Skyler Spaulding ’20 is in her second season as Captain of Girls Squash.
“Against Milton, everyone was extremely mentally tough and never gave up for a second. We’re going to keep practicing hitting good shots while we’re tired so we can be prepared for difficult matches in the future,” said Spaulding.
The team focused on shot selection and maintaining composure while tired, according to fifth seed Charlotte Toogood ’20.
“Something we need to work on as a team still is shot selection because we can always improve our decision-making on court… Skyler gave a fantastic pep-talk about ‘hunting for shots’ before our match on Saturday that inspired everyone to fight and win our match,” said Toogood.
According to ninth seed Saffron Agrawal ’21, the team gained a lot of confidence from the victory.
Agrawal wrote in an email to The Phillipian, “Since Saturday was a total sweep our spirits are high and we are pretty confident about the season, especially because we lost to Milton last year 3-4.”
The members of the team will continue to hone their individual game plans and improve their aggressiveness, according to Agrawal and Toogood.
“I am feeling very good about the rest of the season because we are already off to a great start. Our team dynamic is phenomenal and it fosters healthy competition and sportsmanship amongst each other and against others,” said Toogood.
Agrawal wrote, “I think the biggest takeaway is that if we maintain the levels of focus we had on Saturday and stick to our personal simple game plans we will be able to accomplish a lot.”
On Saturday, the team will compete at both the Groton Tournament and the U.S. Junior Open, which will be held at Andover. The Groton Tournament will give players the opportunity to preview future match-ups for the season.
Mafi Pinot ’22 and Chelsea Cho ’21 will compete at the U.S. Junior Open, which will draw competitors from across the country. Andover will host all of the final rounds and higher age group matches.
The team will travel to Groton on Saturday.
