Princeton, NJ — No team has won more national team titles — 17 — than Princeton, but Harvard is getting dangerously close. Can the 2016-2017 Tigers stop the Crimson from taking home the Howe Cup for the seventeenth time? Princeton will host the 2017 Women’s National Team Championships, and the past two times the Tigers have hosted the tournament, Harvard has been edged out of the title. Yale (2011) and Trinity (2014) had their turns, and this year might be Princeton’s. Head coach Gail Ramsay has the team focused on day-to-day goals to get there. According to Ramsay, the team’s goals are to “come each day to practice with a plan for improving, to have each player have their best ever performance this season, and to play to our potential.” Ramsay also recognizes the importance of team dynamics, saying, “Team dynamics are key for a unified and productive team. We work hard to bring the team together both on and off the court!” A team trip to Greece at the end of October will help the three new players get to know their teammates and will be an opportunity for the entire team to bond. Seniors Alex Toth and Maria Elena Ubina will serve as co-captains. Ubina, a Spanish and Portuguese major, is a two-time captain, a three-time All Ivy and All-American honoree, and a four time national champion in doubles and twice in mixed doubles. She and Toth will be using their on-court experience to lead the Tigers as they face key Ivy League opponents as well stiff competition from Trinity and Stanford.
2015-2016 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 12-4
Final Ranking: 4
Team Championships: 4th in the Howe Cup (A Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 1 of 2… Top 3 Win%: .729… Middle 3 Win%: .604… Lower 3 Win%: .844…
2016-2017 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Gail Ramsay
Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Olivia Fiechter (2018 – All-Ivy League Team; Academic All-Ivy; First Team All-American); 2. Maria Elena Ubina (2017 – All-Ivy League Team; Second Team All-American); 4. Lindsey Scott (2018); 5. Alexandra Toth (2017 – CSA Scholar Athlete); 6. Kira Keating (2018); 7. Samantha Chai (2019); 9. Isabel Hirshberg (2019); 10. Gabriella Garr (2017);
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 3. Rachel Leizman (2016); 8. Tara Harrington (2016); 11. Isabella Bersani (2016 – CSA Scholar Athlete);
Additions to the 2016-2017 Roster:
- Expected to play in the top half: Morgan Steelman (Philadelphia, PA; The Baldwin School)
- Expected to play in the bottom half: Zeina ElSisy (Alexandria, Egypt; Riada American School); Madison Soukup (Haverford, PA; The Episcopal Academy)
Captains: Maria Elena Ubina and Alex Toth
Team Goals: To come each day to practice with a plan for improving, to have each player have their best ever performance this season, and to play to our potential
Key Matches: Ivy League teams, Stanford, Trinity
To read other team previews, please visit the 2016-2017 College Squash Season Previews page.
