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Everyone knows that exercise is good for you. It helps control weight, improves mood, boosts energy, and promotes better sleep. It increases cardiovascular fitness, builds stronger bones, and promotes better coordination and balance. There’s more. Research shows that girls and women who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem.

The opportunities for women to participate in team sports in the Wilmington area are limitless. From rugby to soccer to volleyball, there is a game with a level of competition and experience to suit everyone.

• Ruck Solid: Click here to read about Holly Welch and her rugby team Fear the Maniacs.
• Kick Off: Click here to read about Jayne Herman and the Wilmington Women’s Soccer Association.
• Ace Space: Read more about Angelina Wu and her love for volleyball below.

ANGELINA WU has been playing volleyball since she was a small girl. The sport has been a physical and social outlet for her and continues to do that for her as an adult.

“I was pretty introverted, so it’s been a nice way of meeting people,” Wu says. “I love the teamwork aspect of it.”

Wu played competitively since eighth grade, playing on a varsity team throughout high school and choosing to play club soccer in college. It was on the sand volleyball courts at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where Wu says “it was how I met most of my friends.”

Working in software technology, beach volleyball has continued to take center stage in Wu’s fitness life.

“Just being outside and doing cardio, working on both my upper and lower body; it’s a full-body sport,” Wu says. “As an adult, you realize you’re not as agile as you were when you were young.”

Playing in the Wilmington Volleyball Series at Capt’n Bill’s Backyard Grill (read more about the women behind Capt’n Bill’s here) has enabled Wu to stay fit and connect with a network of young professionals.

“It is nice to be around people who are in the same situation as you with a full-time job,” Wu shares. “You get to connect, not only on a volleyball level, but you network and get to know them outside of volleyball.”

TALITA TEIXEIRA ROCHA is one of those people Wu has met and became partners with on the sand. They have been playing together for the past few years.

The human resources professional shares Wu’s view of volleyball as both a means for fitness and connections.

“It is a great workout. I can play for three, four hours, and it feels like nothing compared to being in a gym,” Rocha says. “All my friends play volleyball. I work remotely, so volleyball is my face-to-face interaction.”

To view more of photographer Daria Amato’s work, go to dariaphoto.com

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