Poughkeepsie, NY — A cadre of returning players will provide ballast to Vassar during a time of transition. At the end of the summer, head coach Jane Parker announced that she would be leaving Vassar after sixteen seasons. An interim head coach coach, David Ames, has been hired to lead the Brewers this season; Ames comes to Vassar with nearly twenty years of college coaching experience at Bard. Ames will inherit a squad that only lost one started to graduation. With four first-year players expected to compete for spots in the top nine, the team should be significantly deeper this season. Senior Carly Scher, who studied abroad last year, also returns to the line-up and will co-captain the Brewers along with Hannah Nice and Isabelle Bertram. The Brewers will have an early test when they open the season against Fordham and Mount Holyoke on November 5. Vassar went 0-3 against Mount Holyoke last year, including a 2-7 loss to end the season, and they’ll likely face the Lyons multiple times this season. If the Brewers hope to achieve their goal of improving upon their finishes at Seven Sisters and the National Team Championships, they will have to figure out how to get the edge on Mount Holyoke. Connecticut College and Tufts will also be significant matches for Vassar this season. Reflecting on the team, outgoing coach Parker said, “This is a well balanced team who know that academics come first at Vassar. Although squash is a stress busting activity that is pursued with enthusiasm, winning matches is a goal, but effort, attitude and team work are the keys to success.”
2015-2016 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 6-9
Final Ranking: 30
Team Championships: 6th in the Epps Cup (D Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 2 of 3… Top 3 Win%: .556… Middle 3 Win%: .364… Lower 3 Win%: .333…
2016-2017 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: David Ames
Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Hannah Nice (2018 – Seven Sisters All-Tournament Team); 2. Fiona Agger (2019 – Seven Sisters All-Tournament Team); 3. Jiamin Wu (2019); 4. Isabelle Bertram (2017); 5. Cherylann Mucciolo (2018); 6. Diana Howland (2017); 7. Emma Glickman (2018); 9. Kelly Rissman (2018); 10. Julia Pollak (2019); 11. Xinran Qi (2018);
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 8. Stephanie Zhu (2016 – CSA Scholar Athlete); Parisa Halaji
Additions to the 2016-2017 Roster:
- Expected to play in the top 3: Alessandra Pilkington
- Expected to play in the middle 3: Carly Scher (returning from JYA); Sydney Nemphos
- Expected to play in the bottom 3: Samantha Henderson, Rebecca Slotkin
Captains: Hannah Nice, Isabelle Bertram, and Carly Scher
Team Goals: To advance up the rankings, finish higher in both the Seven Sisters and CSA Team Championships
Key Matches: Mount Holyoke, Connecticut College, and Tufts
To read other team previews, please visit the 2016-2017 College Squash Season Previews page.
