Poughkeepsie, NY — The Vassar men showed marked improvement during the 2009-2010 season.
The Brewers began the season with three straight wins and finished with their best record since the 2006-2007 season. They opened the 2009-2010 season with a 5-4 win over Haverford, a team that had blanked them 9-0 the year before. Vassar showed improvement in their 8-1 win over Fordham, who they’d only narrowly edged out during the 2008-2009 season. Vassar also swept their series against Bard with a pair of 9-0 wins.
In terms of individual recognitions, Henk Isom and Mehdvi Naqvi earned the team’s first Liberty League Performers of the Week honors since 2006-2007, and Andrew Lindsay was named the team’s first Liberty League Rookie of the Week since 2004-2005. Jake Harris, who played number 1 for the Brewers in his first year of college play, also received honorable mention for the All-Liberty League team, the first Vassar player to earn all-league recognition since 2005.
Three players — Dave Prentice and co-captains Isom and Arjun Agarwala — have graduated, but next season the Brewers will have Naqvi back in the lineup; he was studying abroad in London and did not compete at the Men’s National Team Championships. Senior Francis Meyo will also be joining the team, and four players who were on the squad but did not compete at nationals — Yi Tan, Marshall Daly, Oliver Newman, and Aiden Sperry — should contend for spots in the varsity lineup. A new assistant coach will be another addition to both the men’s and women’s programs.
Vassar finished the 2009-2010 season ranked 41st, and the Brewers will be looking to move up into the top 40 and compete in the “E” Division (Chaffee Cup) at the Men’s National Team Championships. Haverford will again be a key match for the Brewers, as will Columbia and Northeastern, two teams they did not face last season.
2009-2010 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 4-14
Final Ranking: 41
Team Championships: 41st Overall; 8th in Chaffee Cup (E Division)
2010-2011 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Jane Parker
Returning Players from Team Championships: Jake Harris (1); Kyle Holter (5); Arjun Jain (2); Andrew Lindsay (6); Max Middleton (7); Robert Ruggeiro (9); Ansser Sadiq (8)
Other Returning Players from 2009-2010 Roster:
- Expected to play in the middle 3: Yi Tan
- Expected to play in the bottom 3: Marshall Daly, Oliver Newman, and Aiden Sperry
Graduates on Last Season’s Team Championships Roster: Arjun Agarwala (3; 2009-2010 Captain); Henk Isom (4; 2009-2010 Captain); Dave Prentice (10)
Additions to the 2010-2011 Roster:
- Expected to play in the top 3: Mehdi Naqvi (returning from JYA)
- Expected to play in the bottom 3: Francis Meyo
Captains: Ansser Sadiq, Mehdi Naqvi, and Arjun Jain
Team Goals: Finish season with a ranking within the top 40 and compete in the Chaffee Cup (Div E) at the CSA Team Championships
Key Matches: Haverford, Columbia, and Northeastern
To read other team previews, please visit the 2010 – 2011 College Squash Preview Page.
