Athlete of the Week: Girls’ Volleyball

By Jonathan Jeun and Adrian Sun

Seniors Dylan O’Day and Eliya Toledano serve as this year’s co-captains of the Girls’ Volleyball team. Despite the changes that followed the pandemic, they lead Exeter’s renowned volleyball team into a new season.

The two captains specialize in different positions. On the court, O’Day is one of the middles, where she strategizes ball placement and blocking. Toledano is one of the liberos on the team and plays a large role in defense. Still, the two captains share a common strength in serving for the team. “Both of their serves are powerful, and our team can count on them to give us some easy points with their serves,” lower Sofia Morais said.

The two captains began playing volleyball before coming to Exeter. O’Day found her passion in volleyball in seventh grade. “Before volleyball, I tried every sport—soccer, lacrosse, basketball, tennis, crew—but volleyball was my favorite.” 

Toledano also started playing in her middle school years. She began her volleyball career in the summer before seventh grade. “I did karate for eight years prior, but my mom encouraged me to get into volleyball, since she played in high school competitively as well.”

Both captains associate volleyball with some of their most special memories of Exeter. Toledano described her friendships that stemmed from being on Exeter’s volleyball team. “Being a part of the volleyball team has helped me make so many friends, become well-adjusted to campus life and, of course, take in the full experience of what Exeter offers without the underlying stresses of academics.” 

“Pre-season introduced me to some of my best friends that I am still friends with three years later,” O’Day added.

Morais praised the captains’ eagerness to connect with the team on and off the courts. “I remember passing around the volleyball with them on the quad before our first practice just to get to know each other,” she said. “They were both very welcoming and excited to meet the new players.” 

 Their amiable personalities helped maintain the team’s high spirits during practices and games. “Their energy is always uplifting on the court. I think that team chemistry is extremely important for a sport like volleyball,” upper KG Buckham-White noted. 

Upper Elizabeth Handte recalled her first impressions of the captains. When O’Day offered to show her around on one of her first days at Exeter, Handte was “surprised by her genuine character and welcoming attitude.”

 Handte and Toledano were new lowers in 2019, and, as the only liberos on the team, they forged a close relationship. “Eliya is one of my most supportive teammates,” Handte said. “As my mentor, she acted as my second coach, and I see her as my role model.”

Last fall, the team went undefeated the entire season, racking up a record of 20-0. Toledano’s most notable highlight last year was the match against Hopkins School. In order to secure the championship game, the team beat Hopkins with an intense final score of 3-0. 

Toledano illustrated the team’s triumphant experience in detail. “We huddled together on the floor, and half of us were crying. We were overall extremely proud of ourselves for turning 19 wins into a perfect 20-0 season,” she said.

The captains gave credit to coaches Bruce Shang and Suzan Rowe for their success as well. “Coach Shang, the head coach, is by far one of my favorite coaches that I’ve had in the six years that I’ve played this sport,” Toledano said. “His and Coach Rowe’s constant support and ‘tough love’ has made me a better player altogether and taught me that hard work pays off.”

O’Day echoed Toledano’s sentiments, describing how the coaches helped her skills improve over time. While starting on Junior Varsity her prep year, Shang helped her improve. “It paid off because Coach Shang decided to put me on varsity the following year. His motto, ‘get better, ’is integral to the team’s dynamic and work ethic,” she said.

Both captains plan on furthering their volleyball career in the future. O’Day wishes to continue playing Division III volleyball at her college, while keeping up with her academics as well. “I think that Exeter has prepared me to manage my time as a student-athlete,” she mentioned. “I have mastered doing homework on the bus ride to games.”

Toledano hopes to continue playing volleyball in the years to come, noting that she will use the lessons she learned at Exeter moving forward. “Exeter has taught me that ‘with great risk often comes great reward’ and that pushing myself to be the best that I can be is definitely the risk and the reward.”

Although the girls did not have their ideal season this term, both captains hope to carry on the tradition of Exeter’s volleyball family.