The KO girls varsity squash team has had an exciting season thus far, boasting an impressive record of 4-2, still with many matches to go. Led by Head Coach Cameron Biondi and senior Co-captains Mackenzie Caruso and Amrita Natarajan, the team is set up to continue to find success on the court.
Coach Biondi’s main goal going into the season was to have each individual player successfully go up against skilled opponents, and that has been the case so far for the players. The team most recently has had big wins over Canterbury, Westminster, and Kent that balanced out the team’s early season losses. They had a decisive win over Canterbury, defeating the Saints 6-1, but the matches were closer against a very talented Westminster team. Yet, the Wyverns came out on top, defeating the Martlets 5-2 before claiming an exciting victory over Kent School, 4-3.
No season would be complete without some bumps in the road, and with the ongoing pandemic, the girls squash team has had their fair share. The most challenging obstacle for the team this season has just simply been the stop-and-go nature of a winter sport. Between weather complications and COVID-19 complications, the team has struggled with both match cancellations and inconsistent practices. The comfort in this is knowing that all other teams are in the same situation, so the team simply takes things one step at a time and makes the most of the time that they do have together.
The team is persistent and manages to find success whether it’s in matches or in a player’s own personal development. “There are many variables involved in a match that make it very hard for players to find themselves playing against an opponent of the same skill level,” Coach Biondi said. “We have to define success by our own individual growth rather than with match scores or overall records.” It can be hard to find that motivation at times, but the team continues to power through.
Though the team has had many matches thus far, a particular match stands above the rest: the Westminster match. The team fought hard that day in close matches and were ultimately able to pull off a victory. They had never beaten Westminster’s varsity team, since the Martlets play a division above the Wyverns, so it meant that much more for the team to walk away with a win. “I was really proud of how the team found their game and managed to pull off a win during an away match as well,” Coach Biondi said.
Along with standout matches, there have also been standout players. Caruso and Natarajan keep the team running like a well-oiled machine and play on the third and fourth spot on the ladder, which are notoriously tough on players and force them into close matches. The team is also equipped with a strong set of middle schoolers who play the top spots on the ladder. Seventh-grader Sophia Lazor plays the first spot, and eighth-grader Ava Marseglia plays the second spot. Both players prove to be a force to be reckoned with, even at such a young age. “Ava and Sophia play some of the best players in New England, and they often handle those matches and the wins and losses like they’re veterans on the team,” Coach Biondi said.
Looking ahead, the team’s main goal is to keep the momentum they have going and to use it to help them prepare for New Englands. New Englands is set for mid February, while Nationals will occur at the end of February. The Wyverns will face Miss Porter’s School on Saturday, Feb. 5.
