After four matches, the Girls Varsity Volleyball team is currently undefeated and tied for first place with Queens Metropolitan High School. As captain, junior Emma Wu is ready for the season and spoke to The Classic about what has made her a standout member of the team.
Before joining the team, Emma only had one year of prior experience. However, her father, a former volleyball player and coach at Brown University, greatly influenced her decision to continue playing. “He was a very big influence on why I started playing… him coaching me is a really fun experience in general,” she said.
Emma said she attributes much of her motivation in the sport to her family’s support. “My parents really wanted me to try out because they knew I would be a really good contributor to this team,” she said. Their belief in her abilities inspired her to “keep practicing to get better” which led to her current spot on All Star Empire (ASEVC), one of the top-ranked club teams in New York.
Emma recalls last year’s Senior Night and a tournament at Cardozo High School as her fondest memories of being on the team. “Just being with our seniors one last time before they left for college was very memorable to me, because those were my closest friends on the team,” she said, emphasizing the strong bond among the team members. Winning the Cardozo tournament for the second year in a row also stands out in her mind.
“Being in the same community as all these different teams, and winning again, was a very good moment,” she said.
Now as an upperclassman and captain, Emma faces a challenge: leading a team that has lost seven seniors, five of whom were starters. “I feel like I have to step up, especially as an upperclassman and a captain. I have to show the underclassmen and the rest of my teammates a role model,” she said
Teammate Victoria Truchel, a senior, said she has watched and admired Emma’s growth from her first day.
“She’s a really good leader,” she said. “She knows everyone’s strengths and weaknesses and helps them improve. I feel like over the years she has learned more about leadership and has a lot of experience. She knows good drills, good practices, and she knows how to push people around to get them to do their best.”
Both physical education teacher Gabriela Pedreros and Spanish teacher Christian Castillo coach the team. Ms. Pedreros said, “Emma brings great skill leadership. She’s willing to share her skills, her experience with the team, and really helps set a high bar for everyone as she pushes herself continuously.”
Looking ahead, Emma is determined to improve, with aspirations of playing at the collegiate level. She participated in a summer training camp at Brown University, where she practiced with the Division I girls volleyball team. She participated in demonstrations, which offered her a glimpse of what her future might look like.
Despite the physical and emotional toll of the sport, Emma said she is determined to keep going.
“What motivates me is my teammates, my family, and also my inner strength. I know I want to be better at volleyball, and I know I want to keep practicing to get better.”
