On Oct. 4, Wellesley College kicked off its first Earn the W Day of the academic year, a campus-wide celebration of Blue athletics that brought fans, athletes and community members together for a day packed with home games and excitement. Wellesley teams faced tough opponents across the board, with Field Hockey and Volleyball taking on Salve Regina University and Soccer battling Smith College in an unforgettable tripleheader.
Behind the scenes, the success of the day wouldn’t have been possible with the Athlete-Mentor Program (AMP), a group of nine student-athletes dedicated to helping first-year athletes adjust to collegiate life, building community across teams and organizing campus athletic events. Three members of AMP coordinated the event’s organization for the day, ensuring that everything ran smoothly, while the rest of the group helped run the popcorn station and energized fans around the fields.
To boost the excitement, AMP members handed out custom Earn the W Day shirts to the loudest and most supportive fans, sparking friendly competition in the stands and amplifying cheers across the fields and courts. One of the event’s main coordinators, Brigid England ’28, said, “Earn the W Day is not just for the athletes; it’s for everyone to come together, take a break from their course load, and have fun supporting Wellesley Blue.” That spirit of community, she said, is what drives her and the rest of the AMP team to work so hard to make the day run smoothly.
The first game of the day kicked off with Field Hockey taking on Salve Regina in a high-stakes matchup. Both teams battled fiercely through four scoreless quarters, keeping fans on edge as the game moved into overtime. Just three minutes into the extra period, sophomore Claudia Summers sealed the win for Wellesley with a successful penalty stroke, earning the Blue a 1-0 victory against a competitive conference opponent and setting the tone for the rest of the day.
Next up was Soccer, facing off against conference rival Smith College. The evenly matched game featured stellar performances from both goalkeepers; Riley McNair ’26 recorded six saves for Wellesley, while Smith’s Sky Smith ’26 tallied nine of her own. With the game nearing a scoreless tie, first-year Hillary Gonzalez broke through in the 87th minute, sending the ball just over the keeper’s head to clinch another 1-0 win for the Blue.
The day concluded with Volleyball taking on Salve Regina with hopes of completing the day’s three-sport sweep. After dropping the first set 23-25, Wellesley stormed back to win the next two sets 25-18 and 25-17, led by senior Kaija Kunze-Hoeg, who delivered an impressive 19 kills and 13 digs. In the fourth and final set, Salve, realizing that this last set would determine the outcome of the game, came back ferociously and put everyone on the edge of their seats. Both teams played a game of tug-of-war, with long rallies and crowd-fueled tension filling the gym. In the end, the Blue were able to secure the victory 26-24, winning the match 3-1 and capping off the perfect day.
With wins in field hockey, soccer, and volleyball, Wellesley finished Earn the W Day with a clean sweep. The event showcased not only the grit and determination of Wellesley’s athletes but also the energy and dedication of the campus community that came together to cheer them on.
Contact the editors responsible for this story: Finley Tipton and Katie McCabe
