Andover Girls Squash secured a 5-2 win against rival Phillips Exeter Academy on February 21 of Andover/Exeter Weekend, bringing its final regular season record to 12 straight wins. The victory was Andover’s second win against Exeter this season, after defeating Big Red with a score of 6-1 on January 20. This victory marks the eighth consecutive year that Andover Girls Squash has been undefeated in Andover/Exeter matches.
According to Captain Caroline Yun ’18 and Jennifer Lee ’18, Andover’s win against Exeter earlier in the season contributed to its victory.
“Our previous win definitely gave us more of an incentive to win again because we felt like we needed to live up to our expectations for the season,” said Yun, who won her match 3-0.
Lee, who also won her match 3-0, added, “Our first win against Exeter definitely gave us confidence into our second match against them. We maintained our focus, our energy was up, and we hit accurate shots.”
The Exeter court conditions also played a factor in the match, forcing several players to change their playing style.
“Because the Exeter courts are usually really hot, the ball bounces quickly, so we tried to play slower and tried to keep the pace down. We tried to play controlled matches, and I personally had difficulty with that since my personal playing game is a lot of hard shots. But I mainly focused on hitting it soft and deep, and playing a smart game,” said second-seed Lindsay Westerfield ’21.
After losing her first game, Westerfield beat her Exeter opponent 3-1, with scores of 7-11, 11-6, 11-3, and 11-9.
Staying focused during matches also played a big part in the win, according to Yun. “Our team focused on playing our best and leaving all of the other distractions off the court,” said Yun. “It was really important for our team to stay focused and solely think about squash.”
Ending the undefeated season on a high note made Andover’s win over its rival even more special, according to Westerfield.
“During the last point of the match, it was just a really great moment for me since I ended the season with a good match and I played my best. I just felt really proud of that moment,” said Westerfield.
The victory felt especially fitting for the Seniors, who played their last games at Andover.
“Since it was the last match for Seniors as a team, our goal was just to support and congratulate other players during and in between matches,” said Lee.
With a solid core of young players, Andover Girls Squash looks to carry its recent successes into the 2018-2019 season.
