Sixth seed Skyler Spaulding ’20 delivered a cross-court hit that landed in the back corner, quickly winning the point and securing yet another victory for Andover in a 7-0 sweep against Winsor School. The team’s record now stands 3-0.
“Overall, the team performed super well; we won up and down the whole ladder and everyone competed with a tremendous amount of integrity,” said first seed Prianca Patel ’19.
Despite beating Andover last season, Winsor was unable score against the team.
Captain and fourth seed Caroline Yun ’18 said, “We were the stronger team going into the match as Winsor lost many of its Seniors last year, but the competition definitely made it still a good match for us where each player learned something about her game.”
“Winsor didn’t have the strongest team, and we knew that going in, however we used that to our advantage by going into our match with specific goals. We knew it would be beneficial to use these easier matches to practice things we’ve been drilling in practice,” added Patel.
Currently ranked second in the country behind Deerfield, according to USSquash. com, Andover will continue to work in practice to secure the top spot spot, according to Yun.
“Our goals for this season are to keep working on the precision of our shots and be very intentional about our aim and strength,” said Yun.
Andover focuses on both technique and fitness. The team looks to use its physical strength and endurance to enhance its play on the court, according to fourth seed Avery Westerfield ’18.
“A team goal for this season is to be the fittest team in the league,” said Westerfield.
Additionally, with the opening of the Snyder Center, Andover looks to take advantage of the new facilities and improve its play in new ways, according to Westerfield.
“We are working on hitting more lobs — which the new high ceilings in the Snyder center can accommodate now,” said Westerfield.
The team also continues to develop its immense sense of camaraderie and teamwork, according to third-seed Chelsea Cho ’21 and Spaulding.
“The team has been really supportive. We have such a fun time together at every practice and match. We give each other tips between each game so that we play better in the following games. I’m so glad to be a part of this team,” Cho said.
“I really love this team because we have so much fun while also pushing each other to do our best. We’re all so close and I can’t wait to make more memories with [my teammates] this season,” Spaulding said.
Andover will travel away this Saturday to play in a three-way match against Taft, Loomis Chaffee, and Phillips Exeter Academy.
