Princeton, NJ — Princeton squash consistently attracts top U.S. junior talent, and this year is no exception. The three newest Tigers — Isabel Hirshberg, Sam Chai, and Kate Feeley — have all played for storied prep programs and have had successes on the U.S. junior circuit. They’ll be joining a team that ended last season on a high note, finishing third in the nation. Of last season, head coach Gail Ramsay reflects, “Overall I feel the team finished strong and several players managed to play their best squash of their careers,” singling out 2015 grad Nicole Bunyan, who capped her senior season with a run all the way to the semifinals of the A Draw at Individuals. The current crop of Tigers will be looking to follow in Bunyan’s footsteps, showing steady improvement and making waves. “The team will miss former assistant coach Gavin Johnston-Butcher, who is moving forward in another direction with his career. He has been a great help over these last few years, and we will miss him very much,” says Ramsay. But Ramsay is looking forward to the season: “We have a great group of women who are excited about Princeton and playing squash for the program.”
2014-2015 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 12-3
Final Ranking: 3
Team Championships: 3rd in the Howe Cup (A Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 2 of 3… Top 3 Win %: 0.8636… Middle 3 Win %: 0.6889… Lower 3 Win %: 0.7556
2015-2016 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Gail Ramsay
Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Olivia Fiechter (2018 – CSA First Team All-American, Ivy League Rookie of the Year, All-Ivy League Team, US Squash Intercollegiate Doubles Champion); 2. Maria Elena Ubina (2017 – CSA First Team All-American, All-Ivy League Team, US Squash Intercollegiate Doubles Champion, US Squash Mixed Intercollegiate Doubles Champion); 5. Rachel Leizman (2016 – CSA Second Team All-American, US Squash Intercollegiate Doubles Finalist); 7. Tara Harrington (2016); 8. Kira Keating (2018); 9. Gabriella Garr (2017); 10. Alexandra Toth (2017); 11. Isabella Bersani (2016 – CSA Scholar Athlete)
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from 2014-2015 Team Championships: 3. Nicole Buyan (2015 – CSA First Team All-American, All-Ivy League Team, US Squash Intercollegiate Doubles Finalist); 4. Alexandra Lunt (2015 – CSA Second Team All-American, CSA Scholar Athlete, Academic All-Ivy); 6. Hallie Dewey (2015)
Additions to the 2015-2016 Roster: Isabel Hirshberg, Sam Chai and Kate Feeley
Captains: Maria Elena Ubina and Libby Maine
Team Goals: To invest fully in the preseason, which will help us make some leaps in our skills an development.
Key Matches: Harvard, Penn, and Yale
To read other team previews, please visit the 2015-2016 College Squash Season Previews page.
