The girls varsity squash team has had a challenging season, learning to be resilient and keep their heads held high under the leadership of Head Coach Cameron Biondi. The team went into the New England Championships with a record of 4-10.
The team is a tight-knit group with many returning players who are familiar with each other. They have three new players and six returning players, some coming back for their fourth year on the team. “It’s a sport where you play individually, but you have a teammate watching and scoring you,” Coach Biondi said. He explained that between games, players will chat and give advice. “The team has gotten good at supporting each other and giving each other good advice during matches,” he said.
The team prides itself on keeping a lighthearted attitude and dynamic, pairing off in different levels of skill during practice. They have different people playing each other for different drills, which they happily dive into as an outlet for improving. “They’re happy to mix around,” Coach Biondi said.
Squash, being an individual sport, comes with its set of mental challenges, like staying resilient when you have a bad game or you have a few bad points. “It’s crucial to not let it snowball into the whole match,” Coach Biondi shared. He added that it’s helpful when players have teammates supporting them and can hear people cheering them on. Despite all the support, however, it can feel isolating, and dealing with that side of the sport has been tough for the team. The team recently had a big win against the Berkshire School, which proved to be a close 4-3 match. “Each player was very focused and channeled into their game,” junior Ava Marseglia said.
The team leans on players like eighth-grader Valerie Perkins playing at the team’s number two ladder spot, as well as senior Alyssa Tousignant playing anywhere from five to seven on the ladder. “She’s become much more strategic on court and she has worked hard during the past few seasons to become a more well-rounded squash player,” Coach Biondi said. Sophomore Clara Toomey has played tennis and is a newcomer to the game of squash, but has still made her mark. “She’s super fast, so she plays people who can’t believe that she still got the ball,” Coach Biondi said.
***End with a quick recap of the end of the season… Philadelphia Nationals, New England Championships, and update final record!***
