Women's Squash | Saddled by several injuries and absences, Jumbos finish strong

    While the women's squash team's season ended in disappointment — a 7-2 defeat at the hands of Amherst in the final of the C Division at Nationals — the Jumbos enjoyed enough highs that one would be hard-pressed to declare the year a failure. After an injury-riddled start, the team rebounded midway through the season, salvaging its year with a strong performance to finish with a 6-14 overall record.
    "Our goals at the start of the season were to win the C Division at Nationals or make the B Division," senior tri-captain Jessica Herrmann said. "Although we didn't accomplish either of those goals, we fought hard the entire way through, and I'm proud of our team for doing that."
    The Jumbos began the season undermanned due to injuries and players studying abroad, forcing them to compete with just six players on multiple occasions.
    "It was hard keeping morale up at the beginning when we had six girls," said Herrmann, who missed several matches with a broken rib. "It was unlucky and difficult."
    "We were nervous about the season," assistant coach Kelsey Engman added. "We had a tough start with injuries, having players abroad and losing two seniors who were great from last year. We lost our No. 1, so everyone was basically playing up a spot. And we had to play some of the top teams in the country. But if we stayed focused, we knew we could do well, and we came back during the second semester and were much better."
     Herrmann identifies the improvement in the team's mental game over the course of the season as one of her main sources of pride.
    "Mentally, we improved the most," she said. "At the beginning of the season, and really over the course of my four years, we would sometimes get wrapped up or intimidated by who we were playing before we even stepped onto the court. But at Nationals we played tough matches against opponents who we didn't know, and we really fought hard and became fighters. It was a nice high point."
    The turning point in the season came during late January when the team got its first victory of the season, a 7-2 result against Conn. College.
    "I remember telling the girls before the match against Conn. College that we would win," Engman said. "They were kind of surprised because we had played some tough matches. But it gave us some confidence and we were then able to pull it together."
    At Nationals, the team scored two quality victories: a 5-4 victory against Franklin & Marshall in the first round and a convincing 6-3 win against Vassar in the semifinals. Although the team came up short against Amherst, the chance to make a run through the tournament provided a thrill that may have been missing had the team qualified for the more competitive B Division.
    "In some ways, Nationals were more exciting this year because we had the experience of winning and going through the first couple of rounds," Herrmann said. "We got to stand on the court at the end and receive trophies as opposed to playing a [consolation] match in the back corner that nobody really cares about."
    While next year's team will miss its four graduating seniors — Caroline Choi and tri-captains Herrmann, Victoria Barba and Simone Grant — the team retains several talented young players, including first-years Mercedes Barba and Alix Michael.
    "It's always tough to overcome seniors graduating, especially when it's your No. 1 player like Victoria Barba," Herrmann said. "But they will still have some strong players with a lot of potential and, if they keep working at it, then they'll do well."
    "[Next year] will probably be a similar year to this year," Engman added. "We're losing our No. 1 again and four seniors as opposed to two last year. We're hoping we might get a couple of new players. But if everyone keeps getting better, then love for the sport can carry us through."