June Supapannachart ’11 won Andover’s only match in what was a tough loss to Exeter last Wednesday. In four games, Supapannachart’s unwavering persistence and hustle overpowered her opponent. Supapannachart said, “I realized I dominated the point when I hit my shots hard and low. Even though I did not play my best in the second game, I concentrated on my shot selection to win the following two.” It was Andover’s second match against Exeter this season and the team knew they were in for a challenge. Losing 5-2 in a match in January, the team hoped they had improved more than Exeter’s squad. Unfortunately, Andover lost 6-1. Before the Exeter match, on Friday, Andover challenged Groton. Clearly the underdog, Andover managed to win one match and a few individual games. When the team played Groton earlier in the season, it lost 7-0 and failed to make any dents in Groton’s impregnable defense. Catherine Choi ’13 said, “I think we have improved a lot since our last match against Groton. We only won one match, but, for example, we executed lobs and different serves more consistently.” Continuously improving, Captain Kim Kohn ’10 won the first game of her match diving to cover an offensive boast. Walking off the court with scraped knees and elbows, Kohn’s effort was apparent. Kohn said, “It was frustrating to lose 14-12 in the last game because I was so close to sending the match into five games. Either way, I was happy with my performance on the court. I played strong squash and served well.” Coach Tom Hodgson said, “Kim’s effort was exceptional. The left corner roll-boast she covered and drove to length to take the first game of her match was a thrill to watch.” Julia Zorthian ’11, playing number six, earned the only win of the day. She said, “I tried to hit deeper balls, as my opponent was weak in the back of the court.” These two matches concluded Andover’s schedule for the season. Looking back on the team’s improvement since December, Coach Hodgson said, “This season I have seen progress in the quality of squash and in the consistency of effort across the team point by point on the court.” He continued, “We still need to focus on movement to and from the ‘T-zone,’ and on early racquet preparation. There is no substitute for quality practice time and match experience.” This weekend the team will travel to Pomfret to take part in the B Division Championships. Andover will face off against its three closest competitors, Brooks School, Winsor School, and Tabor Academy, in what is sure to be an exciting tournament.
