The College Squash Association (CSA) is proud to announce that Colby College has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Women’s Most Improved Team Award, recognizing the most significant year-over-year progress by a women’s varsity program.

Colby made a notable leap in performance this season, climbing from No. 25 to No. 18 in the final CSA rankings. This impressive rise reflects the team’s steady development, competitive growth, and ability to deliver strong results throughout the year.

This marks the third time that the Colby women’s squash team has received the Most Improved Team honor—a testament to the program’s continued commitment to growth and excellence.

The Mules were led by Head Coach Chris Abplanalp, who credited the team’s success to their unity and perseverance.

“I am incredibly proud of this team,” said Coach Abplanalp. “They overcame a lot of challenges together and showed an incredible amount of resiliency to accomplish the goals we set at the beginning of the season. It was truly a team effort. They showed up every day ready to work and determined to succeed. It’s an honor to be named the Most Improved Team, and we’re grateful for the recognition of everything this group achieved together.”

The Women’s Most Improved Team Award is presented annually to the varsity program that shows the greatest improvement in final team ranking compared to the previous season. Final selections are determined by a vote of CSA women’s team coaches, who consider both ranking movement and the quality of competition surpassed.

Congratulations to Coach Abplanalp, his staff, and the entire Colby team on this well-earned recognition.