Congratulations to this week’s Doors of the Week!
Community Service: Emily Cui ’28 and Anna Hernandez-Kosyakova ’28
I am nominating Emily Cui and Anna Hernandez-Kosyakova as doors of the week for community service. They have been the only two students to join me four days/week on the Community Service Farm Term throughout the term. Attendance has been very good and engagement commendable through many challenges with weeding and harvesting a variety of crops at three different farms. Local farmers and I are grateful for the hard work of these two young women.
Varsity Volleyball: Cecilia Alvarez ’29
Door of the week for varsity volleyball goes to Cecilia Alvarez (’29). Cecilia has been putting in a lot of work every day at practice to acclimatize to the speed of play at the varsity level. It is incredibly difficult to play defense against some of the best hitters in the league every day at practice, but Cecilia is eager to take them on every chance she gets. Her efforts to improve her positioning, movement, and aggressiveness paid off on Saturday where she stepped in to help DA close out the second set against Phillips Andover. During her first rally on the court, Cecilia had 2 digs, letting our offense eventually put the point away. She followed that up with another dig, serve receive, free ball pass, and out-of-system set, showing how much she has grown her entire game. Congratulations Cecilia.
Girls Cross-Country: Stella Porth ’27
This week, Girls Cross Country would like to nominate Stella Porth as Door of the Week! This is Stella’s first year on the team, and she has shown remarkable heart, excellent dedication, and resilience in the face of injury. She is always in great spirits, and she is happy to run in any situation – and with anyone! She just seems to love running! And we love this about her! Stella gives all she’s got to every practice – and that includes care, concern for others, and a kind, gentle manner. We are lucky to have Stella on the team this year! She’s a true gem!
Theater: Cast of Blue Stockings – Ivan Abreu ’29, Adwoa Adu-Gyamfi ’29, Cam Bloch ’28, Sophie Brennan ’27, Henry Cron ’26, Maeve Donovan ’27, Adriana Enriquez ’28, Julia Horobets ’26, Victoria Loftus ’29, Tyler Long ’26, Juliet Lopez ’28, Kevin Lu ’29, Ellie Maeda ’27, Amani Magezi ’29, Olivia Minn ’28, Gershom Munene ’27, Rowan Muzzy ’28, Jack Nielen ’28, Natalia Northover ’28, Julia Pantano ’29, Khloe Pena ’28, Avi Reid ’27, Ruby Remillard ’26, Skylar Ricketts ’27, Maia Schor ’27, Zohan Subhash ’26, E.C. Tate ’29, Reagan Warren ’27, and William Wichern ’27
This week we are nominating the entire cast and crew of the Fall production, “Blue Stockings”! This was an ambitious and complex show to mount with literally hundreds of moving parts. Our ensemble rose to the challenge and they arrive at the Hess every night determined to give a flawless performance. It is particularly noteworthy that almost half of the company have not performed at Deerfield before. Amazing! We are so proud of the sheer hard work, and hours of rehearsal that our theater students have committed to creating such a fabulous production for their community. Bravo!
Girls Varsity Soccer: Blair Murray ‘27
This week’s girls varsity soccer DOTW is Blair Murray. Blair is a tenacious attacker with a confident eye for the goal and finding the back of the net. Other teams have taken note, as she is continuously receiving double and triple teamed from their defenders. Her quickness, touches on the ball, deception, attacking mindset and eagerness to bring others into the fold are just a few of Blair’s great qualities on the field. She is a great teammate who is always looking to make connections and she’s a competitor! Blair has been a wonderful addition to the Big Green girls varsity soccer team this fall and we look forward to her continuing to drive for the goal!
Girls JV Soccer: Harper Otey ’28, Chloe Hernandez ’27, Jian Yeo ’28, Katherine Sheehan ’28 and Tati Moggio ’28
The girls’ JV Doors of the Week are our mid-fielders: Harper Otey, Chloe Hernandez, Jian Yeo, Katherine Sheehan and Tati Moggio. These players are the literal center of our team and their tireless efforts have kept us in every game.
Boys JV Soccer: John Rousou ’28
John played four different positions on Saturday vs Andover: holding midfielder, attacking midfielder, wing back, and striker. He was literally all over the field working hard for his teammates. He defended well, possessed and distributed well, and he earned several opportunities to score. He even buried a penalty shot which was then erroneously waved off. He received a yellow card for his response to this erroneous call and was sent off the field. He immediately apologized to me and then shook hands with the referee at the end of the game. John knew the rule and knew the referee had made an error, but it wasn’t about “being right” anymore — it was about respect. Soccer is an emotional game and John plays with full emotion. He leads the team with his feet, his competitiveness, and his quick decisions. He had an emotional response on Saturday, owned it, took a breath, and then kept competing. Everyone watching could feel John’s frustration and watched him move through it and lead his team. John showed us that you cannot always contain your emotions and how to handle yourself with maturity and respect when you slip up.
