After a long rally, first seed Prianca Patel ’19 struck a low forehand crosscourt into the back of the court and out of her opponent’s reach to win her match. Patel’s victory propelled Andover Girls Squash to a 5-2 win against Choate on Saturday. Later in the week, Andover defeated Tabor 7-0. The team’s record now stands at 2-0.
This year, the team consists of a strong returning roster, including Patel, Jennifer Lee ’18, Avery Westerfield ’18, Caroline Yun ’18, Susan Yun ’17, Sewon Park ’17, Brita Luke ’19, as well as Captain Zoe Oasis ’17, who is currently recovering from a torn ACL. The team also welcomes one new player, fourth seed Skyler Spaulding ’20.
In its match against Choate, Andover saw victories from first seed Patel, second seed Westerfield, third seed Lee, fourth seed Caroline Yun, and fifth seed Susan Yun.
Patel said, “We went into the game knowing it was a close matchup last year. We trained really hard the week prior to the match and pumped each other up a lot. The team as a whole played really well.”
Avery Westerfield ’18 plays second seed for Andover.
Every player won in three games except for Lee, who fought to win her match 3-2.
“Jennifer played very well pulling through with a 3-2. This was big because it really shifted the momentum our way for the following matches,” said Patel.
On Wednesday, Andover traveled to Tabor and secured a decisive 7-0 sweep.
Patel said, “We walked into the match knowing it wasn’t going to be very tough, but all players up and down the ladder competed with integrity and played well, finding ways to challenge themselves. Every player played a clean game of squash, and I think it’s safe to say everyone was proud of themselves.”
Head Coach Jennifer Elliott ’94 said, “The girls have had an awesome start to the season. After long bus rides, the team arrived to Choate and Tabor and quickly prepared to compete.”
“We have been thinking about our mantra ‘deserve to win’ and how it inspires us to play with integrity, humility, and ferocity. I am really proud of how hard the team has been training and practicing, and I am excited for the season,” continued Elliott.
Editor’s Note: Jennifer Lee is an Associate Sports Editor for The Phillipian.
