Senior helps Pirates to volleyball states
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Andrea Echeverri had tough competition to start at libero on the West Windsor-Plainsboro South girls’ volleyball team.
By the end of the preseason though, the Pirates knew they needed her on the court.
”What Andrea brings is more than the ball control,” said Pirates head coach Michael Adams. “It’s that court presence. She always stays positive. She gets in their face and keeps them pumped up. She’s calling out where hitters are. She’s a coach on the court. It’s such a nice thing to have.”
The Pirates are happy to have Echeverri’s presence as they open the Group III state tournament with an inexperienced squad. The No. 10 seeds will host No. 23 Northern Burlington. The winner faces the No. 7 Paramus vs. No. 26 Cherry Hill West winner on Friday.
”I just want to end the season on a good note,” Echeverri said. “It just happens that we’re home the first round. It’s not only the first round of states, but it’s going to be Senior Day so it’s a big game. We’re trying to get a big crowd. We want to get pumped and blow the other team out.”
WW-P South enters the state tournament after putting together a surprisingly successful year at 14-4, with their last loss coming to 34-1 Southern Regional. The Pirates returned just one starter from last year’s team, senior Michelle Emerman, who did not play against Southern. Also a senior, Echeverri has been waiting for her chance to start.
”Last year, I didn’t get much playing time,” Echeverri said. “It was basically Michelle. We all knew coming into the season since she was the only person with real varsity experience, she was going to be the one to step us up. But everyone stepped it up. We want to go out big.”
To do so, the Pirates will have to overcome any obstacles raised by their inexperience. Among the biggest concerns is that WW-P South might read too much into the seedings.
”As long as they go in and know how good they are, they should give anyone a good match and have a good shot at the state title,” Adams said. “I just have to remind them they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. When they’re playing their game and having fun, they’re going to do well.”
WW-P South already owns plenty of quality wins. They defeated North Hunterdon, and North Hunterdon has defeated Paramus, the Pirates’ potential next-round foe. Wins like that have the Pirates anxious to keep their season going as long as possible.
”I think it’s been great,” Echeverri said. “I think it surpassed a lot of our expectations. A lot of the girls on our team didn’t think we’d do that well this season, but we definitely stepped it up.”
A pre-season trip to Florida set the stage for the season. It helped bring together quickly a team that had not played with each other. Echeverri and Emerman are the only healthy seniors on the team, and they have worked well with the underclassmen.
”We played at a Disney Tournament,” Echeverri said. “We were playing four games a day. It was intense. We were hanging out together. We all get along. We got off to a good start, then we kept it going.
”It doesn’t matter what grade you are,” she added, “if you have the skill, you’re in.”
Echeverri didn’t take long to show that she had the skill the Pirates were looking for, and some of the intangible that can’t be coached.
”She is a big-time leader on and off the court,” Adams said. “She is very loud and vocal and kind of orchestrates the team. She’s like a coach on the court. She really stepped up her game this year.”

