by Conor Caneday ’21 and Sean James ’19
Sophomore Isabel Berckemeyer is the girls player of the month for her dominance on the squash court. Berckemeyer has been one of the top contributors and key players for the squash team during the past two seasons.
In the first part of the season, Berckemeyer went on a winning streak and won eight out of 11 matches. These wins solidified Bekemeyer’s spot as a crucial player on the team. “Those first matches really helped me with my confidence,” Berckemeyer said. “Now, I don’t doubt myself as much, and I play with confidence.”
Soon afterwards, Berckemeyer played her toughest match so far against Westminster School. Berckemeyer knew it would be a challenging match, but when her teammates started to struggle, her confidence faded away. “I got into my own head,” Berkemeyer said. “I lost my focus as a result, I struggled in the beginning.”
Berckemeyer started out the match with two losses but after a quick break, she was able to recenter and concentrate on the match. She went on to win the next three games and the match. “I was so impressed by her,” Head Coach Cameron Biondi said. “The match demonstrated her ability and how she always plays to the end.”
Berckemeyer and the rest of team went on to set goals on how they can improve as players. Berckemeyer set the goal to learn how to vary her shots more. “I need to work my dropshot,” she said. “As I go on to play better and better opponents, I need to switch up my shots to keep my opponent on edge if I want to win.”
In a recent game against Kent School, she varied her shots and won the match.“I started to improve on my shots and it helped,” Berkemeyer said, “but I still have a lot more to improve on.”
In the next few weeks, Berckemeyer and the team are going to play in the High School Nationals and the New England tournaments. Berckemeyer will be a vital player for the Wyverns, especially if she keeps improving like she has been doing.
“After watching her match against Westminster,” Coach Biondi said, “I’m excited to see her showcase her skills and play in competitive matches.”
