Girls lacrosse: Lourdes' Abby Anderson on her unlikely journey to college lacrosse

With Abby Anderson’s commitment to Roanoke College came the feelings of relief and joy typical of a high school athlete checking that oh-so-meaningful box. There also was a great appreciation of the process and pride in what brought about that moment.

Because the Our Lady of Lourdes senior still is relatively new to lacrosse, the volleyball standout first picking up a stick as a ninth-grader. It’s in defiance of the odds somewhat that a player at an often-overlooked position on a rebuilding team at a small school within an area not known for the sport would now be bound for one of the elite Division III programs in the country.

“I’m extremely excited,” said Anderson, who has developed into a superb defender. “I’m so happy, and grateful, for a chance to be part of that program.”

Roanoke has a .778 win percentage over the last three seasons and has reached the NCAA tournament in each of them.

When their run began, Anderson was just getting her feet wet in lacrosse after playing primarily basketball and volleyball growing up. But she was introduced to the sport, and it piqued her interest as a freshman, enough for her to join a travel team.

Survive & advance: After car crash, Nardelli helps Ketcham make softball semifinals

Home turf: Red Hook players, coaches say $2.5 million field, gym upgrade is necessary

She credits former Lourdes and current Bard College women’s lacrosse coach Mike Galantich for “teaching me the basics.”

“As I played more and more, I fell in love with the game,” Anderson said. “Getting to defend some of the best offensive players in the section was always a challenge, but it made it exciting.”

The basketball background helped at that position, too. She more easily adapted to the footwork and techniques required, the slides and lateral movement, and understood how to read the cutters and anticipate action. Those skills, along with her athleticism and persistence, established her as a defensive anchor for the Warriors.

Anderson said Sean Rowan and Ian Becker, two of her coaches with the Yellow Jackets North travel team, helped cultivate her talents and put in motion her recruitment last year. The next step was contacting college coaches and putting together a highlight video.

“People who don’t know the game that well don’t pay much attention to the defensive end, but a lot goes on,” she said.

The cut-up included clips of her shadowing ball carriers in tight one-on-one defense, pressuring, recovering groundballs, causing turnovers, and making clearance passes to initiate offense.

It grabbed the attention of Roanoke head coach Erica Brown, who contacted Anderson last July. She visited the Virginia campus a month later and was wowed by the ambiance. Adding to the draw was the fact her cousin, Claire McCurley, plays for the Roanoke field hockey team.

“I got interest from some other schools, including ones that wanted me to play midfield,” Anderson said, “but they weren’t as impressive overall as Roanoke. I knew this was the right place for me.”

Lourdes concluded a difficult two-win season last week but, Anderson said, she was encouraged by the camaraderie and competitive spirit, despite the results.

There were other stars on the roster, including seniors Deirdre Connolly and Morgan McHale and dynamic sophomore Taryn Satkowski. But many of the teammates are fledglings in the sport, Anderson said, and there is an understandable learning curve.

“It’s important to look out for each other, give each other pointers and help everyone get better,” Anderson said. “You can be surprised how things turn around and how much better players can get from one year to the next.”

Well, she would know.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Girls lacrosse: Lourdes' Abby Anderson commits to Roanoke College