Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: Hometown Hero from the Volleyball Court to the Hospital
1/4/2022 12:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Between excelling in the Mount Tabor classroom and rotating between swimming, sprinting, long jumping and indoor track; volleyball star Andrea (Beck) Williamson was confident she was going somewhere far from home for college but had also fallen in love with the hometown Demon Deacons.
"Growing up in the area, I watched the Wake Forest team a lot," Williamson said. "I really looked up to the players who came before me and several of them coached me some while I was in high school. They really shaped the player that I became. There was always something personal for me in regard to Wake Forest Volleyball.
"I really never thought that I would stay close to home for college. I figured I would go away, but I had fallen in love with the people at Wake Forest, especially the coaching staff. They were wonderful, thoughtful people, and took an interest in my career from the time I was 15 and 16 years old. So, when it came time for me to make a decision, I really couldn't imagine going anywhere else, honestly."
In addition to playing volleyball under coach Robyn Wessleman, Williamson swam for three years at Mount Tabor as a sprint and freestyler; and then also was on the track team where she did sprint, high jumps and long jumps. Her senior season she skipped swimming for indoor track.
"I don't know how I did it," Williamson jokes. "I must have had more energy back then. I remember going straight from school to track practice, then to club volleyball practice, then heading home to do my homework. There wasn't a whole lot of free time, but I loved it."
Wesselman told Williamson early on that she had the ability to be special, and the Wake Forest coaching staff took an early interest.
"The recruiting started in earnest late in my freshman year and early in my sophomore year," Williamson said. "My high school coach, Robyn Wesselman, is super-important to me, and she's still at Mount Tabor. When I came in as a freshman, I remember her telling me and my mom that I had potential and that I could play in college.
"We almost really didn't even believe her, but she believed in me. She knew the Wake Forest coaches a little bit, so they were aware of me as a freshman, but I got the formal offer as a sophomore."
There was still that nagging feeling that Williamson felt she wanted to go further away for college, but when the chance eventually came her way, it was tossed aside.
"I always just thought I would go away," she said. "Academics were really important to me, so Wake Forest and Virginia really stuck out to me. I remember when Virginia made the offer, my heart just wasn't in it, because I'd fallen in love with Wake. It almost felt like there wasn't any other option."
She started contributing right away and finished her career in 2012 ranked in the top eight in nine different program statistical categories.
"I vividly remember being incredibly nervous in my first match as a freshman,'' Williamson said. "As somebody who grew up in that town, it was great because I'd always have my parents, coaches and friends supporting me, but it was still pretty scary with the nerves.
"But I just went in and worked hard to earn that spot on the court, which I didn't necessarily expect as a freshman. I just built on that, and it was the hard work every day that earned me that starting spot."
Williamson is still sixth all-time at Wake Forest with 1236 kills, ninth in career attack percentage and 10th in career kills per set.
"It was my overall athleticism," Williamson said about what set her apart on the volleyball court. "I was a middle blocker, but a short middle blocker for the ACC. I was listed at 6-foot-1, but that was a stretch. I might have been measured with my shoes on. I was an athletic middle, would make plays happen and could move from side-to-side. Really it was that general athleticism that served me well through my career.
"I was called a middle blocker, but I would call myself more of a middle hitter. Blocking was not necessarily my strong suit. Hitting the ball was certainly my favorite thing to do, and I was able to do a lot of that late in my career."
Currently in the middle of her surgical residency in Salt Lake City, Utah, Williamson keeps up with college volleyball as much as possible and is starting to get plugged back in with the new Demon Deacon coaching staff.
"I do keep up with the game as much as I can," she said. "Surgical residency is crazy. I'm actually in the middle of research time right now, which gives me a little bit more time. I was actually watching the NCAA Tournament and Pittsburgh, where I did a little bit of coaching after my time with Wake Forest.
"The volleyball program has gone through so much change and turnover in staff since I left. But coach Smart and her staff have been amazing. I haven't spent much time with them in person, but have been involved in emails, Zoom meetings and Facebook Messenger. I'm really hoping the next time I'm in town I'll be able to spend some time with them. It's been nice that they've made an effort to keep up with me."
Considered one of the greatest Wake Forest volleyball players of all-time, Williamson looks back at her time at Wake Forest fondly.
"When I think back about college, it's the volleyball that I remember," she said. "My fondest memories are those with my teammates. It's been practically 10 years since I've graduated, which is kind of crazy. I just enjoyed playing and traveling with my teammates. We worked together through some tough times, but then also had some really great times. That's what I remember mostly."
A little more than halfway complete with her residency, Williamson is likely to next participate in a colorectal surgery fellowship for a year, then work to find a job and her next home.
"I didn't anticipate this, but many of the things I learned at Wake Forest and in athletics have totally translated into my life now as a surgery resident, which is pretty cool," Williamson reflected. "There are basic things like teamwork, leadership, goal-setting, hard work and being present every moment. Then a big one is that through volleyball I learned to perform well under pressure. That comes into play almost every day as a surgery resident.
