spring 2013 - Framingham State University

26
andressa fernandes ’14
Age
21
Born
Minas gerais, Brazil
Hometown
Framingham, Ma
Favorite Hangout on Campus
athletic Center
Residence Hall
Commuter Student
Favorite Aspect of FSU
Small Classrooms
FraMinghaM State UniverSity spring 2013
RAM
in focus
The Framingham State Volleyball
team is coming off its most
successful season in school
history, having won the
Massachusetts State Collegiate
Athletic Conference (MASCAC)
regular season and conference
tournament championship. The
team finished 24-10 and earned its
first-ever invite to the NCAA Division
III Volleyball Championship.
The Rams are led by outstanding
junior outside hitter Andressa
Fernandes ’14, who was named
MASCAC Player of the Week six
times last season en route to her
second consecutive MASCAC
Player of the Year Award.
Fernandes says her passion for
volleyball can be traced back to her
native Brazil, where she took up
the sport around the age of 10.
“Volleyball is a big sport in Brazil,
particularly for women,” says
Fernandes. “I learned the basics and
fundamentals when I was young.”
Her family moved to Massachusetts
when Fernandes was 13, and she
stopped playing the sport until her
junior year of high school at Keefe
Regional Technical School in
Framingham. The opportunity to play
at Framingham State played a role in
her decision to attend the University.
Fernandes says that it’s exciting to
be part of the first FSU team to win
the MASCAC Tournament.
“It’s something we’ve been working
toward since my freshman year,” she
says. “All the girls were really focused
and passionate from the start this
year. We knew that we had a chance
to be successful.”
When asked about her two Player of
the Year awards, Fernandes deflects
attention onto her teammates.
“It’s an individual award, but this is
a team sport,” she says. “I play well
when my teammates are playing well,
so they certainly deserve credit for it.”
An economics major, Fernandes
says she has high hopes for next
season’s team.
“We’re only losing one senior, so we
feel like we have a good shot at the
title again,” she says. “Hopefully,
we can get back to the NCAA
Tournament and make some noise.”
Fernandes, who didn’t speak a word
of English when her family moved
to the United States, says that she’s
enjoyed her time at FSU.
“I love all my classes, and I love
my major,” she says. “It’s a great
community. I’m really looking
forward to senior year.”