Girls’ Squash Excels At Nationals in Philly

Last weekend, girls’ squash played at Nationals in Philadelphia and reached the semi-finals. Big Red played Hopkins School in the semifinals, but they lost 3-4. It was a very close game, as Exeter lost by only two points.Nevertheless, playing on the national scene was a pleasant experience for the team. “Our captains [senior] Josie [Russ] and [senior] Alix [Hunter] took care of the team—they acted like moms, but in a fun way,” said prep Euwie Park, when discussing the girls’ squash team’s experience at Nationals.This year’s performance was a step up from last year, where the girls lost three of their four initial matches. “Last year we didn’t play well,” said co-captain and senior Josie Russ. As a result, Russ was “really proud of the team” for their results this year.

“We learned our strengths and what we need to improve on.”

When asked what made the difference between the current and previous seasons, Russ referenced the strong team bond that most of the team has associated with this year’s success. “I think this year the team is a lot closer as a whole. This helped us support each other and want to win for each other ... That’s what made a difference,” Russ said.Lower Alyssa Kuwana agreed and said, “Even though squash is an individual sport, we had to work as a team.” Kuwana also elaborated on how the girls have bridged the gap between individual play and team mentality. “We supported each other, giving tips between games and cheering and giving encouragement after every point. For me, that really helped since every win mattered, and hearing my teammates cheer powered me through my matches. In the end, it still was a team sport since we had to win at least four out of seven of the matches, so every match counted.”Kuwana also commented on the larger scale of the national meet. “It was interesting to see so many schools play, especially those we haven’t played against before,” she said.Interestingly enough, another factor in the girls’ successes was watching the boys play. “We also got to watch some of the boys matches and we got very into it,” Kuwana said. We were very frustrated by one of the outcomes of a [boys’] Tabor vs. Darien game and used that frustration to play well in our game.”Even though the team was so close to being in the finals and lost to Taft, whom they beat 7-0 earlier this season, they remained optimistic about their performance.“We started off strong, going in the tournament with a 6-1 win against Episcopal High School,” Kuwana said. “Even though we lost in the semi-finals, we all worked really hard and improved. We learned our strengths and what we need to improve on.” Despite emerging just short of national champions, it was a “great learning experience” for everyone that was able to play.The girls weren’t able to play their match against Andover and were forced to default because matches had gone overtime. They spent the six hour ride back home reflecting on their experience. “We had a great time and everyone played their hardest,” Park said.In the end, Exeter is currently qualified for a third/fourth place placement with arch-rival Andover but will play against the team on Feb. 24 for E/a.