Senior Mailey Wang, Pinewood’s girls volleyball powerhouse, is about to take her game to the next level at Swarthmore College next year. With her infectious energy and beastly attitude on the court, Wang is ready to bring her honed technique and leadership skills to the East Coast.
In her four years of playing high school volleyball, Wang has received numerous awards. She was named Second Team All-League in sophomore year, First Team All-League in junior year, and League MVP this year.
Since volleyball is a large part of her identity, Wang was certain that she wanted to continue pursuing it next fall in college.
“I’m a person who loves being competitive, loves energy, and loves collaborating with others so we can lift each other up,” Wang said. “In volleyball, I get all three at the same time, so I really want to keep that part of my life constant in this next chapter.”
Although collegiate volleyball will be a big change from Pinewood and club volleyball, Wang is excited to take on the challenge.
“I’m very much looking forward to playing a college sport,” Wang said. “I’m really excited to work towards the goal of playing strong for a college.”
Wang became interested in Swarthmore College in the second semester of sophomore year when she was in Philadelphia for a club volleyball tournament. While she was there, she and her father toured a couple of colleges around that area, one of them being Swarthmore.
“I fell in love with [the campus] right away,” Wang said. “I reached out to the coaches, and the recruiting process started from there.”
Wang is very involved in the Pinewood community, being ASB president, editor in chief of the school newspaper, and the varsity volleyball team captain. When looking for a college that suited her, she specifically wanted a small school where she can get a similar experience.
“Swarthmore is very similar to Pinewood in that they both have very small and tight-knit communities,” Wang said. “I’ve fallen in love with that aspect at Pinewood because I’m able to get involved in so much, so I’m really excited to do the same in college.”
While Wang is excited to play volleyball in college and experience life in Pennsylvania, she is also nervous about leaving home.
“I have four younger siblings and amazing parents who have been the greatest support system, and Pinewood has been my home since kindergarten,” Wang said. “It’s going to be hard to leave all these support systems that I have now for a whole new life.”
Her volleyball coach Jenn King recognizes her outstanding character and volleyball abilty and has full confidence in her future success.
“[Mailey] is incredibly responsible, kindhearted, and brings an unmatched energy to every conversation,” King said. “I’m truly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with her and cannot wait to see what she does next.”
Wang knows that she will have to put in the work to earn her spot on the court at Swarthmore.
“Coming into the team as a freshman is going to be rough, but I just have to remind myself that I have what it takes, and if I keep working for it, I will be able to earn a key role on the court,” Wang said.
Wang is grateful for the opportunity to play college volleyball.
“I’m so lucky that in the end, [Swarthmore and I] really did click, and I was able to commit to somewhere I love and somewhere that loves me,” Wang said.
