Caffeine, camaraderie key to success for this close-knit Wachusett girls' volleyball squad
Now that the MIAA has allowed high school student-athletes to profit from their own name, image or likeness (NIL), perhaps it’s time for the Wachusett Regional girls’ volleyball team to cash in.
“We all go to Dunkin’ together before every match,” said senior captain and setter Allie Johnson. “It’s all about the coffee and the pumpkin spice muffins.”
Johnson, smiling, then added, “Carbo-loading.”
MORE: Hometeam Central Mass. high school fall standings
With four wins in their opening five matches, the Mountaineers, while “Running on Dunkin', are now, of course, locked into their pre-match refreshment ritual.
Johnson and the two other senior captains, outside hitter Rose O’Malley and middle hitter Logan Baker, all agreed that a NIL deal with Dunkin’ would be very cool although very unlikely.
But wait. There’s hope. Earlier this year, Dunkin’ signed Deja Kelly, a terrific point guard for North Carolina’s women’s hoop team and Matthew Boling, a track and field star at the University of Georgia as its first collegiate Team Dunkin’ NIL partners. Perhaps it’s time for Dunkin’ to dip into the high school ranks?
Wachusett coach Jen Burton, while more concerned with winning volleyball matches than her players garnering Team Dunkin’ fame, has a special feeling about this year’s group.
“Our leadership from the senior captains and the five other seniors has been phenomenal,” Burton said. “It’s positivity all the way, and we’re playing at a higher level at this time of the season than we have in the past. It’s exciting.”
Besides the captains, the other valuable seniors (and Dunkin’ fans) include Emerson Allyn, Miranda Cary, Kaelin Pousland, Paige Tower and Vivianne Zhou.
Wachusett won its opening three matches against Shepherd Hill, North Middlesex and Leominster, all by 3-0 scores. After a loss to Westborough, the Mountaineers bounced back last week with a win over Notre Dame Academy, another 3-0 shutout.
“We have great team chemistry, and we work on communication which is so important in this sport,” said Baker, who noted that the bus ride music – especially Kanye West’s clean version of “Power” – gets the team fired up and ready to leap into action on the court.
O’Malley, who had eight kills and an ace against Notre Dame, said, “We’ve really bonded as a team this year. Last year we missed the state tournament by only one match, so our goal this year is to make it.”
Johnson, who runs the Wachusett offense confidently and efficiently, and had five aces and 13 assists against Leominster, said, “We’ve all built great friendships on and off the court by playing together for four years. We’re proud to wear our game jerseys to school and when we go to Dunkin’ on the days we have matches.”
Adding to the roster are a solid group of younger players: sophomores Rebecca Wright and Lillian Davidson and juniors Chase Garabedian, Brooke Laidlaw, Ella Laramee, Claire Michalowski, Hannah Best and Sophie Jenkins.
Contact Jay Gearan at sports@telegram.com.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Caffeine, camaraderie key to success for this close-knit Wachusett girls' volleyball squad
