A freshman, Pressey has helped to offset the loss of All-American Mia
Jerkov this year. She currently ranks fourth in the conference in kills per game (4.09/g)
and seventh in points (4.45/g). She is one of the leading candidates for Pac-10 Freshman
of the Year.
Before this week’s crucial matches against #4 USC (Thursday) and #16
UCLA (Friday), Pressey talked to us about the season, her crazy hops, and the possibility
of being a multi-sport athlete at Cal.
Q: So, Pac-10 Player of the Week, how does that feel?
A: Oh, it feels good. Actually I was kind of surprised. I felt that I played well, but I
was under the impression that it took more. But I guess they thought it was enough.
Q: What did you think it was going to take? Beating Stanford in a five-game
match, six kills in the deciding game, double-digit digs…
A: That’s true, that’s true, but at the same time, I felt that maybe it was over
a two-week period, that they looked at more than just the one week, I don’t
know…
Q: Umm… Angie? It’s not called the Pac-10 Player of Two
Weeks award…
A: [Laughs] No, no, no, I meant I thought that they would only choose players who played two
matches in the space of one week, and I only played one. But I guess not!
Q: You have made an immediate impact on the team. Did you expect to make
this kind of impact so soon?
A: Actually, no. Thinking that Mia [Jerkov] would be back, I was like, "I guess
I’ll have to work hard and see where I can fit in. It doesn’t matter where I
play as long as I’m on the court." But seeing that Mia didn’t come back, I
had to step up my game a little bit knowing that I’d actually be starting. I mean, my
coaches and my teammates definitely helped me to fit in.
Q: Mia Jerkov was all-everything for Cal, the definitive go-to player. This
year, it seemed that at times the lack of a go-to player has resulted in some inconsistent
play. Do you think the team needs to have a go-to player?
A: Not so much. You just need to have players who can get it done. You don’t need a
star player, you just need a team that plays together. I feel that’s what our team is
finally doing. We’re playing together and we’re not relying so much on one
person. As long as everyone does their job, usually the outcome will be in our favor.
Q: On the other hand, in the Stanford match, in the fifth game, Cal jumped
out to a lead on three kills by you and never looked back. Was this decided in advance, that
they’d go to you early and often?
A: Oh no. I think [setter] Sam [Carter] was like, she’s hot, give her the ball, just
like with Camille [Leffall]. Camille had maybe two or three kills less than me but she also kept
getting the ball. She was amazing. If you put it away, Sam will give it to you.
Q: You were held out of certain games early in the season because of
injuries.
A: I hurt myself in the Houston tournament. I landed on another girl’s leg and hurt
myself. I strained the muscle on the side of my calf. I’m still having problems with
it, so I’m just trying to limit my reps. But some of the games I was held out just
because I wasn’t playing well.
Q: OK, let’s talk about something that has everyone buzzing, and
that’s your jumping ability. What’s your vertical?
A: I wish I could tell you. I haven’t tested it. I mean I know I can hang on the
[basketball] rim, easily. I can do that. So I guess that’d be 10’2" or
10’3" but I don’t know what it’d be full-out in a game, with
adrenaline going… I don’t know. Maybe I’ll get it tested in the off-season.
Q: I’ve heard that you think your hops came from your mom, not your
dad?
A: Well I’m built more like my mom. I have my mom’s legs. She ran track and
played basketball too. I mean, it’s probably a combination of both my parents.
They’re both athletes, so I have good genes.
Q: Is that all natural ability, or have you had to work on it?
A: I’ve never worked on my vertical due to the fact that I played three sports in
high school, so I never had time to train and lift weights, so it’ll be interesting
how high I can get if I worked on it.
Q: You were also an excellent basketball player and a star in track and
field. In fact, you were named POY in all three sports last year. What your favorite
sport?
A: Basketball is my favorite sport. I’ve played it my whole life. My whole family
play it, my Dad played it.
Q: Is there any chance you’d consider walking on to the basketball
team here?
A: I don’t know, it’s been up in the air. I’m here to play volleyball,
first and foremost. But I would love to do another sport. I tend to get injured playing
basketball, I guess because it’s a contact sport. I probably wouldn’t play
basketball, although I do love it. But I might run track.
Q: Most folks know that your father is Paul Pressey, former NBA player and
current coach for the Boston Celtics. Did your family move around a lot when you were
younger?
