Wellesley’s Volleyball, Soccer and Field Hockey teams have just concluded their fall seasons, while Cross Country is nearly finished. Though they did not come out as NEWMAC champions, all teams displayed incredible athleticism, adaptability and teamwork. Their grit is commendable, and their remarkable improvement should leave the Blue community with hope and excitement for the coming seasons.
Cross Country has been preparing for the NCAA Regional Championships this Saturday, Nov. 11. Cross Country has run in five meets this year, with impressive finishes at each; standouts include the Dartmouth Invitational, where Wellesley placed 10th among competitors across all three NCAA divisions, and the Keene State Invitational, where Wellesley finished first of five teams. At the NEWMAC Championships, the Blue placed fifth of 12 teams, with Sophomore Ella Whinney and first-year Fiona Hanrahan qualifying for the NEWMAC All-Conference Team. They finished sixth and 14th, respectively, in the 6k. As Whinney and Hanrahan indicate, there is a lot of young talent on the team that will only continue to improve through this Saturday and into the track season.
Wellesley Volleyball finished their season on Nov. 2 against Mount Holyoke at home, winning 3-0. This brought the Blue to 13-12 overall, a winning record, and 3-8 in conference play, but what those results do not show is how stunningly close several conference games were. Three of eight conference games were lost in the final set, with the remainder being lost in the fourth set. The team had a lot of adjusting to do, as eight of their 13 players are in their first year. This year’s results were also a stark improvement from last year; because of their young talent, Wellesley Volleyball will undoubtedly continue to enhance their performance.
Field Hockey was able to get into the NEWMAC playoffs, a significant feat; they finished the season ranked sixth of 10 teams in the conference. Their overall record was 8-10, with four conference wins. They fell to WPI in the conference quarterfinals, 2-0. They also have a lot of talent sticking around for next year’s season, including junior Sara Maniscalco and first-year Alex Butulis, who each scored five goals on the season. The team saw an overall improvement from last season, where their record was 7-11, and will likely stay on that path.
Finally, Soccer’s season finished on Oct. 28 at Salve Regina. The team finished the year with an overall record of 3-7-5. As they had to overcome unexpected injury and sickness, the team displayed incredible tenacity. Their standout games included a 2-0 triumph over Wheaton, led by two goals from sophomore Elina Saab-Sundén, and a 2-1 win over Mount Holyoke, with goals from seniors Paige Sangston and Cindy Zeng. Soccer will look to work their way back up through the NEWMAC rankings next season, led by their six current juniors and seven current sophomores.
The fall seasons at Wellesley should give the community hope for Wellesley Athletics; we should harbor profound appreciation for the retiring seniors, who will leave their respective programs with the resources they need to continue to thrive, and excitement for the incredibly talented underclassmen who will step up in the future. Looking forward to the winter, Wellesley Basketball will begin its season tonight with a game at home against Regis at 7:00p.m. Swim and Dive is starting to pick up, with their next meet occurring Nov. 18 at home. Fencing has a variety of upcoming events, with their next competition happening on Nov. 12. We are ecstatic to see what comes next up.
