New Haven, CT — Yale is going to be dangerous this season. “We are very excited for this year,” says associate head coach Pam Saunders. “We have a very strong freshmen class of three players to vie for the spots left by Katie Ballaine and Katie Harrison, who were the only seniors who graduated from our top 9 this past year. We are also glad to have Kimberley Hay back after a season-ending injury last year, which left a big hole in our line up.” The three newcomers are Shiyuan Mao, Madeline Tomlinson, and Jenny Scherl. Their names should sound familiar to college squash fans: Mao and Tomlinson both have  older sisters on the Yale squad, and Scherls have represented several Ivy League schools on the squash courts. Hay’s return is also good news for Yale; she won the deciding match in the 2011 Women’s National Team Championships final, giving Yale a 5-4 victory over Harvard. The Bulldogs would love to return to championship form this season, and their goals are to win Ivy and national titles. “We aim to accomplish our goals with a good sporting attitude,” says Saunders, who explains that the Bulldogs will also continue to give back. “Every year our team works closely with SquashHaven, which is housed out of Yale. Our team members volunteer at least one hour per week with the kids and many are involved beyond those hours in the role of mentors.”

2012-2013 SEASON RECAP

Season Record: 13-5

Final Ranking: 5

Team Championships: 5th in the Howe Cup (A Division)

2013-2014 SEASON PREVIEW

Program Status: Varsity

Head Coach: David Talbott

Associate Head Coach: Pam Saunders

Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Millie Tomlinson (2014 – First Team All-American; All-Ivy League Team); 3. Shihui Mao (2015 – Second Team All-American); 4. Gwen Tilghman (2014 – Scholar Athlete); 5. Lilly Fast (2014); 6. Issey Norman-Ross (2015); 7. Anna Harrison (2015); 8. Annie Ballaine (2016); 10. Georgia Blatchford (2016); Amanda Roberts (2016); Nina Kempner (2015); and Coco Siebert (2014)

Graduated/Non-Returning Players from 2012-2013 Team Championships: 2. Katie Ballaine (2013); 9. Katie Harrison (2013 – Scholar Athlete; Academic All Ivy); 11. Carolyn Brown (2013 – Scholar Athlete)

Additions to the 2013-2014 Roster:

• Additions: Shiyuan Mao, Madeline Tomlinson, and Jenny Scherl
• Returning from Injury: Kimberley Hay

Captain: Lilly Fast

Team Goals: Ivy League and National Championships

Key Matches: Ivy League and Trinity

To read other team previews, please visit the 2013-2014 College Squash Season Previews page.