Despite having no seniors on this year’s roster, girls varsity squash head coach Maja Clark is confident and enthusiastic about the team’s potential this season.

“We are a strong team, and a young team, so we are really looking to get our competitive juices flowing and to play our best in competition,” she said.

This year’s squad features three players from each of the other three grades, led by co-captains Mary Wood ’23 and Lauren Sonneborn ’23. Several players have already seen competition this year through their own play in US Squash tournaments, said Clark.

“They are honed and ready for their matches to count,” she said. “They are also ready to come together as a team.”

Clark pointed to early season results as an encouraging sign. Despite dropping their season opener to Deerfield, the Bearcats lost the match by a single point, one of the closest results in recent years. “We feel very confident that the outcome will be in our favor the next time we lock horns,” said Clark.

To get the players back up to the normal level of match intensity after a year away from competition, the team has combined hard practices, conditioning, and weekly challenge matches to simulate game pressure, she said.

Thus far, coaches have already seen meaningful improvement in all facets of the game, including movement, ball striking, and shot selection. “Our players are working hard on court and improving their competitive fight daily,” said Clark.