Girls Thirds Volleyball: Campbell Adams ’29
Campbell started the season unsure of her decision to play volleyball. Today she is one of our most consistent servers, she is slowly moving to an overhand serve, and she has been a dominant presence at the net. Campbell cares about her team and she demonstrates this every day through her effort, her commitment, and her energy. She’s a valuable teammate and has a promising future in the sport.
Boys Cross-Country: Judah Zhuwao ’28
This week’s Door of the Week is Judah Zhuwao, who absolutely crushed his race and dropped a whopping 2 minutes and 15 seconds off his season best time. Judah has done a terrific job of putting in solid, incremental effort all season long, and his outstanding race this weekend was a testament to that consistency. Thanks, Judah, for being on the squad and showing your teammates how to push hard to earn the results you’ve been working towards.
Boys Junior A Soccer: Charlie Juhas ‘29
Charlie, our Week 10 Door of the Week, was deserving of the honors in Weeks 1-9, too. His hustle on the field, his commitment at practice, and the self-respect with which he conducts himself all set the standard on this team. On a team that has scored 62 goals on the season, it’s easy for the defence to get overshadowed. But he is doing exceptional work at fullback with his preternatural instincts, heads-up decision making, and big left foot. Boys JV Coach Gieske refers to some defensive standouts as “blood pressure medicine,” and Charlie is exactly that kind of pharmaceutical player, able to stifle intimidating runs with the smallest touch and calm his coaches nerves again and again. His future as a difference maker in the soccer program—and in our community—is very bright.
JV Field Hockey: Ella Waag ’26
JV FH would like to nominate Ella Waag for this week’s DOTW. Ella is like the energizer bunny. On the field, we can count on her to chase down every ball, meet every pass, and hustle back on every breakaway. She’s got a reputation for leaving everything she has on the field and making every moment count – even the final seconds of the game. Off the field, her energy is equally infectious. She’s the leader of our cheering section, sometimes bringing a megaphone to our games, the supplier of countless creative questions of the day, and a bottomless well of giggles and silly dance moves. Ella has been a critical senior leader on the team this season, offering sage, growth-oriented advice in our after-game debriefs and helping to integrate our younger players into the team community. We are lucky to have her!
JV Volleyball: Libby Andrews ’29
This week’s Door of the Week is Libby Andrews ’29, who continues to make a positive impact as a Middle Blocker for JV Volleyball.
In our 3–1 win over NMH, Libby played a key role at the net, contributing several important blocks and defensive plays that helped shift momentum in tight moments.
Beyond her on-court performance, Libby stands out for her commitment to improving every day. She is always asking thoughtful questions, looking for ways to strengthen her game, and encouraging those around her. Her steady presence and genuine support for her teammates—both on and off the court—make her an invaluable part of the JV Volleyball team.
Boys Jr. B Soccer: Emmett Aho ’27
The Quad Squad Door of the Week is Emmett Aho. Emmett has served as co-captain of our team this year and has done a fantastic job setting the right tone and leading by example. While he made important contributions on the field in every game, Emmett had a nearly 2 season long scoring drought. Regardless, he never gave up and kept a positive attitude. He finally ended the “curse” in our game against Andover last week, and the entire team erupted in celebration for Emmett! He’s an easy choice for this week’s DOTW!
Boys Water Polo: James Leung ’29 and Jack Schwarting ’29
Water polo nominates James Leung and Jack Schwarting for DOTW. Being a freshman starter on a Varsity team is as challenging as it is impressive and these boys have not only started every game, but often play the entirety of each match. James, your team relies on you for your fierceness and your tenacity — two qualities I have seen represented every minute you are in the water since day 1. Jack, your energy and your care for the team help set the tone for the whole group and you’ve shown control and reliability in each game. Both of you — your presence makes your teammates want to work harder and be better because they see your example. The dedication and commitment you’ve each made to this team is nothing short of admirable, and I am tremendously proud of each of your performances this season. I hope you are as proud of yourselves! Looking forward to the next few seasons to see you grow and develop, and inevitably lead your team. Fantastic work!!
Varsity Field Hockey: Ilsa Borgen ’26
This week’s DOTW for the varsity field hockey team is Ilsa Borgen. An assistant captain this year, Ilsa has been a strong leader, modeling resilience and determination while also being compassionate and approachable. An adaptable athlete, Ilsa has played in most positions on the field, most recently stepping up as a key defender against strong offenses. In this week’s matchup against Andover, Ilsa stayed focused and composed, encouraging and motivating her teammates throughout the game. Ilsa always looks for ways to improve her game, and we look forward to seeing her continued growth in the final weeks of the season.
Varsity Football: DP Pope ‘26
The DOTW for the Varsity Football Team is DP (French) Pope. DP was an impact player in his first game of the season. At running back he proved to be the difference for the Big Green as he scored to put the team up for good in the 4th quarter on a tenacious run. He is a physical runner, blocker and we are fired up to see him in his 2nd contest of the season against Brunswick.