New Haven, CT — Stanford University senior Pamela Chua was named the winner of the 2013 Richey Award.
The Richey Award is given annually to the women’s college squash player who best exemplifies the ideals of squash in her love of and devotion to the game, her strong sense of fairness, and her excellence of play and leadership. Nominees for the award are evaluated based on their on-court poise and demeanor; skill level and ability; team play; contributions to intercollegiate squash; leadership; and cooperation with players, coaches, and tournament officials.
The award is named for former Vassar head coach Betty Richey, who was one of the founders of the women’s individual national tournament in 1965. A standout field hockey and lacrosse player, she launched varsity programs in women’s squash, men’s squash, field hockey, men’s tennis, and women’s tennis at Vassar. A proponent of women’s sports in general, Richey was inducted into the Women’s College Squash Hall of Fame in 1995.
In winning the Richey Award, Chua was recognized by her peers. To be nominated for the award, a coach from another school must put forward a player’s name; teams may not nominate players from their own college or university. The award is decided at the Women’s National Team Championships (Howe Cup), and each team has two votes: one from the coach and one from the captain and players.
Chua was presented with the Richey Award at the 2013 Women’s National Team Championships, which were hosted by Yale University.
From her first year of college play, Chua was a standout player for the Cardinal. She played at the top of the team’s line-up throughout her four years, and during her time with Stanford, the team never finished out of the A Division. She also earned All-American honors for four straight years. She was named to the First Team in 2011 and 2012 and to the Second Team in 2010 and 2013. She finished with her highest national individual ranking — eighth — in 2012, and she never finished a season ranked outside the top fifteen individual players.
A senior co-captain, Chua had a leadership role on the Stanford team from early in her career. “She is the leader of this team and has been since the day she walked on campus,” Stanford head coach Mark Talbott explains. According to Talbott, Chua “exemplifies sportsmanship and has every day of her collegiate career. Pam is an example to all other players of the way to behave on court. She has never complained, and she plays the game the right way: she gets out of the way and rarely has a let. She respects her opponents and understands sportsmanship. Everyone on the team (and all those outside who know her) adores this quiet, kind woman. She is thoughtful, incredibly reliable, respectful, and fun; she also has a good sense of humor. She loves the sport and it has been a major part of her life.”
Chua majored in Mathematics/Business and maintained an outstanding academic record throughout her four years at Stanford.
“She is a wonderful representative of women’s collegiate squash,” says Talbott.
