS volleyball team is working hard to compete in a tough Middlesex League in 2017. (Donna Larsson Photo)
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — Building a new program is all about making steps to improve every year. The WMHS volleyball program enters its sixth season looking to continue the fight to get incrementally better, not just over the course of a season, but at every practice and
every game.
It’s a difficult task considering the more established programs that reside in the Middlesex League. Volleyball can certainly be characterized as up-and-coming in Wakefield, especially considering the amount of talented players who make up the roster in 2017. It is a sport that demands specialized players who have years of playing experience before they even get to high school. Other schools in the league have that type of experience, and provide a good example to the Warriors of what the team is capable of.
WMHS will be led by a new coach this year, as Sasha Duprey takes the helm as she looks to instill a culture of dedication to help build the program up. Duprey brings a wealth of experience as a coach at the club level to Wakefield.
“I know Sasha is really excited and the kids are excited to have her here,” said WMHS athletic director Brendan Kent.
Transitioning to a new coach is often times a difficult thing to ask, especially from the upperclassmen who learned the game from former coach Nicole Trudeau, an excellent coach who did a great job building a foundation for the brand new program. Trudeau is now an assistant coach at Endicott College, opening the door for Duprey, who has been very impressed with the type of student-athletes she has inherited.
“Wakefield volleyball has been incredibly welcoming and despite being new to each other, the girls and I were able to get on the same page quickly,” said Duprey. “It did not take me long to learn that they are a hardworking and driven team that wants to compete.”
That dedicated group includes a pack of senior Warriors who have already given so much to the improvement of the program. The five seniors and co-captains of the 2017 spikers are setter Julia Purcell, outside hitter Marissa Patti, setter Allyson Coggswell, libero Nicole Catino and middle blocker Julia Brown. This group represents the leaders of a team that will try to show the younger players what it takes to succeed in such a competitive league.
“We have a very strong senior class,” said Kent. “Most of them have been playing since they were underclassmen, and they played a lot last year so I think they can make some noise in the Middlsex League.”
The junior class is also well-represented on this year’s team with outside hitter Eadeen Beck, opposite hitter Samantha Yandell, middle blocker Hannah Butler, defensive specialist Casey Kearney and right side hitter Jaime Greatorex.
The underclassmen include sophomores, right side hitter Katie Pearl, defensive specialist Jordyn Pugsley, outside hitter Rachel Danzig and middle blocker Maddie Melanson.
The 2017 Warriors are currently 1-4 as they picked up the first win of the season in a convincing 3-1 victory over Watertown on Tuesday. The Warriors also took Lexington to five sets on September 12, coming up just short. Duprey has been encouraged with the attitude of the returning varsity players and the team will work on fundamentals in the hopes of steadily improving as the year goes on.
“One thing that really surprised me was how scrappy they are. They’re able to get touches on balls that you’re sure are down and out of their reach and that’s not something that can be taught,” said Duprey. “Knowing that about them, we have worked on refining their skills to focus on playing a more systematic style of volleyball.”
While that system will take some time to take shape, Wakefield will not have any games off in the Middlesex League, providing a challenge that this group will surly meet head-on. While the upperclassmen will continue to approach every day with a winning mentality, it should only be a matter of time before they influence the program to keep making steps in the right direction, which is enough to get their new head coach excited for things to come.
“Everyday they are making major improvements, developing a deeper understanding of the game, and upping their level of play,” said Duprey.
