Mike Vukovcan The purpose of Vikings Sports Now is to keep you informed of the happenings of the current Hopewell athletes and teams.
However, we’d like to do a better job of letting you know how former Hopewell athletes are performing in college.
With that in mind, since the Hopewell volleyball team is performing so well, we wanted to catch up with a Vikings standout of the past.
Hopewell Hall of Fame HC Terry Borkovic has coached NUMEROUS players that have gone on to continue playing volleyball in college, one of them being Abby Oldham.
Former Hopewell and current W&J Volleyball player Abby Oldham
Oldham graduated from Hopewell in 2023 is currently a junior middle blocker at Washington and Jefferson and is having a breakout season, not only within the conference but nationally!
In her freshman season at W&J, Oldham didn’t play a ton because of the seniors ahead of her but see did receive some valuable on court experience. The following season things changed as Abby started every game and that’s also been the case this season.
Not only is she starting but she’s excelling as she’s leading the P.A.C. Conference in blocks and as of last week was leading in hitting percentage as well. Also, Oldham is 10th in all of the NCAA D3 for blocks. That’s obviously very, very impressive.
Vikings Sports Now spoke with Oldham and started out asking her about her breakout performance and what’s changed for her?
“I definitely feel like getting a decent amount of on-court experience last season helped,” said Oldham. “Last year when I played, I felt like I was a bit nervous but this year I feel like I know the ropes and am more comfortable. Also, I’ve bonded with my teammates, and I do feel like over the summer, I put in a decent amount of work which has helped. But the biggest thing is that the nerves are gone, I know what’s going on and I know that I can be a good player.”
Former Hopewell and current W&J volleyball player Abby Oldham
“By playing last season, I felt like I learned a lot about leadership. As a freshman, I was on the bench a lot and didn’t have a role. But playing last year, I tried to become more of a leader and someone that young kids could look up. I felt like becoming good friends with the freshman was important because if they ever have questions about anything, I want to be someone that they can come to. This year, we had another freshman middle blocker come in so me and the other older middles have taken her under our wing and have tried to be there for her. Being a junior, I have to be someone that can help my teammates both on and off the court.”
In terms of her personal performance on the court, Oldham’s ability to block is the skill that she’s excelled in and that goes back to her days with the Vikings program.
“At Hopewell, I was the tallest on the team, so my main job was to block as much and as best as I could,” said Oldham. “This season, playing in college there’s so many harder hitters so hit the ball every time and score, I definitely can get up to block and at least try and score that way.”
Leading the P.A.C. conference and ranking 10th in the NCAA D-III in blocks, is Oldham at all surprised at these impressive rankings?
“I am a bit surprised. I do feel like within the P.A.C. I can compete with the athletes and do well but when I see these posts about the entire NCAA and how I’m up there too, it honestly boosts my confidence so much more. I’m confident in myself but seeing all of this makes me even more confident.”
As we wrapped up our conversation, I was curious to get Abby’s thoughts on the long-time success of the Hopewell HS Girls program and asked her to give advice to any players currently on the team that are going on to play volleyball in college.
“I always follow how the high school team is doing, and my sister lets me know what’s going on. Also, Jordan (Sirianni) tells me what’s happening. I keep up with them and love Hopewell volleyball. I think Coach Borkovic is a great coach and feel like the girls this year and over the years have a tremendous work ethic, which has led to a lot of their success. The girls really want to win and do well.”
“My advice to girls that intend on playing after high school is to continue working in the summer and find a way to get in the gym,” said Oldham. “You can’t have the mentality that you’re not going to play your freshman year. I sat my freshman year and that was ok because I realize that every freshman isn’t going to start and play a lot. You can’t hang your head low because of that, find a way to keep your confidence high and know that your time will eventually come and when it does come, you gotta be ready to show up and show out for real.”
