1/16/25 Captains of the Week: Girls’ Squash

By  EVAN CHEN, EILENA DING, KAYLEE GONG and ANGELA HE

Echoes of squash balls bouncing off the courts and encouraging shouts of the players fill the room as they sharpen their skills with various drills. This year, Phillips Exeter Academy’s Girls’ Varsity squash team is led by three dedicated captains: Paloma Sze, Aria Suchak, and Erin Chen. Each brings their unique strengths with the common goal of improving the team and leading lower-classmen. These three seniors work hard to foster a strong team culture, enforcing the balance between competitiveness and a strong sense of community. As captains, they have taken on the challenge of guiding a team of 26 players and continue pushing their teammates to be the best both on and off the court. 

Each captain brings something unique to the team. For Sze, it is her incredible skill. Coach Carbonell highlighted Sze’s decision to join the girls’ team after playing with the boys last year. “Paloma is our number one player and competes against incredibly strong opponents with amazing composure. Her presence sets an example for younger players and shows the value of staying calm under pressure.”

For Suchak, it is her dedication. Despite her current injury, Suchak has continued to lead and participate in the team dynamics. Coach Lovey praises, “Even though she’s been unable to play, she still attends every practice and plans to travel with us for a two-hour away match. Her commitment to the team is unwavering.”

For Chen, it’s her admirable kind spirit and supportive self. Often paired in matches with Chen, lower Alicia Medina, is often lifted by her captain’s positive attitude. “She is a really good cheerleader, always has a very happy spirit even when doing the hardest drills which is very motivating when you are tired or have had a rough day.”

Despite current successes, each captain has had a long journey of hard work throughout their four years to get here. Suchak recalled her childhood and beginning of Exeter squash skills, “When I came to Exter in my prep year, I had around three to four years of squash experience, but I didn’t play at a super high level.”

Chen, who had first started playing squash as a prep, reminisced, “I had no clue the sport existed until I came to Exeter. But once I went to Women’s Squash Week and Coach Lovey taught me how to play, I really loved it and kept practicing.”

Now, as a senior and captain, Suchak views her role as a bridging voice, “[A captain] is a person that the coaches can count on to communicate with the team, lead the team, and be a support system for teammates at any time.”

Chen also views her position as a way to support her teammates both on and off the court. “I want to be a touchpoint for all 26 girls on the team, socially, mentally, and physically,” she explained. “If they ever need equipment or help in other areas of their lives, I’m always open to helping.”

Coach Lovey added “Erin encourages those around her quietly and leads with integrity. She started at the bottom of the ladder as a freshman and worked her way up. Her teammates really look up to her.”

Lower Nina Fazal praised Chen for making her feel welcome. “Erin was my JV captain during my prep year. She helped me practice in the fall before tryouts and made me feel really comfortable joining the team. All the captains are so helpful and give great advice.”

From a technical standpoint, Coach Lovey and Coach Carbonell explain how captains add to the team’s training by “Just doing the work. Doing work both off-season as well as in-season and encouraging other people to do it too.” 

Coach Lovey adds, “Captains add to the community by having awareness and recognition that different individuals have different needs, and continuing to be a good role model.” 

Coach Carbonell shares similar thoughts and believes that the captains’ job is to “set the tone, have a strong work ethic, and have a sense of what they think can best benefit the team. It’s important to take a pulse of what each individual needs within the larger group dynamic, especially because squash is a sport that is historically individual.” 

Suchak agrees on the difficulties of squash being rooted as an individual sport. With her own experience of internal conflicts regarding squash, she suggested her main piece of advice for lowerclassmen, “You aren’t just one person, but a crucial member of the team. Just stick with it and treat squash as this special thing that you get to do in the middle of the day or on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You get to compete and play a game that is one of the healthiest games on earth. You get so strong in both mental and physical abilities. I think [squash] is just such a special sport.”