Charlottesville, VA — Virginia surprised many when the computerized ranking slotted them into the final Kurtz Cup (B Division) spot at the 2016 Women’s College Squash Association National Team Championships. This season, the Cavaliers are unlikely to surprise anyone. After all, they return their starting nine from Team Championships, and they are adding six players, including two with aspirations of joining the top 3. This will create a much stronger and deeper team than last season. According to assistant coach Grant White, “Our goal is to continue to build on the success we have had over the past several seasons and improve on our performance in the B Division at CSA Team Nationals. We believe we are capable of achieving a ranking of #12 in the nation and that is going to be our goal entering the season.” The Cavaliers continue to focus on academics, and the coaching staff is proud of the team’s academic prowess. “Members of our women’s team continue to excel in the academic as well as athletic spheres of their undergraduate lives. Last season the team’s cumulative team GPA was 3.36,” states White. With roster additions, look for Virginia to be knocking on the door of the upper half of the Kurtz Cup draw.
2015-2016 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 10-7
Final Ranking: 16
Team Championships: 8th in the Kurtz Cup (B Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 1 of 1… Top 3 Win%: .529… Middle 3 Win%: .490… Lower 3 Win%: .647…
2016-2017 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Club
Head Coach: Mark Allen
Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Carey Danforth (2018); 2. Annie Tyson (2019); 3. Madeleine Mayhew (2019); 4. Molly Prockop (2019); 5. Bella Jones (2019); 6. Carolyn Grenier (2017 – CSA Academic Recognition); 7. Amanda Whelan (2018); 8. Isabel Stack (2018); 9. Candace Craig (2019); 11. Charlotte Searle (2017);
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 10. Sarah Walker (2016);
Additions to the 2016-2017 Roster:
- Expected to play in the top 3: Tara Arya (Monta Vista High School – Cupertino, CA); Julia Thompson (Episcopal Academy – Newtown Square, PA)
- Expected to play in the middle 3: Sarah Doss (Episcopal High School – Richmond, VA)
- Expected to play in the bottom 3: Lindsay Bralower (2017, returning from study abroad); Lois Lo (Hotchkiss School – Hong Kong); Isabelle Ezratty (Greenwich Academy – Greenwich, CT)
Captains: Lindsay Bralower, Carolyn Grenier, Charlotte Searle, and Carey Danforth
Team Goals: Top-12 finish
Key Matches: George Washington University, Brown University, and Middlebury College
To read other team previews, please visit the 2016-2017 College Squash Season Previews page.
