PA Girls Squash players spent the busy first weeks of classes of winter term preparing for their matches. Led by veteran Coach Tom Hodgson, the roster consists of seven Seniors, two Uppers and one Lower. Unfortunately, Captain and major force on the court Carolyn Brown ’09 is still out with an ACL injury, which means that she will have to cheer her teammates on from the other side of the glass. Before leaving for winter break, the team faced off against the tough New England rivals Milton Academy, St. Georges and Westminster at a jamboree, with hopes of tuning up their strokes and getting back into the groove of match play before beginning with their official competition this past Saturday. On Saturday, the girls faced a very tough Choate squad. Last year, both teams played very close matches, but this year the turnout was not quite as fortunate. The Choate team managed to win almost every matchup. On Wednesday, the girls faced the Windsor School, who in the past have been rather light competition. Looking into the future, the girls host Exeter and Tabor in two straight home matches followed by three straight away matches. Lydia Smith ’09 said, “These should be some really good matches coming up in the next few weeks, and we have to be prepared.” Playing on the road means that the girls will need to get ready this week in practice for the fatigue caused by the three-hour bus ride. The focus of the practices preceding the weekend matchup were based on not only building a solid fitness base, but also fine-tuning the rudimentary skills needed to be successful on the court. Wednesday, the first challenging practice, was meant to help solidify the ladder of the lineup, working on dexterity and speed as well as strength and the main skill sets needed on the courts. After a slight stumble with Choate, the girls are looking to get the season back on track with wins in the next couple of weeks. Big wins versus fellow New England rivals such as Taft, Deerfield, Tabor and Exeter are the first steps the Girls Squash team needs to make on their winter journey towards the New England interscholastic tournament.
