Team Support

From painting his face and donning a colorful wig to signaling shot calls to players on the court, Noah Sandstrom is committed to his team. Currently the faculty adviser for women’s volleyball, Sandstrom, chair and professor of psychology, is often on hand to support student athletes in the classroom, in the stands and, occasionally, on the bus.

On a team road trip this season to compete against Vassar College, Sidra Wohlwend ’25 approached Sandstrom, who was seated up front with the coaches and staff, to get some advice about an assignment for one of her psychology classes. “She swung by with her laptop and asked, ‘Hey, can we look at some data together because I’m having trouble figuring this thing out?’” Sandstrom says. “I realized at that moment that just because the players have their headphones on doesn’t mean they’re not making good use of their time.”

Wohlwend’s rapport with her professor goes back to her first year, when Sandstrom became her faculty adviser. “Coming to Williams from a Covid year was a difficult transition,” says Wohlwend, who plans to conduct clinical research at Columbia University in the fall. “He helped me with things like figuring out classes and reaching out to other professors. Having the team and all these wonderful faculty created a really supportive environment.”

For his part, Sandstrom, who previously was faculty adviser for women’s basketball, says he has one dream yet to fulfill with the volleyball team: “Before I retire, my goal is to announce the starting lineup at a game over the PA system, with my own little flourishes,” he says. “There might be a NESCAC rule against that, but I love being able to celebrate how multidimensional all these people are.”