Middlebury, VT — Middlebury made waves last season, moving up the rankings and upsetting Williams to make it into the finals of the NESCAC championships. Coming into the Women’s National Team Championships seeded tenth overall and second in the Kurtz Cup (B Division), the Panthers were on the receiving end of a 6-3 upset from 15th-seeded Mount Holyoke in the first round.
This season, Middlebury will look to sustain a high level of play throughout the season. “Our main goal will be to have an all-around fine season,” says coach John Illig. With only two players not returning, that goal looks like it should be within reach. Joining the team will be four players with solid prep squash backgrounds: cousins Charlotte and Katie Dewey, who played for New England champions Deerfield; Bailey Marshall of St. Andrew’s; and Annie Wymard, who played for Hotchkiss.
Exciting news for the program is that Middlebury has announced plans to build a new squash facility, budgeted for $8 million. But the team also has plans away from the squash courts: “Every fall, the Middlebury men’s and women’s teams take an overnight hiking trip in the Adirondack Mountains,” says Illig. “Last year 19 players made the trip and the teams climbed three mountains. This is a fun component of team bonding for us, and the scenery on the hike is spectacular.”
2010-2011 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 18-6
Final Ranking: 13
Team Championships: 5th in Kurtz Cup
2011-2012 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: John Illig
Returning Players from Team Championships: (1) Elena Laird (First Team All-NESCAC, NESCAC All-Academic Team, CSA Scholar Athlete); (2) Abby Jenkins (First Team All-NESCAC); (4) Kathryn Bostwick (NESCAC All-Academic Team, CSA Scholar Athlete); (5) Molly Hubbard; (6) Lindsay Becker; (7) Amanda Chen; (8) Annie Ulrich (NESCAC All-Academic Team, NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team); (10) Jamie Burchfield (NESCAC All-Academic Team); Al Boillot
Graduated/Non-returning players from 2010-2011 Team: (3) Virginia Shannon; (9) Katie Yates
Additions to the 2011-2012 Roster:
- Expected to play in the top 3: Charlotte Dewey
- Expected to play in the middle of the lineup: Bailey Marshall and Annie Wymard
- Expected to compete for a spot on the traveling team: Katie Dewey
Captains: Al Boillot and Kathryn Bostwick
Team Goals: To play well at the NESCAC tournament and Women’s National Team Championships; to have a good season all-around
Key Matches: Williams, Brown, Amherst, Columbia, Bates, Colby, Bowdoin, Mt. Holyoke, GW, Dartmouth and more
To read other team previews, please visit the 2011-2012 College Squash Season Previews page.
