Boys' Squash Shut Out by Nobles
This Saturday, the boys’ varsity squash team traveled to the Nobles and Greenough School for its seventh game of the season, returning home with a score of 0-7. Despite its loss, the team put in great effort while competing against one of the highest-ranked teams in the nation.
“I was very impressed with the tenacity of the team. We knew coming in that it would be a very tough game, but we all played our best and never gave up points.”
Looking on the bright side, Upper Weldon Chan was pleased with the team’s perseverance while playing Nobles last weekend. “I was very impressed with the tenacity of the team. We knew coming in that it would be a very tough game, but we all played our best and never gave up points,” Chan said.
Lower Sam Lew shared Chan’s sentiments that the team put forth its best effort, despite the team’s knowledge of being at a disadvantage. “Though we lost, I do have to say that we all put a lot of effort in our matches,” Lew said. “Everyone put in all we got, so as teammates, everyone played the best they could.”
The boys’ team faced another challenge in addition to playing against such a strong team—their top seed and senior co-captain Gautam Ramesh had to sit out of the game as he was not feeling well. Ramesh’s absence caused the ranks to move up one spot, giving Lew the top seed.
Senior and co-captain Stuart Rucker applauded Lew for his valiant efforts. “In the middle of the match, Sam hit a phenomenal nick that gave our team a lot of momentum,” Rucker said. “I was impressed that despite playing the eleventh [best] player in the country, Patrick McElroy, Sam still had the confidence to smash the ball into the nick.”
Upper Sam Michaels also praised Lew for his persistence. “Sam kept hustling and focused on himself instead of the score and ended up playing very tight contested games,” Michaels said.
During the practices leading up to the game, the team worked on building endurance to keep up the consistency of their games and tire their opponent. “If two people are close to the same level, it can often be a game of attrition,” said Rucker.
Michaels agreed, adding that long rallies lead to a contest of who has the stronger physical stamina. “When matches against our opponents get dragged on, then the winner isn’t usually the better player, but the more athletic player,” Michaels said. Nevertheless, Chan believes that their work in practice has paid off and is shown in the matches. “It was very clear that our endurance and movement had improved, because a lot of the rallies were extended, long and physical,” said Chan.
In the future, the boys’ squash team hopes to improve their mental game. Michaels believes that it is easy to get discouraged while playing a tough opponent, so if the team can overcome that obstacle, they can play more powerfully in the future.
The boys will be traveling to the High School Team National Championships at Episcopal Academy on February 2 and 3. They will be competing in the Division II category, a step up from last year. Lew is excited and proud of the team’s effort throughout the season and said, “Though we lost, I do have to say that we all put a lot of effort in our matches.”