"There are countless ways that my volleyball past and my time at Wake Forest have impacted what I do every day, which is pretty cool."
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"Growing up in the area, I watched the Wake Forest team a lot," Williamson said. "I really looked up to the players who came before me and several of them coached me some while I was in high school. They really shaped the player that I became. There was always something personal for me in regard to Wake Forest Volleyball.
"I really never thought that I would stay close to home for college. I figured I would go away, but I had fallen in love with the people at Wake Forest, especially the coaching staff. They were wonderful, thoughtful people, and took an interest in my career from the time I was 15 and 16 years old. So, when it came time for me to make a decision, I really couldn't imagine going anywhere else, honestly."
In addition to playing volleyball under coach Robyn Wessleman, Williamson swam for three years at Mount Tabor as a sprint and freestyler; and then also was on the track team where she did sprint, high jumps and long jumps. Her senior season she skipped swimming for indoor track.
"I don't know how I did it," Williamson jokes. "I must have had more energy back then. I remember going straight from school to track practice, then to club volleyball practice, then heading home to do my homework. There wasn't a whole lot of free time, but I loved it."
Wesselman told Williamson early on that she had the ability to be special, and the Wake Forest coaching staff took an early interest.
"The recruiting started in earnest late in my freshman year and early in my sophomore year," Williamson said. "My high school coach, Robyn Wesselman, is super-important to me, and she's still at Mount Tabor. When I came in as a freshman, I remember her telling me and my mom that I had potential and that I could play in college.
"We almost really didn't even believe her, but she believed in me. She knew the Wake Forest coaches a little bit, so they were aware of me as a freshman, but I got the formal offer as a sophomore."
There was still that nagging feeling that Williamson felt she wanted to go further away for college, but when the chance eventually came her way, it was tossed aside.
"I always just thought I would go away," she said. "Academics were really important to me, so Wake Forest and Virginia really stuck out to me. I remember when Virginia made the offer, my heart just wasn't in it, because I'd fallen in love with Wake. It almost felt like there wasn't any other option."
She started contributing right away and finished her career in 2012 ranked in the top eight in nine different program statistical categories.
"I vividly remember being incredibly nervous in my first match as a freshman,'' Williamson said. "As somebody who grew up in that town, it was great because I'd always have my parents, coaches and friends supporting me, but it was still pretty scary with the nerves.
"But I just went in and worked hard to earn that spot on the court, which I didn't necessarily expect as a freshman. I just built on that, and it was the hard work every day that earned me that starting spot."
Williamson is still sixth all-time at Wake Forest with 1236 kills, ninth in career attack percentage and 10th in career kills per set.
"It was my overall athleticism," Williamson said about what set her apart on the volleyball court. "I was a middle blocker, but a short middle blocker for the ACC. I was listed at 6-foot-1, but that was a stretch. I might have been measured with my shoes on. I was an athletic middle, would make plays happen and could move from side-to-side. Really it was that general athleticism that served me well through my career.
"I was called a middle blocker, but I would call myself more of a middle hitter. Blocking was not necessarily my strong suit. Hitting the ball was certainly my favorite thing to do, and I was able to do a lot of that late in my career."
Currently in the middle of her surgical residency in Salt Lake City, Utah, Williamson keeps up with college volleyball as much as possible and is starting to get plugged back in with the new Demon Deacon coaching staff.
"I do keep up with the game as much as I can," she said. "Surgical residency is crazy. I'm actually in the middle of research time right now, which gives me a little bit more time. I was actually watching the NCAA Tournament and Pittsburgh, where I did a little bit of coaching after my time with Wake Forest.
"The volleyball program has gone through so much change and turnover in staff since I left. But coach Smart and her staff have been amazing. I haven't spent much time with them in person, but have been involved in emails, Zoom meetings and Facebook Messenger. I'm really hoping the next time I'm in town I'll be able to spend some time with them. It's been nice that they've made an effort to keep up with me."
Considered one of the greatest Wake Forest volleyball players of all-time, Williamson looks back at her time at Wake Forest fondly.
"When I think back about college, it's the volleyball that I remember," she said. "My fondest memories are those with my teammates. It's been practically 10 years since I've graduated, which is kind of crazy. I just enjoyed playing and traveling with my teammates. We worked together through some tough times, but then also had some really great times. That's what I remember mostly."
A little more than halfway complete with her residency, Williamson is likely to next participate in a colorectal surgery fellowship for a year, then work to find a job and her next home.
"I didn't anticipate this, but many of the things I learned at Wake Forest and in athletics have totally translated into my life now as a surgery resident, which is pretty cool," Williamson reflected. "There are basic things like teamwork, leadership, goal-setting, hard work and being present every moment. Then a big one is that through volleyball I learned to perform well under pressure. That comes into play almost every day as a surgery resident.
"There are countless ways that my volleyball past and my time at Wake Forest have impacted what I do every day, which is pretty cool."
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