Girls Squash (11–1) placed third in the U.S. Squash Team Squash Championships (Nationals) this past weekend, the highest the program has ever placed. Andover competed in the tournament’s most competitive division, which consisted of 16 total teams. Last year, the team fell to Hotchkiss in the quarterfinals at Nationals. On Wednesday, the team emerged victorious against Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter) in a 7–1 win.
In the round of 16 and quarterfinal round, respectively, the team swept Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and defeated Agnes Irwin 6–1. In the semifinals, the team lost to Hotchkiss 6–1. Following its defeat, Andover bounced back, beating Westover 4–3 for third place in the tournament. Judy Liu ’29 shouted out her teammate, Rachel Levitzky ’28, who won the deciding match against Westover to secure a podium spot. The final score of Levitzky’s match was 12–10, 7–11, 6–11, 11–9, 7–11.
“She [Levitzky] had a really amazing match that got the win for us. We were tied [3–3], and she was the fourth win that decided the match. She played in 5 games, which is the closest it can be, and she hit some really amazing shots, and even though she was tired, she kept on pushing,” said Liu.
With months of preparation leading up to the tournament, the stakes were evident from the moment the team arrived. Liu reflected on the environment inside the Arlen Specter U.S. Squash Center, which features 18 singles squash courts, as the competition began.
“The atmosphere was very energetic and very purposeful. All the teams had worked their entire seasons towards this, and going into the venue, you could feel a lot of excitement and a lot of cheering. It was really cool to be there,” said Liu.
Though squash is played in individual matches, the results depend on the collective effort of the team. Isabella Tang ’28 expressed her pride in the team’s performance and emphasized the importance of the team’s unity throughout the tournament.
“I’m really proud of everyone because we would not have gotten third without any one of us. I also really enjoyed it when we got a team dinner together afterwards,” said Tang.
The team concluded its season against Exeter on Wednesday, making the final high school matches for its seniors. Robin Lukens ’28 highlighted the team’s two Senior Co-Captains, who both put on strong performances in their last appearances representing Andover.
“Our two Seniors, Prisha Shivani [’26] and Evelyn Kung [’26], definitely stood out. They both had really strong matches, and it was a nice final match to end off on and their whole season on. They performed really well, and it was great,” said Lukens.
Beyond the results on the court, the match against Exeter also marked one last shared trip for the team. Lukens described her favorite moment of the night, which was spending time with the team on the bus.
“The bus ride to a match is always a really positive time for the team, but I felt like today was especially good. Because it was the last match of the season, A/E, the vibes were really there. Everybody was feeling really good. The bus ride was the best part for me,” said Lukens.
This weekend, Andover will host the New England Interscholastic Squash Association (NEISA) Championships for Girls Class A and B NEPSAC teams.
