Washington, DC — Georgetown finished last season ranked 29th and ranked 3rd amongst club teams. To improve on last season, the Hoyas will need more wins from the top of their ladder. Last year, the squad’s top 3 captured 33% of matches, while the middle 3 and bottom 3 captured 62% and 70%, respectively. Georgetown will need to replace two graduates from last season, but the team expects seven players to join the squad. According to co-captain Kirsten Craddock, the Hoyas’ “goal is to build a deep team which incorporates our new talent as well as our returning players.” The team is focused on matches with Virginia and Johns Hopkins, two crucial opponents if Georgetown wants to ascend the rankings. As in past seasons, the team will be supporting Squash Diabetes, a charity started by a Georgetown players that invests in research to make artificial pancreas cell treatments a reality for diabetics. The Hoyas need to play more matches against a variety of opponents to truly blossom this season.
2013-2014 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 8-4
Final Ranking: 29
Team Championships: 5th in the Epps Cup (D Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 3 of 3… Position with the Most Wins: #5s had 11 Wins
2014-2015 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Emerging Club
Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Kirsten Craddock (2015); 2. Olivia Colburn (2018); 3. Elizabeth Scattergood (2018); 6. Helen Guo (2015); 7. Elizabeth Johnson (2015); 8. Katia DaSilva (2015); 9. Lucy Gibson (2015); 10. Ellen Rote (2018)
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 4. Hilary Ross (2014); 5. Julia Caffrey (2014)
Additions to the 2014-2015 Roster:
- Expected to play in the top 3: Grace Alburger; Anna Yass
- Expected to play in the middle 3: Anne Scattergood
- Expected to play in the bottom 3: Allison Elkman
- Other addition: Alexis Gulino; Megan Niles; Carolyn Dahl
Captains: Kirsten Craddock and Lucy Gibson
Team Goals: To build a deep team which incorporates new talent as well as our returning players
Key Matches: UVA and JHU
To read other team previews, please visit the 2014-2015 College Squash Season Previews page.
Minneapolis, MN — Only a few seasons after their launch, the Minnesota Gophers are continuing to improve. They made it to the E Division at Team Championships, the first time they competed in a nine player division at nationals. The team’s efforts to move up the rankings was stifled by their regular season schedule last year. This season, the Gophers are more focused on the regular season. They have hired Dave Baker as their new head coach. In addition, they are planning a regular season trip to Boston to compete with teams at Northeastern. Paige Carlson, a senior, is the first player to compete for Minnesota all four years of its existence. Assistant coach John Stevers explains that she “has practiced and played all four years without interruption, despite a heavy academic load, being a marching band member, and participating in several other activities. She has led the team as co-captain last year and this.” With a stronger regular season schedule against many different opponents, Minnesota could move into a mid-30s ranking position.
Nashville, TN — Vanderbilt played in the inaugural H Division at the 2013 – 2014 Team Championships. The Commodores finished as the runner-up in that division and with a ranking of 57th for the season. This season, Vanderbilt has to replace three graduates. Fortunately, the Commodores have thirteen players interested in joining the team. This includes Matt Robinson, who is returning to the team after taking a year off to pursue his music career. Robinson is expected to play #1 for Vanderbilt. The team is looking forward to matches with Notre Dame and Sewanee. According to co-captain O’Neill Dewey, the team is attempting to “get more matches in against new schools throughout the season.” Vanderbilt needs to replace its graduates and play additional schools to have the opportunity to win their division at Team Championships.
Eugene, OR — After a quiet 2013 – 2014 campaign, the University of Oregon is trying to firmly establish an emerging club program this season. The team has dedicated players, including co-captains Gordon Reed and Chris Cramer. According to Reed, “We are looking to further establish our program with regards to the CSA/US Squash community, our West Coast rival teams, and our own University of Oregon administration. We are looking to close the gap between teams like Stanford and Washington and hopefully seize opportunities in order to win close matches against teams like Cal and USC.” The Ducks are looking forward to the West Coast round robin to showcase their improvement. “We are an exciting, rapidly expanding program full of players that have not forgotten how to just go out on the court and have some fun playing the sport they love,” states Reed.
Hamilton, NY — With only three players returning from the 2013 – 2014 Team Championships ladder, Colgate will have an uphill battle this season. According to co-captain Matthew Swain, the Raiders “received a plethora of new players and our returning players have all improved greatly.” In fact, Colgate is expecting eight players to join the squad this season. The team is planning to play more regular season matches, which includes traveling to more away matches. This will greatly benefit the Raiders. Entering his senior campaign, co-captain Jack Eiel will be captaining his third Colgate squash team. According to Swain, “Eiel has been a captain since his sophomore year and has really brought the team together over the years. He has worked endlessly and tirelessly to make our team better. He has been a diplomat and always a scholar. He is also premed and has always bonded the team in the face of adversity.” Colgate will need to come together as a team to break into the top-30.
St. Louis, MO — Washington University in St. Louis has done quite well in their three seasons of college squash play. The Bears won the Chaffee Cup last season, which was both a success and a disappointment for the team. It showed the team’s progress and that Wash U could compete with many successful club programs. It also showed the need for a schedule that would highlight the team’s strength. With the Bears’ sole loss coming against their highest ranked opponent in the regular season, Wash U was left wondering what could have occurred with a stronger strength of schedule. The Bears avenged their sole loss against Chicago in the Serues Cup finals. The team returns only four players from Team Championships, but they are gaining six players. With the new players and a better schedule, Washington in St. Louis may move up the rankings.
Boston, MA — Two seasons ago, Boston University finished with a winning record and was runner up in the Chaffee Cup (F Division). Last season was not the sequel the Terriers wanted. The squad finished 1-13 and placed 8th in the Chaffee Cup. According to Aahan Sethi, “Two years ago this team took a huge step forward, reaching the top 5 club teams in the country and defeating many rival teams. Despite suffering through a difficult season with many players leaving and others succumbing to injuries, we remain a motivated team. The core members of this team return and strive to help new players transition and assimilate themselves into our team and into collegiate squash.” The team will need to replace five players from last season’s Team Championships, but they are expecting six players with squash experience to join the ladder. “We have gained a number of freshmen with valuable experience from reputable high school teams. This freshmen class will be the best we’ve had in three years, with players challenging for roster spots throughout the ladder,” adds Sethi. Chaiyatat Ben Bunjapamai and Jack Chambers are returning for their second year as captains. Look for the Terriers to rebound this season and return to their 2012 – 2013 form.
Granville, OH — After finishing last season ranked 35th, Denison’s goal is to finish this season ranked in the mid-20s. “With the addition of three excellent players our goal and expectation is to jump to the mid-twenties. In addition, our returning players are showing strong determination and dedication to achieve this goal,” explains head coach Walt Thieman. After being forced to rely on the wins and losses against a select few opponents last season to determine their ranking, the Big Red are stepping up their schedule so they may control their own destiny. Denison is heading to the Navy Round Robin and Wesleyan Round Robin where they will face a variety of new teams that were on either side of the Big Red in last season’s rankings. Co-captains Marshall Crane and Andrew Krayacich are excited to be leading the team. As their prepare for the season, the captains have been leading the team through the Insanity workout program. According to Thieman, “Crane has been a model player and example of good sportsmanship the past three years. His strong desire to compete along with his excellent personal qualities will make him a leader in his role as co-captain his senior year.” Denison’s plan to improve their schedule will allow the squash world to see their improvement.