A: We did. It didn’t have an effect on me until I moved from middle school to high
school. We moved to Florida from Texas, which was a good thing I guess, because if we
didn’t, I probably wouldn’t be playing volleyball. I would have played
basketball had we stayed in Texas, because I would have followed my sister and played AAU
basketball. Instead, when we got to Florida, a friend asked me to come play club
volleyball with her, and that’s how I got serious about volleyball.
Q: Did you ever live here in the Bay Area, when your dad played for the
Warriors?
A: I lived in Alameda.
Q: Do you remember him playing for the Warriors?
A: I vaguely remember. I was in first or second grade back then.
Q: You were a top-ranked junior player and probably had your pick of
schools. Why Cal?
A: I’m a warm weather person. Even the rain today is a little shaky for me, so I knew
it was going to be a school in California. I guess Texas would have been a top choice too,
but they didn’t recruit me as enthusiastically as Cal did. I mean, I would hear from
Cal almost daily. And [former club teammate] Sam was here already, so that was a plus. I
really liked the campus; it’s really pretty. I also wanted to be at place where I
know that the competition would be good. The East coast, there’s nothing there. The
Midwest, a little more. But in the Pac-10, on any given day, you never know who’s
gonna win.
Q: Do you think your size scared some schools away?
A: Yes, I think so. Because, I am a little on the small size, yes, I know.
Q: Besides your jumping and hitting ability, you also get a lot of digs.
What are you working on?
A: I guess just learning the game. Like basketball, I know the sport. But volleyball, I
don’t know the game that well. [Associate Head Coach Lee Maes] is so specific in
teaching his techniques, and I need to take what he says and apply it on the court. There
are so many things that he says that I need to do. For instance, we have a blocking
technique that I’d never used before. But it’s the new way of passing, new way
of blocking, new way to do everything.
Q: Did you realize it was going to be so much more intense in college?
A: I did not know! The first time I saw a scouting report, I was like, "Okay! What is
this?!" It was 6 pages long, all about what we need to do, what we need to remember
in this rotation or that rotation… And you have to know all this instantly in the
game. You can’t take a time out and say, "Um, what are we doing?"
Q: So it’s almost another academic course…
A: Oh yes, binders and all!
Q: Speaking of classes, do you know what you want to major in?
A: I don’t know what I want to major in. I think right now, I’m just eliminating
what I don’t want to major in. I’m taking these courses where I’m like,
"Once this is over, I’m never taking that subject again!"
Q: Well, you have plenty of time to decide. In terms of your team, you just
lost libero Jillian Davis for the year. How will that impact the team?
A: My team is really strong. Alexis [Kollias] stepped right in and did a great job. I have
complete confidence in her. I mean, we’ve never passed next to each other before, so
it was strange at first, but it helps that she’s so vocal.
Q: So you have the L.A. teams coming in this weekend. You guys beat SC 3-0
on their court, so they’ll have payback on their mind…
A: Oh yeah, they’re gonna kill us! [Laughs] I have no doubt in my mind!
Q: All their 6’4", 6’5" players…
A: I know! I only come up to their shoulders… well maybe their armpits!
Q: Don’t get too close then. But at least you’ve beaten them. Cal
has never beaten UCLA before.
A: I know, it’s crazy! Cal played them when I came on my visit last year, and I
remember thinking… we should be beating them. I don’t know what it is about
them, but hopefully we can reverse that this week.
Q: What are your goals for the rest of the season?
A: I hope to stay consistent. I feel that my team relies on me a lot, and I hope I can
fulfill their expectations. I hope our team can stay together and play as one, because
that’s when we play well.
Q: Anything you want to tell Cal fans out there?
A: Our team is awesome! I love our team, I love every single one of them. This is the only
team I’ve been on where there are no catfights, no "oh look at her!" No
gossiping behind other people’s backs. We are so close-knit. I love it!
Q: Well wait until this interview comes out with all the quotes I’m
going to make up and they’ll all be asking, "What did she say about me?!"
A: [Laughs] Right, right. You’d better not!
Q: Thank you so much for your time.
A: You’re welcome!
California plays #4 USC on Thursday night and #16 UCLA on Friday night.
Both games will be played at Haas Pavilion and start at 7 p.m.
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