With four of its five top seeds from last year’s New Englands returning, the girls varsity squash team has its sights set on another strong performance this year.

“This season I expect a lot from the girls in terms of work ethic on and off the court because there is a lot of talent and potential on this team,” said co-captain Eleanor Burke ’20, adding that she hoped for a top-five finish at this year’s New Englands.

Fellow captain Julia Chai ’20 agreed, saying that she hoped that the team could recapture the Founders League title that it won in 2017.

Chai, Burke, Mitra Kardestuncer ’20, and Nina Flinn ’21 all competed in the top five seeds last year and should slot into similar spots in the ladder this season, said head coach Tyler Gardner. “It’s a massive advantage bringing more experience to the same spots in the ladder,” he said.

Joining these four are returner Elissa Ito ’19, newcomer Makayla Oas ’21, and Tina Deng ’21 and Yitong Wu ’20 from the JV squad.

Gardner added that his captains have done a good job creating respect among all the teammates and creating a sense of inclusion by encouraging players to practice with other players of very different skill levels.

Fitness will be a major point of emphasis for the team, especially looking towards the two major tournaments. Keeping the entire roster as healthy as possible will be key to maximizing the team’s success, said Burke.

Besides the three new players on the team, another exciting addition is assistant coach Ashley Suan, who comes to Hotchkiss after playing collegiate squash at Yale. “We all love working with Ms. Suan because she just left the competitive squash world, so she can relate to being in our shoes and also brings a lot of knowledge and expertise to the game,” said Chai.