When Anne Montesano became a member of the women's squash team as a freshman
nearly four years ago, she could not have conceived being the chosen representative at singles nationals. After attending a few practices as a novice player, she knew from the beginning she had a long way to go.
"I was pretty bad," Montesano said. "So I stopped going to practices. But then one of the captains called me and reminded me of when our practice times were, so I started going back."
Montesano, who heads to New Jersey for nationals this weekend, didn't start out near the top of the team. As a freshman, she played at the ninth and tenth position. Since only the scores of the first nine players count, she often played without contributing to the team's final score.
Coach Doug Eng acknowledged one of his top player's humble beginnings. "She needed a big head start at first," he said. "She had a lot of learning to do. She was a little claustrophobic, like some players who think they might get hit on the court."
But Montesano would prove that hard work and determination could take her far in squash. Her transition from freshman to sophomore year brought about vast improvements in her game, as she moved up to the fourth spot in the lineup. "That's a tough jump to make," Eng said. "She kept a good head on her shoulders and had a strong year."
As a junior, Montesano moved up again, playing in the second and third positions. At this point, she was playing against top-notch schools and found that she could hold her own. Now in her senior year, she holds the number two position.
Montesano said her progress over the last five years has included stronger drives and improved digging out of the corner in her back-court game. But Eng and Montesano agree that most important is her overall court awareness and ability to read her opponents' moves.
"This is the hardest thing to do in squash," Eng said of court awareness. "It's easy to hit the ball - it's hard to know where your opponent will move next."
Montesano said that each year, she's been able to accent her improvements, resulting in steady development as a player. "We all want to peak at nationals, and I think that's something I've been able to do every year," she said.
Eng attributes much of Montesano's improvements to her overall athletic ability. He said her willingness to run and train has helped the strength of her drive shots. She also possesses a work ethic second to none.
"She's not an easily frustrated person," Eng said. "She's always in a good mood. Even when the team loses, she congratulates everyone on a job well done. A player who does that is really able to develop."
Furthermore, he said she's not afraid to test new strategies. "She's like a sponge. She's very open to new ideas on how to play better."
Montesano said she reached her peak this season during her match against William Smith College at the Howe Cup Tournament hosted at Yale last weekend. After playing her opponent through five matches, she came back strong in the last couple of matches to win the contest. "I just played really well,"
she said. "[Coach Eng] told me it was the best squash he has ever seen me play."
Montesano feels that her experience as a Tufts squash player has been a challenge well worth her while. Devoting as many as 30 hours a week to the team at certain points during the season, she's felt both the physical repercussions as well as the struggle of managing her schedule around squash. More importantly, though, has been her personal growth.
"I realized how important athletics are to me," she said. "In terms of my own health, it's important to run around and take care of my body. Also, sports help you build your own confidence and help you determine who you are as a person."
Montesano tries to share what she's learned over the years, and said she sees coaching as a possibility in the future. Positive attitude has been an important part of her role as team co-captain this year. She said one of her main goals as a captain is to motivate the team before matches.
"I want to make everyone feel comfortable, and make everyone feel like they have a role on the team," she said.
But perhaps Montesano's greatest achievement was being chosen to represent the women's squash team at the Singles Nationals competition, hosted by Princeton University this weekend, March 1-3. As the only women's team member in attendance, Montesano's attitude towards this weekend's competition is focused and levelheaded.
"I'll have some challenging matches against some good players. I just want to play well and work on what [Eng] has been working on with me. I'd like to end my squash experience on a good note."
For Eng, Montesano's achievements this weekend won't be measured by her final scores; instead, the focus will be on her overall game.
"With some players, I look at them and say, wow, that was a great match," Eng said. "For her it's not about that. It's about looking at how far she has come."
