Minneapolis, MN — Only a few seasons after their launch, the Minnesota Gophers are continuing to improve. They made it to the E Division at Team Championships, the first time they competed in a nine player division at nationals. The team’s efforts to move up the rankings was stifled by their regular season schedule last year. This season, the Gophers are more focused on the regular season. They have hired Dave Baker as their new head coach. In addition, they are planning a regular season trip to Boston to compete with teams at Northeastern. Paige Carlson, a senior, is the first player to compete for Minnesota all four years of its existence. Assistant coach John Stevers explains that she “has practiced and played all four years without interruption, despite a heavy academic load, being a marching band member, and participating in several other activities. She has led the team as co-captain last year and this.” With a stronger regular season schedule against many different opponents, Minnesota could move into a mid-30s ranking position.
2013-2014 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 9-5
Final Ranking: 37
Team Championships: 5th in the E Division
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 2 of 3… Position with the Most Wins: #5s had 11 Wins
2014-2015 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Emerging Club
Head Coach: Dave Baker
Returning Players from Team Championships: 2. Klothilda Lim (2015); 3. Paige Carlson (2015); 6. Courtney Pietras (2017); 7. Lena Zagar (2016); 9. Alex Chhith (2016)
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Andrea Belgrade (2014); 4. Sandra Rellier (2014); 5. Mia Divecha (2014); 8. Yulia Allar (2016)
Additions to the 2014-2015 Roster:
- Expected to play in the middle 3: Sydney Smutzler and Molly Price
- Expected to play in the bottom 3: Alexi Glenn, Angela Wong, and Abhi Rajaram
Captains: Paige Carlson and Courtney Pietras
Team Goals: To firmly establish our ranking in the mid 30s
Key Matches: Round robin at Northeastern
To read other team previews, please visit the 2014-2015 College Squash Season Previews page.
