Athletes of the Week: Angelle Diamond, Mia Glinn & Joy Liu

As captains of Girls' Varsity Volleyball, one of the most competitive teams on campus, seniors Joy Liu, Angelle Diamond and Mia Glinn are leading Big Red back to the top. The team is undefeated so far, despite having played no home games as of yet, and the team’s leadership has played a crucial role in creating this hard-working unit that plays to win.

Each of the three captains has extensive experience with the sport, and volleyball has become a defining aspect of their time at Exeter. Liu has been playing for seven years and has kept the same position for three years since arriving at Exeter. Diamond also started playing her current position (outside hitter) her first year at Exeter and is now five years into the sport. Glinn, meanwhile, has played since second grade, with experience in both indoor and outdoor volleyball.

For Diamond, Exeter volleyball is a great way to start the year. “I love coming to school before classes or anything, just getting to play volleyball and [being] with such amazing girls,” she said. “It’s something that I know I can always lean back on if I’m having a hard day or hard week; volleyball has always been that thing to lift me up.”

Liu echoed Diamond’s sentiments. “[Coach] Shang likes to say, ‘Leave everything else off the court.’ So when we are playing, we just focus on the volleyball and on each other and it really feels like we are playing for the team,” Liu said.

Glinn highlighted the unique opportunities that come with participating in Exeter athletics. “I think my favorite thing about the athletics here—just because I’ve participated in a lot of athletics—is that you get to work on one team with people from so many different places and experiences,” Glinn said.

Similarly, when asked about her favorite aspect of Exeter athletics, Liu responded, “The people.” She continued to describe how close the captains have become, saying “On the bus we can talk about anything…this year we’ll be belting out songs, Angelle will serenade us, and it’s always super fun.”

Beyond simply participating in volleyball at Exeter, all three agreed that being a co-captain added greatly to their experiences. Glinn explained, “On top of just being able to play…you get that extra leadership position. And that’s really fun, just coming from playing volleyball for four years, and looking at captains and thinking, ‘Wow I really want to be that person who’s making a difference for their teammate’ ...  So it’s cool to have your teammates under your wing… I just love the role so much.”

Diamond agreed, saying, “We have all played volleyball throughout high school…we knew coming into the season how we wanted to be, how we wanted to get the team together all the time to get the chemistry really strong and reflect that on the court.”

Liu elaborated on Diamond's point. “Mia and I were talking about how we are really like [the younger players'] older siblings, so there’s that sense of comradery, but also with the other players looking up to us, we know our actions and attitude on and off the court really shape how the rest of the team behaves. And that kind of responsibility is really empowering.”

Their teammates expressed how much of a positive impact Liu, Glinn and Diamond have on the team. Prep Sofia Morias said her favorite thing about the captains was their positivity. “Being one of the only two preps on the team, I feel that they do a great job of making sure everyone feels included," she said.

Prep Coco Barton, meanwhile, said that she appreciated how the captains helped her work on her personal strengths. “They are all so invested in the team and want us to do the best we can,” Barton said.

Morias elaborated that the captains were “especially good at setting a good example at practice," always being the ones to arrive first and leave last.

Barton, meanwhile, highlighted each of their individual strengths. "Angelle is very good at getting the team excited and hyped up for the games. Joy is really good at making us focus and get better: She is always willing to stay after and work with us after practice, and brings a lot of positive energy,” she said. “Mia is great at getting the whole team involved, and working on our weaknesses and making them into our strengths.”

Upper Dylan O’Day said that Liu, Glinn and Diamond “are critical to the team dynamic and amazing role models and leaders to look up to.”

The three hope to lead their team all the way to the championship and walk away with the win. “We were really lucky to get some good talent this year, and already come in on a strong note. We don’t really have to train anyone new skills, it’s really just getting together as a team and working together rather than individual stuff,” Glinn explained. “We are all working towards the same thing, which is ultimately a championship.”

Diamond agreed, saying the most important thing for the team is to “work on cleaning up the little things on the court.” 

Liu, Glinn and Diamond all expressed the hope for crowds at their home games this season. “We have five home games, so come watch us win like we do,” Diamond said.