Despite the departure of four of the five top players from last year’s graduating class, KO varsity girls squash had a successful season with an overall record of 6-6 and a quarterfinal appearance in Division IV of the U.S. High School Team Squash Championships.
Fourth-year Head Coach Cameron Biondi was impressed by the team’s steady improvement over the course of the season, finding ways to win matches in which they were the clear underdog.
“The season went really well, especially considering that we graduated our #1, #2, #3, and #5 on the ladder last year and only played one match that season,” Coach Biondi said. “Our whole team stepped it up this year to play at levels they hadn’t reached before. We ended the regular season with a [.500] record, which is solid since a lot of the teams in our regular schedule are ranked higher than we are.”
With many of the returners from last year being vaulted into higher positions for match play, the development of skills was key during practice. The team often had just two or three days of preparation before competition, but Coach Biondi got the Wyverns primed for any opponent that stood in their way. “Practices were generally split between working on technique and specific shots or movements for the first half, and then condition games and full games in the second half,” Coach Biondi said. “We also tried to have challenge matches once a week to keep the ladder competitive.”
The Wyverns traveled to the Berkshire School on Friday, Feb. 11, for the Class D New England Championship and gained valuable experience in facing strong competition all weekend. Senior Co-captain Amrita Natarajan had an impressive tournament and placed 4th in the #3 flight. Eighth-grader Ava Marseglia played in three grueling matches at the #2 spot with each going the full five-game distance, showing tremendous heart to stay in every point.
On an afternoon in which the team’s steady #1, seventh-grader Sophia Lazor, was unable to play, the Wyverns lost a tough 0-7 defeat on Wednesday, Feb. 16 to a formidable Greens Farms Academy squad on the road. A full week of preparation for the girls’ senior day matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 23 proved to be beneficial, as the Wyverns triumphed to a 6-1 victory over the Wildcats of Williston Northampton School. Natarajan, senior Co-captain Mackenzie Caruso, Marseglia, and junior Annabelle Jacobs won handily in straight sets 3-0 while senior Macy Isenberg dazzled with a spectacular 3-2 win in a close match. Sophomore Ilianna Brett prevailed 3-1 in her contest as well to cap off an impressive afternoon of squash from the home side.
Natarajan credited Coach Biondi on helping the young, inexperienced group grow exceedingly in confidence during matches and his dedication to the program over the years “I’m really glad to have Mr. Biondi as a coach,” Natarajan said. “He always comes to practice with a plan, and I really like how he gave me and Mackenzie the space to run warm-ups and suggest skills and games for practice.”
Shortly before the start of Nationals in Philadelphia, the Wyverns moved up from Division V to Division IV, but it didn’t deter the motivated group in the slightest. As the 15 seed, the red and black shocked the Panthers of Princeton Day School 5-2 in the round of 16 on Friday, Feb. 25. There were multiple matches decided by a score of 3-2 in what was an exciting night of squash and a memorable win no one will soon forget.
The girls turned quickly around for the quarterfinals the following day on Saturday, Feb. 26, and were defeated by Millbrook School 6-1. Lazor was the lone victor at #1, beating a very well-rounded and veteran upperclassman from the Mustangs. The Wyverns rounded out the tournament with a heartbreaking 4-3 loss against Conestoga School and a 5-2 loss against an opponent they faced just ten days prior, Greens Farms Academy. Both took place in the consolation bracket.
After four previous years with the team, Natarajan was ecstatic to be named as a co-captain along with Caruso and has cherished every moment with her teammates. “[After finishing] my fifth year on this team, I’m really going to miss the close-knit nature of the team,” Natarajan said. “We’ve bonded so much, especially in tournaments, and I am so thankful for the time I’ve got to spend with this team as well as those on the team in the past.”
Coach Biondi spoke to the amazing leadership his seniors exhibited throughout the season. “We have four seniors on the team: Captains Amrita [Natarajan] and Mackenzie [Caruso], and Macy [Isenberg] and Katharine Doar,” Biondi said. “Our captains have done such a great job of setting a positive and welcoming tone for the younger players, and it’s really because of them that we’re able to work well as a team with a wide span of ages. Macy and Katharine are also great role models for the other players in terms of their determination and their ability to face adversity in a match with level-headed poise. We’ll really miss the leadership of our seniors next year.”
Talented middle schoolers Lazor and Marseglia will be back as the premier players for a young, on-the-rise program heading into the winter of 2023, and we wish the four graduating seniors continued success in the future!
