Women's Squash: Four in a row? Princeton set for run at Howe Cup

With three national championships in the last three years and a couple of Ivy League titles, the women’s squash team could be forgiven for a lack of motivation for the 2009-10 season. With so many of the players having already won everything there is to win, what could another championship possibly mean?

But even for a squad that has lost only two matchups in the last three years and boasts a vast wealth of talent and experience, this season brings fresh and demanding challenges.

“We have been national champions for the past three years, and the team would love to repeat that for the fourth time,” senior Neha Kumar said. “But this will definitely be one of our hardest seasons.”

Despite their cautious approach, the Tigers certainly are in a strong position to make a run at their fourth consecutive Howe Cup. Returning from last year are six starters, among whom are three All-Americans: Kumar and fellow seniors Amanda Siebert and Emery Maine.

Senior Kaitlin Sennatt, who also has three years of national championship experience, joins Siebert and Maine as tri-captain of the squad. Behind her are several juniors and sophomores who have represented Princeton at the highest level.

“We have high hopes for this year, and, as always, we have our eye on the national title as our ultimate goal and are looking forward to working hard to get there,” Sennatt said.

This wealth of experience is one of the Tigers’ greatest strengths. Head coach Gail Ramsay was quick to praise the attitude of her returning players.

“We have a very experienced top six players, most of whom have played in three national championships,” Ramsay said. “But importantly, they’re all still eager, and they want to do well.”

Princeton can also be confident in the quality of its freshman class, which includes the top-ranked American recruit of 2009, Julie Cerullo.

Despite impressive depth and high aspirations, the Tigers’ season has not been without setbacks. Injuries have sidelined three members of the squad, and preseason scrimmages have indicated a tough level of competition ahead.

A weakened Princeton team finished fourth behind Harvard, Penn and Yale at Ivy Scrimmages. The preseason performance of Trinity and Stanford indicated that they too could pose stern tests for the Tigers.

Harvard in particular looks to be the biggest threat to Princeton’s defense of the title, as the Crimson returns all its starters in addition to welcoming a strong freshman class that includes the top Canadian recruit.

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Moreover, though only three members of the Princeton team graduated last year, all three were captains. Their loss was significant, as their leadership was key to the squad’s successes last year, and replacing them will be an important challenge for this year’s team.

“It was tough to see the Class of 2009 graduate. They were all strong contributors and leaders of the program,” Ramsay said. “But their leadership has helped the captains of this year and gives them a good, strong legacy to continue.”

Perhaps one of the most promising signs for this year has been the easy camaraderie of the Tigers.

The team’s performance in the preseason was not fully representative of its potential, but the Tigers will have to improve quickly, as the regular season starts this weekend with a trip to Ithaca, N.Y., to face Cornell and Stanford.

“The camaraderie and cohesion of Coach Ramsay’s teams has always been the envy of other teams, and it has already made me a better player,” Cerullo said.

The players display a concerted resolve to repeat the successes of the past season even in the face of tougher opposition.

“It is not going to be easy,” Siebert said. “Each match is going to be hard and bring us new challenges. But all these challenges are exciting, and with a team as determined, hardworking and motivated as we are, I have no doubt that we can achieve anything.”