One thing that has stood out about the women's squash program in recent years is its consistency: The Jumbos always seem to fight their way to a top-25 ranking by the end of the year. This season, the goal remains the same: to compete for a spot in either the Kurtz Cup (B division) or Walker Cup (C Division) brackets at the College Squash Association's national championships.
"Because we're a younger and less-experienced team, our main goal is pure improvement," senior tri-captain Jessica Herrmann said. "But we're still looking to finish with a ranking similar to last year and a spot in either the top of the C or the bottom of B divisions."
Tufts is coming off a solid 2007-08 campaign in which the team ended the season ranked No. 16 in the country, but in early season practices the Jumbos have been putting a premium on conditioning, an area in which they believe they can improve on from last year.
"We're putting a lot of work in on our fitness," Herrmann said. "We want to be in wonderful shape this season. When we're playing evenly matched teams, our fitness can really carry us through and make the difference. Our practices have been very positive; we're working on removing negative thoughts from our practices, which can be a huge benefit for a younger team."
"It's hard to say what the strengths of the team are because it's very early in the season," coach Doug Eng added. "But one thing I would identify is that they are a group that is willing to work very hard on their fitness."
On the court, Herrmann identified several areas where the Jumbos are looking to improve their individual play.
"As a team, we're emphasizing consistently putting depth and length on our shots," she said. "Hitting the ball deeper in the court produces a more defensive shot from your opponent because they have to play behind you. When you hit a deep shot in the corner, especially down at the bottom of the ladder in the seven, eight and nine spots, it is really hard for your opponent to return that shot in a way that doesn't allow you to win the point.
"In general, we want to be a more aggressive team this season," she continued. "Being aggressive will allow us to play a more offensive style. In the past we've been a bit defensive."
While Tufts will have to overcome the graduation of last year's No. 1 player Rebecca Rice (LA '08), who started at the top spot her sophomore through senior years, the team returns the overwhelming majority of its starting lineup, including senior tri-captains Herrmann, Victoria Barba and Simone Grant, as well as juniors Stefanie Marx and Laura Curren and sophomore Valerie Koo.
The squad has not finished above .500 since the 2000-01 season, and in recent years it has hovered right below that mark, finishing 9-12 last season. But while the Jumbos would love to break that ceiling, they recognize that in a sport as competitive as squash, the final record isn't necessarily representative of their overall performance.
"Unlike other sports, records aren't really that relevant in squash," Eng said. "It's not our overall record that matters, but the three or four key matches that define the rankings. Those could include Middlebury, William Smith and Northeastern."
"It would be great to get to that point [where we'd finish above .500]," Herrmann said. "It would say a lot about how far we've come as a team. But our schedule is tough and we play a lot of the top 10 teams in the country."
That tough schedule will take effect right off the bat when the Jumbos face Trinity, which ended last season ranked No. 4 nationally, today in their first contest of the season.
"Trinity's in a whole other ballpark," Eng said. "Squash is basically a Div. I sport [for Tufts], and Trinity, in effect, gives out scholarships to its players. Eighty to 90 percent of their players are international, and they recruit from a pool of the top thirty juniors in the world. It's like going out and facing a Duke or a UCLA in another sport. What we have to do is look at what we can accomplish on an individual level -- good drives and good movement. We don't want to give up and make mental mistakes."
Herrmann, who will be out for at least a month with a broken rib, identifies the team's upcoming match at Amherst on Dec. 4 as a key point on the season.
"That will be a really big match for us," she said. "It's in December, and hopefully by then most of our team will be back on the court and ready to go."
