Athletes of the Week: Michaela Corvi, Bella Edo and Abigail Yu

The three girls’ varsity field hockey co-captains, seniors Bella Edo, Michaela Corvi and Abby Yu, have led the team to seven victories this season. “I really treasure every goal and every win,” Yu said. She was uncertain at the beginning of the term, but after seeing how well the team did, Yu was optimistic and proud. “I wasn’t sure how well we would do because we only had eight returners,” Yu explained. “But all of the new people are exceptional girls and came to Exeter with open minds and hearts.”

Edo shared the same concerns. “Our team was really young this year, and I was a little nervous about that,” Edo said. However, she felt that the age differences only contributed to the energy and positivity of the team dynamic.

Edo, Corvi and Yu were all introduced to the game in various ways. Corvi and Edo began playing during middle school and struggled to choose between field hockey and soccer as their fall sport. “I liked it because it was something kind of foreign to me,” Edo explained. “I liked the challenge of it.”

“Everything I do really depends on where my teammates play the ball, and how I can react to the moves of the players on the opposite team.”

Yu, however, picked up the sport on a whim. She’d done gymnastics, fencing, swimming and figure skating before, but after pressure from her gym teacher, she decided to try out field hockey during eighth grade.

Lower Lydia Anderson admires each captain’s athleticism. She elaborated on Yu’s strong defense skills, citing her talent for stopping the ball as an inspiration. Anderson commended Edo’s versatility as well. “Bella is amazing at both defense and midfield,” she said. “I’m always relieved when an opponent with the ball goes toward Bella, because I know that she’s going to intercept the ball.”

Anderson described Corvi’s control of the stick as “fantastic.” Lower Ashleigh Lackey also commented on Corvi’s willingness to try new dodges and lifts. “I think I’m really aggressive,” Corvi said. “I think my speed helps with transitioning the ball, but I also try not to be selfish.”

Edo also labeled herself as an aggressive member of the team. “Sometimes my excitement gets the best of me and I end up getting called for fouls,” Edo said. However, as she has gotten older and gained more control over her body, Edo’s tenacity has developed into a more technically-sound determination to win.

Yu described Edo’s deftness for locating the position of the ball. “Bella is like Sherlock Holmes,” Yu said. “She is really good at deducing who has the ball.” Yu characterized her own technique as reactive. “Everything I do really depends on where my teammates play the ball, and how I can react to the moves of the players on the opposite team,” she said.

Each captain employed different strategies to guide the team. Corvi described her approach as an enthusiastic one. “I try to pass my knowledge onto them,” she said. “I also try to get them energized and ready for games.” Corvi was surprised when she was voted in. Because she came in as a new lower, Corvi didn’t expect to become a co-captain. “It makes me really happy knowing people think I’m a good leader,” she said. Yu elaborated on her responsibilities as captain, saying she had to make sure to set a good example for the team, and ensure that everyone got on well with each other.

Edo found that she had to balance being tough on her teammates, while offering friendly advice and being a supportive figure. “I [pushed] them to be their best, while also having fun with them and being someone they felt they could talk to about things related or unrelated to field hockey,” she explained.

Anderson attested to the captains’ positive spirits. “They all are nothing but encouraging,” Anderson commented. “Their attitude has really kept our team on track. I can’t remember a time when any of them were in a bad mood at practice.”

Although the team did not win their E/a game, each captain is very proud of their effort. “We fought really hard all the way to the end,” Yu said. Corvi agreed, citing the 3-4 times when the team almost scored. “I honestly think we got unlucky,” Corvi said. “It was still fun to play though.”

Lackey shared the same feelings, saying that she was extremely grateful to have shared her first E/a experience with the team. She also commented on the atmosphere of the stadium. “It was the most fans we’ve had, and they definitely helped us get hyped up,” Lackey said. “We played an amazing game.”

When asked to describe her overall feelings about the season, Corvi recalled the closeness of her team and their chemistry. “We had a really tight-knit team,” she said.