Athlete of the Week: Michelle Bosché

Senior Michelle Bosché dives for the ball, sliding across the wooden gym floor and slipping her hands under it just before it hits the ground. She pops the ball up, allowing her teammates to set and spike it back to win the point.Such a performance is typical for Bosché. As the co-captain of the girls’ varsity volleyball team, she brings both energy and hustle to every practice and game. A versatile player and a warm captain, Bosché sets the pace for her team, motivating all to work harder and strive to be the best they can be.Bosché wasn’t always a natural leader on the team. Her prep year she began as an inexperienced player that had never played the sport before prep camp at the start of the year. That year, though she primarily played middle, she tried every position on the court and now plays outside hitter. According to coach Bruce Shang, through hard work, Bosché has become one of the integral and most intelligent players on the court and is consistently one of the team’s best passers and scorers. “Michelle can read the game very well. She leads our team in digs because she knows where to be before the other team hits the ball,” Shang said. “She is an amazing passer and makes the team better.”Lower Charlotte Polk also admired Bosché’s athletic prowess. She described her tenacity as both inspirational as well as instrumental to the team’s success. “Michelle is really aggressive with the ball,” she said. “She does a really good job of consistently bringing the intensity that we need from her.”

“I love practice every single day. It’s never something that I dread.”

Bosché’s skills extend to far more than her physical feats. What makes Bosché stand out is her ability to lead. She connects the members of her team, creating a friendly environment conducive to learning and fun for all. Earlier this term, the volleyball team, still relatively unacquainted with each other, gathered in the basement of Amen Hall to watch the movie “Forever Strong.” By the end of the night, the team had become significantly closer, all thanks to Bosché—the glue that holds the team together.Several players on the team praised Bosché’s leadership—especially her ability to maneuver the team through setbacks and conflicts. Bosché leads by both mouth and by example. “Michelle is a good captain because she is so invested in the success of her team. She works really hard, and her determination is infectious,” senior Zaidee Laughlin said.Coaches and teammates alike appreciated Bosché’s dedication to the sport. Shang recalled that Bosché, who recently injured her knee at their game against Andover on Oct. 21, continued to work hard for the team despite her injury, whether that meant recording statistics during games, helping coach or simply putting all her energy into rehabilitation to get back in the game as soon as possible.“Her work ethic is exceptional,” lower Bridgette Han said, “She really leads by example.”Bosché’s teammates also felt that they can easily approach her. All said that Bosché is a positive energy on and off the court and often offers words of advice during team huddles or to struggling teammates.Upper Charlotte Polk said that Bosché exhibits a genuine care for her teammates beyond volleyball. For Bosché, the team’s happiness and well-being triumph over all other concerns. To promote a healthier and more supportive dynamic within the team, Bosché has placed team bonding as one of her major priorities for the season. Bosché has hosted a number of team bonding events such as the movie night and has met with each position to resolve conflicts and simply get conversations going. “She cares a lot about the whole team and she wants us to be close as players and as people,” senior and co-captain Katya Scocimara said.Bosché remarked that, having grown up playing tennis—an individual sport—team sports have become special to her. Bosché reflected that many of her first friends came from the volleyball team prep fall and, overall, has really appreciated being a part of the “sisterhood” these past four seasons. “It was just a really great community to go into when you first start out. It’s been fun to watch other people join the team and have that same experience that I had my prep year,” she said.Transitioning from tennis to volleyball, Bosché has gained a greater appreciation for the support and trust volleyball provides. While, in tennis, players must depend on themselves only, in volleyball, the whole team is in it together from start to finish. “Tennis is so independent and so tough sometimes, but [in volleyball], when you have five other players cheering you on, helping you win, as well as a whole bench that’s just cheering and screaming for you and in every huddle, it’s an entirely different experience,” she said.Bosché has just returned from her injury this week and has jumped right back into the game, just in time for this Saturday’s Exeter/andover game, the team’s biggest match of the season. Andover has been Big Red’s only loss this season, and according to Bosché, is the only team that really challenges them and may pose a threat during New Englands. The two teams have been dueling for so long, Bosché said it is bound to be an intense and exciting game.Bosché’s teammates are ecstatic to have her back. Her presence is dynamic on the court, not just as a physical threat, but as the fuel to the team’s morale. She makes the whole team better. “She’s brought out the best parts of myself. She knows how to make me laugh, and she knows how to comfort people,” Scocimara said. “I love that she makes me the best person I can be.”Most of all, Bosché is simply excited to be back in the game and with her team, since before her injury, she had never missed a game before. Sitting on the sidelines, she wanted more than anything to jump in and play her part. Bosché is happy she will get the chance to finish the season playing the sport she loves.“I love practice every single day. It’s never something that I dread,” she said. “It’s always just something that I look forward to, and nothing feels better than getting a hit or a dig that no one else can pick up.”